The Essential Dalai Lama: His Important Teachings – Dalai Lama – 4 Stars

The Essential Dalai Lama: His Important Teachings – Dalai Lama – 4 Stars

Title: The Essential Dalai Lama: His Important Teachings

Author: Dalai Lama

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Year: Soft Cover Reprint - 2006

Rating:   4 STARS

Price and Purchasing Options: This book is a little difficult to find new, and although I cannot confirm, it looks like it is out of print.  This means that your best chance is either through eBay (here), or through Amazon or Barnes & Noble’s used dealer options.  With that beings said, it is a mass market soft cover – which means it should be fairly economical.  Just because it is out of print is not going to add any significant value to it. 

Review: This is a strong book, and a book I would recommend that many Latter-day Saints read.  I almost wanted to give it 5 Stars, but there are elements that warrant a little less focus – so it borderlines because there are some things that everyone should read and learn, and a few things that just don’t apply.

The strength of this book is both seen within the Lama’s compassion, but also for his understanding of application of intensely personal principles.  In the Latter-day Saint community we have talks, lectures, and read messages about the importance of certain principles in our lives.  For instance, we have in Section 4 the edict to remember that “faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, and diligence,” and to apply those principles into our lives; yet, as much as we talk about them we rarely actually talk about what some of them are, or more importantly how to practice them and incorporate them into our lives.

Within this text that is exactly what we get.  We get someone, who although of another faith or philosophy, has made it his life to learn how to apply and teach application of many of these concepts.  He not only clearly teaches temperance, but he teaches us how to practice and develop temperance.  He teaches real application on the development of patience – and does it in a way that relates.  This text helps me be a better Mormon, because he teaches me how to be a better more patient and temperate person; and how to be more thoughtful and compassionate towards others.

For that reason this is easily a four star book, and something that I would highly recommend. 

However, as I alluded to before, there are reasons why this is not a five star book.  The primary reason is he also teaches a number of concepts and philosophies that do not align with the LDS faith, including but not limited to reincarnation, etc.  With that beings said it is clear enough that you don’t have to worry about being tricked into learning that doctrine, and it is clear enough to ignore it – or more importantly read it – and develop the skill about learning without agreeing.  In fact, the principles he teach in some of the “un-aligned” concepts, just help put the rest of his concepts and principles in a perspective that might actually help you understand why there is such a focus on compassion within Buddhism and his teachings.

So even though, it doesn’t all apply in an LDS concept, it is still respectfully enough written, that no Latter-day Saints should feel threatened while reading those few chapters that they might not agree with; and the chapters that are about the key applications and tenants of principles are pure gold.  I have not found comparably application techniques on many of these principles at any other source.

Suggestions:  Go a head and tract down a cheap used copy and enjoy.

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Review #18

Tags: Buddhism, Non-LDS Teachings, Dalai Lama, Essential Dalai Lama: His Important Teachings, 4 Stars. LDS Book Review, Ryan Daley