My Spiritual Journey
One of the world’s greatest spiritual leaders reflects on his commitments as a human being, a Buddhist monk, and the fourteenth Dalai Lama. Stril-Rever, the Dalai Lama’s longtime translator, has collected his autobiographical musings, dharma talks, and public speeches, and provided informative commentary, to create a book of clarion essays shaped by the Dalai Lama’s wisdom, intellect, kindness, and humor, as well as his experiences of persecution, exile, and world travels. Readers both well versed in and new to the Dalai Lama’s teachings will make invaluable discoveries as the Dalai Lama emphasizes our common humanity, our interdependence, and the need for us to “cultivate a greater sense of universal responsibility.” The Dalai Lama calls for religious harmony and expresses his support for secular democracy and his hope for a peaceful resolution of the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Most forcefully, and poetically, the Dalai Lama voices his growing concern over global environmental degradation. We must act together to protect nature, the source of our survival, the Dalai Lama writes, assuring us that if the Buddha returned, “He would be an ecologist!” --Donna Seaman