The Middle Way: Faith Grounded in Reason
By Dalai Lama
4.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
In down-to-earth style, this book sets forth a comprehensive explanation of the foundational teachings of the Mahayana tradition based on the works of two of Buddhism's most revered figures. Using Nagarjuna's Middle Way, the Dalai Lama explores Buddhist understandings of selflessness, dependent origination, and the causal processes that lock us in cycles of suffering. He grounds these heady philosophical discussions using Tsongkhapa's Three Principal Aspects of the Path, presenting a brief explanation of how to put ethical discipline, wisdom, and compassion into practice.
Through these beautifully complementary teachings, His Holiness urges us to strive, "with an objective mind, endowed with a curious skepticism, to engage in careful analysis and seek the reasons behind our beliefs."
Dalai Lama
His Holiness the Fourteenth DALAI LAMA, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and of Tibetan Buddhism. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal in 2007. He is the author of, among many other books, the international bestseller An Appeal to the World and the New York Times bestseller The Book of Joy, which he coauthored with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He lives in exile in Dharamsala, India.
Read more from Dalai Lama
Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Spiritual Journey: Personal Reflections, Teachings, and Talks Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fearvana: The Revolutionary Science of How to Turn Fear into Health, Wealth and Happiness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dalai Lama's Big Book of Happiness: How to Live in Freedom, Compassion, and Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Call for Revolution: A Vision for the Future Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages: Stories of Enlightenment Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying: An Exploration of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Practicing Wisdom: The Perfection of Shantideva's Bodhisattva Way Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The World of Tibetan Buddhism: An Overview of Its Philosophy and Practice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Middle Way: Faith Grounded in Reason Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Heart Full of Peace Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Autobiography of a Tibetan Monk Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Genuine Happiness: Meditation as the Path to Fulfillment Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Luminous Mind: The Way of the Buddha Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Prayers for Healing: 365 Blessings, Poems, & Meditations from Around the World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An Appeal to the World: The Way to Peace in a Time of Division Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Transforming Problems into Happiness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kalachakra Tantra: Rite of Initiation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wheel of Life: Buddhist Perspectives on Cause and Effect Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Meaning of Life: Buddhist Perspectives on Cause and Effect Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Compassionate Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to The Middle Way
Related ebooks
The Middle Way: Faith Grounded in Reason Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Open Mind: View and Meditation in the Lineage of Lerab Lingpa Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mind of Mahamudra: Advice from the Kagyu Masters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Tantric Distinction: A Buddhist's Reflections on Compassion and Emptiness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIlluminating the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEssence of the Ocean of Attainments: The Creation Stage of the Guhyasamaja Tantra according to Panchen Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNagarjuna's Precious Garland: Ratnavali Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBuddhahood in This Life: The Great Commentary by Vimalamitra Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Steps on the Path to Enlightenment: A Commentary on Tsongkhapa's Lamrim Chenmo. Volume 5: Insight Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPrinciples of Buddhist Tantra Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Practicing Wisdom: The Perfection of Shantideva's Bodhisattva Way Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Appearing and Empty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Roar of Thunder: Yamantaka Practice and Commentary Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Direct Path to the Buddha Within: Go Lotsawa's Mahamudra Interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhaga Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Vol. 4: Philosophical Topics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Garland of Gold Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTantric Ethics: An Explanation of the Precepts for Buddhist Vajrayana Practice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Buddha's Single Intention: Drigung Kyobpa Jikten Sumgön's Vajra Statements of the Early Kagyü Tradition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEssence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama's Heart of Wisdom Teachings Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stilling the Mind: Shamatha Teachings from Dudjom Lingpa's Vajra Essence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Practical Ethics and Profound Emptiness: A Commentary on Nagarjuna's Precious Garland Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5From Warm Heart to Warm Heart: The Transmission of Dharma in the Modern World eBook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsQuintessential Dzogchen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Freedom through Correct Knowing: On Khedrup Jé's Interpretation of Dharmakirti Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Chakrasamvara Root Tantra: The Speech of Glorious Heruka Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Abhidhamma Studies: Buddhist Explorations of Consciousness and Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Essentials of Mahamudra: Looking Directly at the Mind Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Steps on the Path to Enlightenment: A Commentary on Tsongkhapa's Lamrim Chenmo, Volume 2: Karma Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Buddhism For You
Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Buddha's Guide to Gratitude: The Life-changing Power of Everyday Mindfulness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Communicating Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wisdom of the Buddha: The Unabridged Dhammapada Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mindfulness in Plain English: 20th Anniversary Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddhism 101: From Karma to the Four Noble Truths, Your Guide to Understanding the Principles of Buddhism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Tibetan Book of the Dead Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buddhism for Beginners: All you need to start your journey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Real Magic: Creating Miracles in Everyday Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dhammapada Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Collected Letters of Alan Watts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Peace Is Every Breath: A Practice for Our Busy Lives Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Wake Up: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide to Navigating Joy and Sorrow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buddhism for Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Approaching the Buddhist Path Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Zen of Recovery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Trusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Middle Way
6 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I found this to be helpful in understanding the Dalai Lama's approach to Buddhist philosophy, but in many ways this is a less practical book than I had hoped. It is also full of the paradoxical philosophic statements so common in deeper Buddhist literature. I also found the focus on achieving Nirvana to be not very applicable to my own interests in Buddhist meditation and mindfulness, as I am not a Buddhist myself. Still, it was helpful in explaining some of the motivations inherent in Buddhist practice of the Dharma. It is fascinating how far back these teachings go.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5His Holiness' teachings on three chapters from Nagarjuna's Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way and Tsongkhapa's Three Principal Aspects of the Path, providing an introduction to Mahayana Madhyamaka ("Middle Way") philosophy. Excellent. The teachings took place in Toronto in 2004, with Geshe Thubten Jinpa as translator and editor.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anyone who thinks that Tibetan Buddhism is somehow the path of airy-fairy mysticism is dead flat wrong. In fact, the subtitle of the book--Faith Grounded in Reason--gives far more of an indication of what Buddhism really is. I have often thought that the Shakyamuni Buddha was the first and possibly the greatest systems analyst/process engineer. All the deification and ritual was superimposed, much later. Underneath, the foundation of Buddhism is process analysis: the origin of suffering, cause and effect, and the way to go about extinguishing the causes of suffering.In The Middle Way, the Dalai Lama expounds on what he considers two crucial texts in the development of Buddhism: Nagarjuna’s Fundamental Stanza’s on the Middle Way and Tsongkhapa’s Three Principal Aspects of the Path. I had trouble understanding significant parts of the section on Nagarjuna, even though I am no stranger to Buddhism. I think the problem lies in the terminology although the concept of emptiness is difficult to grasp all on its own.I’m not sure I’d recommend this to a beginner, who wants to find out what Tibetan Buddhism is all about. There must be some other books that give a simpler explanation. I think this book is aimed at those who have some knowledge and who are looking for a solid philosophical basis for understanding. Even so, I think that, while it certainly provides insights and clarity on the first reading, to get the fullest benefit possible from this book will require several readings. Certainly, that proved true for me-- I certainly gained from it. But there is too much that I didn’t understand, struggling as I was almost word by word in some sections to absorb the densely-presented concepts. I’ll return to it, probably several times, to see what else I can glean from this closely-reasoned presentation.