The Dalai Lama Popular Books
The Dalai Lama Biography & Facts
Dalai Lama (UK: , US: ; Tibetan: ཏཱ་ལའི་བླ་མ་, Wylie: Tā la'i bla ma [táːlɛː láma]) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and incumbent Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, who lives in exile as a refugee in India. The Dalai Lama is considered to be the successor in a line of tulkus who are believed to be incarnations of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Since the time of the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century, the Dalai Lama has been a symbol of unification of the state of Tibet. The Dalai Lama was an important figure of the Geluk tradition, which was dominant in Central Tibet, but his religious authority went beyond sectarian boundaries, representing Buddhist values and traditions above any specific school. The traditional function of the Dalai Lama as an ecumenical figure has been taken up by the fourteenth Dalai Lama, who has worked to overcome sectarian and other divisions in the exiled community and has become a symbol of Tibetan nationhood for Tibetans both in Tibet and in exile. From 1642 until 1705 and from 1750 to the 1950s, the Dalai Lamas or their regents headed the Tibetan government (or Ganden Phodrang) in Lhasa, which governed all or most of the Tibetan Plateau with varying degrees of autonomy. This Tibetan government enjoyed the patronage and protection of Mongol kings of the Khoshut and Dzungar Khanates (1642–1720) and then the emperors of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1720–1912). In 1913, several Tibetan representatives, including Agvan Dorzhiev, signed a treaty between Tibet and Mongolia, proclaiming mutual recognition and their independence from China. The legitimacy of the treaty and declared independence of Tibet was rejected by both the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. The Dalai Lamas headed the Tibetan government until 1951. Names The name "Dalai Lama" is a combination of the Mongolic word dalai meaning "ocean" or "great" (coming from Mongolian title Dalaiyin qan or Dalaiin khan, translated as Gyatso or rgya-mtsho in Tibetan) and the Tibetan word བླ་མ་ (bla-ma) meaning "master, guru". The Dalai Lama is also known in Tibetan as the Rgyal-ba Rin-po-che ("Precious Conqueror") or simply as the Rgyal-ba.: 23 History Origins in myth and legend Since the 11th century, it has been widely believed in Central Asian Buddhist countries that Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, has a special relationship with the people of Tibet and intervenes in their fate by incarnating as benevolent rulers and teachers such as the Dalai Lamas. The Book of Kadam, the main text of the Kadampa school from which the 1st Dalai Lama hailed, is said to have laid the foundation for the Tibetans' later identification of the Dalai Lamas as incarnations of Avalokiteśvara. It traces the legend of the bodhisattva's incarnations as early Tibetan kings and emperors such as Songtsen Gampo and later as Dromtönpa (1004–1064). This lineage has been extrapolated by Tibetans up to and including the Dalai Lamas. Thus, according to such sources, an informal line of succession of the present Dalai Lamas as incarnations of Avalokiteśvara stretches back much further than the 1st Dalai Lama, Gendun Drub; as many as sixty persons are enumerated as earlier incarnations of Avalokiteśvara and predecessors in the same lineage leading up to Gendun Drub. These earlier incarnations include a mythology of 36 Indian personalities, ten early Tibetan kings and emperors all said to be previous incarnations of Dromtönpa, and fourteen further Nepalese and Tibetan yogis and sages. In fact, according to the "Birth to Exile" article on the 14th Dalai Lama's website, he is "the seventy-fourth in a lineage that can be traced back to a Brahmin boy who lived in the time of Buddha Shakyamuni." Avalokiteśvara's "Dalai Lama master plan" According to the 14th Dalai Lama, long ago Avalokiteśvara had promised the Buddha to guide and defend the Tibetan people. In the late Middle Ages, his master plan to fulfill this promise was the stage-by-stage establishment of the Dalai Lama theocracy in Tibet. First, Tsongkhapa established three great monasteries around Lhasa in the province of Ü before he died in 1419. The 1st Dalai Lama soon became Abbot of the greatest one, Drepung, and developed a large popular power base in Ü. He later extended this to cover Tsang, where he constructed a fourth great monastery, Tashi Lhunpo, at Shigatse. The 2nd studied there before returning to Lhasa, where he became Abbot of Drepung. Having reactivated the 1st's large popular followings in Tsang and Ü, the 2nd then moved on to southern Tibet and gathered more followers there who helped him construct a new monastery, Chokorgyel. He established the method by which later Dalai Lama incarnations would be discovered through visions at the "oracle lake", Lhamo Lhatso. The 3rd built on his predecessors' fame by becoming Abbot of the two great monasteries of Drepung and Sera. The Mongol King Altan Khan, hearing of his reputation, invited the 3rd to Mongolia where the 3rd converted the King and his followers to Buddhism, covering a vast tract of central Asia. This brough most of Mongolia into the Dalai Lama's sphere of influence, founding a spiritual empire which largely survives to the modern age. After being given the Mongolian name 'Dalai', he returned to Tibet to found the great monasteries of Lithang in Kham, eastern Tibet and Kumbum in Amdo, north-eastern Tibet. The 4th was then born in Mongolia as the great-grandson of Altan Khan, cementing strong ties between Central Asia, the Dalai Lamas, the Gelugpa and Tibet. The 5th in the succession used the vast popular power base of devoted followers built up by his four predecessors. By 1642, with the strategy provided by his chagdzo (manager) Sonam Rapten and the military assistance of Khoshut chieftan Gushri Khan, the 'Great 5th' founded the Dalai Lamas' religious and political reign over Tibet that survived for over 300 years. Establishment of the Dalai Lama lineage Gendun Drup (1391–1474), a disciple of Je Tsongkapa, would eventually be known as the 'First Dalai Lama', but he would not receive this title until 104 years after he died. There was resistance to naming him as such, since he was ordained a monk in the Kadampa tradition and for various reasons, the Kadampa school had eschewed the adoption of the tulku system to which the older schools adhered. Therefore, although Gendun Drup grew to be an important Gelugpa lama, there was no search to identify his incarnation after his death in 1474. Despite this, 55 years after Tsongkhapa, the Tashilhunpo monks heard accounts that an incarnation of Gendun Drup had appeared nearby and repeatedly announced himself from the age of two. The monastic authorities saw compelling evidence that convinced them the child in question was indeed the inc.... Discover the The Dalai Lama popular books. Find the top 100 most popular The Dalai Lama books.
Best Seller The Dalai Lama Books of 2024
-
Ethics for the New Millennium
Dalai LamaDon't miss His Holiness the Dalai Lama's classic book, The Art of Happiness, or his newest, The Book of Joy, named one of Oprah's Favorite Things. In a difficult, uncerta...
-
Secret Lives of the Dalai Lama
Alexander NormanThe Complete Story of the Dalai Lamas His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama is known to the world for his efforts to preserve Tibetan culture and for his inspirin...
-
My Land and My People
Dalai LamaSchooled behind ancient palace walls to become the leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama has become a spiritual leader to the world and a leading civil rights advocate. My Land and My Pe...
-
An Introduction to Buddhism
The Dalai LamaHis Holiness the Dalai Lama presents the perfect introduction to traditional Tibetan Buddhist thought and practice, covering the Four Noble Truths and two essential texts. There is...
-
The Book of Joy
Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu & Douglas Carlton AbramsAn instant New York Times bestsellerTwo spiritual giants. Five days. One timeless question. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tut...
-
The Delight of Being Ordinary
Roland MerulloWhat happens when the Pope and the Dalai Lama decide they need a secret vacation? Roland Merullo’s playful, eloquent, and lifeaffirming novel finds the world’s two holiest m...
-
The Complete Works of Florence Scovel Shinn
Florence Scovel ShinnThis meticulously edited Florence Scovel Shinn collection is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Her influential works will provide you wit...
-
Seven Years in Tibet
Heinrich HarrerIn this vivid memoir that has sold millions of copies worldwide, Heinrich Harrer recounts his adventures as one of the first Europeans ever to enter Tibet. Harrer was traveling in ...
-
The Sunflower
Simon WiesenthalA Holocaust survivor's surprising and thoughtprovoking study of forgiveness, justice, compassion, and human responsibility, featuring contributions from the Dalai La...
-
Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain
Sharon BegleyCuttingedge science and the ancient wisdom of Buddhism have come together to reveal that, contrary to popular belief, we have the power to literally change our brains by changing o...
-
Be As You Are
Sri Ramana Maharshi'Our own Selfrealization is the greatest service we can render the world'The simple but powerful teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, one of India's most revered spiritual masters, co...
-
The Dalai Lama
Alexander NormanThe first definitive biography of the Nobel Peace Prizewinning spiritual leadera story by turns inspiring, surprisingfrom an acclaimed Tibetan scholar.The Dalai Lama’s...
-
Buddhism
Dalai LamaExplore the common ground underlying the diverse expressions of the Buddha's teachings with two of Tibetan Buddhism's bestselling authors.Buddhism is practiced by hundreds of milli...
-
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind
Vishen LakhianiNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER What if everything we think we know about how the world worksour ideas of love, education, spirituality, work, happiness, and loveare based on Brules (bu...
-
New Seeds of Contemplation
Thomas MertonOne of the bestloved books by one of the great spiritual authors of our time, with a new introduction by bestselling author Sue Monk Kidd. New Seeds of Contemplation is one of Thom...
-
The Lost Art of Good Conversation
Sakyong MiphamCutting through all the white noise, chatter, and superficiality our cell phones and social media cause, one of Tibet's highest and most respected spiritual leaders offers simple a...
-
The Way of the Bodhisattva
Shantideva, Padmakara Translation Group & Wulstan FletcherThe classic Buddhist text and “essential guidebook” on the ideal of compassion and the methods of attaining it (Pema Chödrön, author of When Things Fall Apart)Treasured by Bud...
-
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Shambhala PublicationsThis is a short guide to the works of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, offering most especially a quick glimpse of His Holiness's books published in English by Shambhala Pub...
-
Becoming Wise
Krista Tippett“The discourse of our common life inclines towards despair. In my field of journalism, where we presume to write the first draft of history, we summon our deepest critical capaciti...
-
Golden Buddha
Clive Cussler & Craig DirgoIn the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Oregon Files series, Chairman Juan Cabrillo and his crew are hired by the US government to free Tibet from Chinese control.....
-
The Jew in the Lotus
Rodger KamenetzWhile accompanying eight high–spirited Jewish delegates to Dharamsala, India, for a historic Buddhist–Jewish dialogue with the Dalai Lama, poet Rodger Kamenetz comes to understand ...
-
Anger
Thích Nhất Hạnh"[Thich Nhat Hanh] shows us the connection between personal, inner peace and peace on earth." –His Holiness The Dalai LamaNominated by Martin Luther King, Jr. for a Nobel Peace Pri...
-
The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World
Dalai Lama & Howard Cutler, M.D.Blending common sense and modern psychiatry, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World applies Buddhist tradition to twentyfirstcentury struggles in a relevant way. The result is a ...
-
The 14th Dalai Lama
Tetsu SaiwaiA new way of getting to know one of the world's most beloved spiritual leaders. Featuring a charmingly illustrated format that will appeal to readers of all ages, this unique bio...
-
The Dalai Lama
Carol Kelly-GangiHundreds of wise and inspiring quotations from the Tibetan spiritual leader.“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own b...
-
The Dalai Lama Book of Quotes
Travis HellstromInspiring and relatable Buddhist advice from His Holiness The Dalai Lama on love, spirituality, happiness, and morenow in one giftable compendium “The need for love lies ...
-
The Dalai Lama
Dr. Ruth CarrThe Dalai LamaUnderstanding the Origin and Teachings of the Dalai LamaBy Dr. Ruth CarrThe world has changed a great deal in the past century. People have the ability to instantly c...
-
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Comcast NBCUniversal"I always consider myself as a simple Buddhist monk. I feel that is the real me. I feel that the Dalai Lama as a temporal ruler is a manmade institution. As long as the people acce...
-
Standing at the Edge
Joan Halifax"Joan Halifax is a clearheaded and fearless traveler and in this book…she offers us a map of how to travel courageously and fruitfully, for our own benefit and the benefit of all b...
-
Dalai Lama in San Diego
Peter Rowe, Chris Cadelago, Pat Flynn, Karen Kucher, K.C. Alfred, Nelvin C. Cepeda, Eduardo Contreras, John Gastaldo, John Gibbins, Howard Lipin, Peggy Peattie, Larry Nista & U-T San Diego staffFor three days in April 2012, the 14th Dalai Lama made his first official visit to San Diego. In this book, UT San Diego documents his official appearances and speeches through pho...
-
The Essence of Happiness
Dalai Lama & Howard C. CutlerThe essence of the iconic book The Art of Happiness distilled into a beautiful new format. Don't miss the Dalai Lama's newest, The Book of Joy, named one of Op...
-
The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition
Dalai LamaA beloved classicthe original book on happiness, with new material from His Holiness the Dalai LamaNearly every time you see him, he's laughing, or at least smiling. And he makes e...
-
A Force for Good
Daniel Goleman & Dalai LamaFor more than half a century, in such books as The Art of Happiness and The Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Inner Peace, the Dalai Lama has guided us along the path to compassion and t...
-
The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Gyurme Dorje, Graham Coleman, Thupten Jinpa & Dalai LamaOne of the greatest works created by any culture and overwhelmingly the most significant of all Tibetan Buddhist texts in the West, The Tibetan Book of the Dead has had a number of...