Dalai lama ethics for the new millenium pdf

The foundation of ethics -- 1. Modern society and the quest for human happiness -- 2. No magic, no mystery -- 3. Dependent origination and the nature of reality -- 4. Redefining the goal -- 5. The supreme emotion -- II. Ethics and the individual -- 6. The ethic of restraint -- 7. The ethic of virtue -- 8. The ethic of compassion -- 9. Ethics and suffering -- The need for discernment -- Universal responsibility -- Levels of commitment -- Therefore we need an ethics which does not depend on religions, one which is at home in both religious and secular contexts.

This he seeks to provide in Ethics for the New Millennium. To begin, the Dalai Lama urges the need to ground all actions in positive mental st The Dalai Lama reaches past religious boundaries in this call for a new ethics practical for peoples of all beliefs, religious and secular.

To begin, the Dalai Lama urges the need to ground all actions in positive mental states. These states are not unique to any one tradition, but are common to all religions and philosophies.

Qualities like love, compassion, patience, forgiveness, and so on are common to all. Actions arising out of these positive states, he claims, are automatically ethical. In contrast, those arising from negative or "afflictive" states may be ethically questionable. So there is a pressing need to cultivate positive mental states and let actions flow from them.

This stance is grounded in "our basic sameness as human beings The Dalai Lama shows how we are all connected and interdependent, and concern for others is the best way to promote our own happiness. Ultimately, positive mental states and concern for others lead to the greatest happiness for both others and ourselves. Because of this basic fact, the Dalai Lama calls for a "spiritual revolution. In contrast, spirituality is concerned with "those qualities of the human spirit--such as love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony--which bring happiness to both self and others" p.

Cultivating these qualities does not require recourse to any religious or metaphysical belief system. It only requires spiritual practice consisting of "acting out of concern for others' well-being" on the one hand, and "transforming ourselves so that we become more readily disposed to do so" on the other p.

The revolution called for is thus one of character development. To begin this development, the Dalai Lama appeals to our natural capacity for empathy, and urges its transformation into compassion. This alone is not enough, however. We also need discipline, in order to deal with negative states and emotions. These obstruct our aspirations to happiness. Just as concern for others ensures happiness for ourselves, so too does harming others harm ourselves.

So, we need some level of discipline. While some may say this denies personal freedom, the Dalai Lama argues the opposite. He says that negative emotions like anger enslave us. True freedom lies in voluntary restraint. In addition to compassion and discipline, we also need wise discernment and a number of other important qualities. The Dalai Lama explores these in turn. In the process he has frequent recourse to Tibetan terms and proverbs, which he explains clearly and without obtuseness.

Far from being idiosyncratic, these serve to flesh out the Dalai Lama's personal perspective while inviting the reader to meet him halfway. The Dalai Lama's discourse roves over many topics and looks at the problem from numerous angles. It acknowledges various limitations and avoids extremes.

And yet there remains a nagging question: are good intentions really enough? The book never quite surmounts this problem. The Dalai Lama addresses it in a disclaimer: "This is not to say that all we need to do is cultivate spiritual values and these problems will automatically disappear. On the contrary, each of them needs a specific solution.

But we find that when this spiritual dimension is neglected, we have no hope of achieving a lasting solution" p.

So it is clear that good intentions are not enough, but without them we have little chance. Ethics for the New Millennium provides one half of the solution. The other half awaits us.

Thus far the book reminds us of common truths, often overlooked yet vital to happiness. But important as they are, they are hardly controversial. The controversial part comes in the chapter entitled "Peace and Disarmament. Committed to non-violence, he believes world peace is an achievable goal. This is not peace not in the abstract, but in the concrete. War may seem justifiable by many and various arguments, but ultimate it comes down to suffering.

So, we need to consider disarmament. Of course, we cannot simply lay down our weapons in a day. Yet somehow we must find a way to do so by gradual process. He proposes a number of ways forward, including "zones of peace," which are essentially demilitarized zones between nations. He believes the United Nations can play a role, but it has limitations. Nations are represented, but their people are not. Perhaps what we need is a "World Council of the People," which could represent people when their governments fail to serve them.

Through such strategies, the Dalai Lama believes in time world peace is possible. As for religions, the Dalai Lama is optimistic for their place in years to come. They can "play a leading role in encouraging people to develop a sense of responsibility toward others and of the need to be ethically disciplined" p. The biggest obstacle to religion's continued relevance is the tendency to devalue others' religions.

The best solution is dialogue. There is no need to say all religions are essentially the same, or to create some new "super" or "world" religion. We only need to learn from each other, and set a good example by developing good relations with other faith traditions.

In this way, religions can find an important place in the new millennium. Overall, the book puts forward an inspiring vision. The writing style is less that of a precise philosopher than of a gentle grandparent. Some views seem naive, particularly the way other religions are portrayed as essentially concerned with the same positive values.

While this may be true more or less, it obscures differences which lead to disagreement and conflict. Another naive view is the claim that actions arising from positive mental states are automatically ethical. Surely a great deal more is required before we can call an action "ethical" in any meaningful sense.

The Dalai Lama begins to address this in the chapter on discernment, but does not fully develop the idea. Yet despite these faults, the book manages to inspire nonetheless.

Ethics for the New Millennium offers plenty to contemplate. The greatest strength of the book is its unerring faith in humanity. While suffering is granted as a matter of course, human goodness remains a real possibility.

This, in spite of great conflict. This faith is demonstrated in the willingness of the author, himself a religious leader, to recognize and even advocate a place for the secular.

Ultimately, peace does not lie in sectarian division, but in our common humanity. Mar 15, Samantha rated it it was amazing Shelves: on-the-bookshelf. Everyone should read this book. It should be required reading in school. He writes so eloquently and simply about the deepest subjects. He questions your motives and encourages you to become more self aware and better stewards of the earth. I highly recommend this book. Nov 08, Scott Merkling rated it it was amazing. This is one of the best surveys of Buddhist thought available for westerners.

In his lovable style and simple, straightforward prose, His Holiness provides people of all walks of life with what they have always wanted Of all the books I have read by His Holiness the Dalai Lama this is the one that feels the most direct, not through an interpreter or narrator. Reading this is the next best thing to a conversation with the man himself. Also of note is that the practice des This is one of the best surveys of Buddhist thought available for westerners.

Also of note is that the practice described in this work is decidedly non-religious. It provides an excelent opportunity for non-Buddhists to fing the kind of inner peace they have been looking for and experience the benifits of their individual worship in more powerful ways.

Jul 03, Kristina Lee rated it it was amazing. Should be required reading for all humans. Feb 06, Jenna rated it it was amazing. This has been just what I have needed over the past few months. Very refreshing and inspiring with gentle reminders. Feb 08, Simon Harvey rated it it was amazing. Loved this book and still relevant today in Is there anything this man says that is not worth reading. Jul 09, Scott Dinsmore rated it really liked it.

Review: Ethics are an interesting concept. A set of rules or ways of life that guide us to live life in a positive way both for ourselves and for those around us. This is my definition and hopefully at this point in your journey towards success, you have developed your own definitions of ethics and values. The unfortunate fact of life is that there are too many people out there who do not have Why I Read this Book: Who could pass up the opportunity to learn about ethics from the Dali Lama himself.

The unfortunate fact of life is that there are too many people out there who do not have a firm understanding of their own ethics with regard to themselves and the people with which they come in contact.

We see it every day in the malicious acts that go on throughout the world. Without a foundation from which to build, many people find themselves lost and insecure when it comes to ethics.

I had the pleasure of reading this book for the first time while traveling through Europe with my immediate family a few years back. I cannot encourage a better setting for new thinking and understanding than a foreign place out of your comfort zone. My mother had recently given me this book as a gift. The ironic thing for me was that ethics had been a top priority since day one growing up in my family, and my mother was the primary teacher with my father of course.

I was lucky enough to have had a solid foundation before picking this book so I can only imagine the impact it would have on someone who was a bit more misdirected in their younger days. So much of success is about how one treats others and themselves in their journey through life.

The road to success and fulfillment becomes long and dark without a firm understanding of ethics and values to lead the way. It is interesting to read a book by the Dali Lama. He is one of the most religious figures in the new world with his strict Buddhist faith and he is trying to write a book for the general public. You can see some potential biases here. This was what impressed me most. The Dali Lama has lived his life according toreligion every step of the way, yet in this book he puts no huge focus on any one faith or religion at all.

By no means does he force his religious ideas or those of others. I believe his main point here is that ethics transcend religion. In fact ethics transcend every other school of thought.

This was quite refreshing to me as I read through his words and tried to think of them with regards to my own life. He starts out by spending a few chapters on general ethics to get the reader comfortable with the topic. He then moves on to discuss personal ethics.

This concept was especially powerful for me. If each person only did things for which they had true compassion, I think we would all be off to an ethically great start. Something else that struck me as particularly powerful was the Dali Lamas description of the gap between perception and reality in our lives.

This concept is not new to Reading For Your Success and for that reason it deserves some attention. So much of life comes down to perception. Whether good or bad, our life, our emotions, our feelings come down to our perception of reality. This is true even for our most cherished and fundamental goal. That goal is to be happy. It sounds so simple but take a minute right now to think of your goals. What is really driving your dream or goal to be thin, have your own business, help others or be financially wealthy?

What is the real reason for striving for success as hard as so many of us do? It all comes back to happiness. It was not until getting through a number of the books on this site that I realized the true value of this. We all have one fundamental goal in common. In fact at the end of the day happiness is the only goal. That is why ethics can transcend through cultures, religions and generations and still be the root of all motivations in life. I encourage you to take some time to think about your understanding and view on ethics and develop your own set of values based on those ethics.

They will be invaluable and fundamental in your quest for success. Apr 14, John Dean rated it it was amazing. As with all of his books I truly enjoyed this one, it seems fitting to read especially with everything going on at this time. This book reminds us that we are first all human beings and that our happiness as individuals is inextricably bound up with the happiness of others. There is no denying that if society suffers, we suffer.

If we would spend time first on our own heart, our own mind, then we can have compassion for others, creating a better world.

Apr 03, Ellie Taylor rated it it was amazing Shelves: generally-favorites , every-book-i-own-almost. If I could hand a copy of this book to each person of the world I sincerely believe we would have a more prosperous society.

It's taken me a few weeks to complete this, in part due to the gravity of the subject, and in part due to illness, but this is one a very short list of books which have come to profoundly move and change my perspectives of the world. Certainly in a book regarding ethics there are many levels of discussion taking place, some religious, some political, some internal or exter If I could hand a copy of this book to each person of the world I sincerely believe we would have a more prosperous society.

According to the Dalai Lama, our survival has depended and will continue to depend on our basic goodness. New Millennium, in which the Dalai Lama distilled his sixty-year study and. Ethics for the New Millennium presents a moral. Through the efforts of our volunteers around the world, the Study Guide for Ethics for the New Millenium is being translated into more languages. PDF versions of. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to The Dalai Lama Foundation for all the support and.

Dalai Lama that came to my attention at the request of a. Although the Dalai Lama states in the Preface. Ethics for a ecological intelligence pdf new millennium. His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In the Buddhist tradition compassion is understood mainly in terms of empathy our ability to.

In his book Ethics for a New Millennium, His Holiness the Dalai Lama first proposed an approach to ethics based on universal rather than religious principles. Cutler, M. D, page 1 of 8. Dalai Lama. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the spiritual and. Ten years ago, in his best-selling Ethics for a New Millennium, His Holiness the Dalai Lama first proposed an approach edit pdf add text box to ethics based on.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has recently published four texts. Namgyal Dratsang, to Lerab Ling to conduct a special Vajrayana prac- tice, the. Dalai Lama, Ethics for the New Millennium, Also find audio. Ethics for the New Millennium.

God bless the grass that grows through the. In a difficult, uncertain time, it takes a person of great courage, such as the Dalai Lama, to give us hope.

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