Table Of ContentLive in a Better Way
Reflections on Truth, Love, and Happiness
Hi s H o l i n e s s t h e D a l a i L a m a
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
L IVE
IN A
BETTER
W AY
♦
Reflections on
Truth, Love
and
Happiness
C O M P I L E D A N D E D I T E D BY
Renuka Singh
V I K I N G C O M P A S S
VIKING COMPASS
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Putnam Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.
Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5TZ, England
Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia
Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2
Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182—190Wairau Road,
Auckland 10, New Zealand
Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices:
Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England
First American edition
Published in 2001 by Viking Penguin,
a member of Penguin Putnam Inc.
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Copyright © His Holiness the Dalai Lama, 1999
All rights reserved
Originally published in India under the title The Transformed Mind
by Penguin Books India.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA
Bstan-’dzin-rgya-mtsho, Dali Lama XIV, 1935—
Live in a Better Way/ Reflections of Truth, Love and Happiness/
Compiled and Edited by Renuka Singh with a Practical Introduction
to Buddhism by LamaThubten Zopa Rinpoche
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-670-89671-3
1. Spiritual life— Buddhism. I. Singh, Renuka, 1953— II.Title
BQ7935.B774 L58 2001
294.3'444— dc21 00-043700
This book is printed on acid-free paper. ®
Printed in the United States of America
Set in Perpetua • Designed by Francesca Belanger
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above,
no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced
into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise),
without the prior written permission of both the copyright
owner and the above publisher of this book.
C O N T E N T S
e d i t o r ’ s n o t e v i i i
I N T R O D U C T I O N BY
LAMA T H U B T E N ZOPA R IN P O C H E XI
Transforming Mind 1
A Journey to Happiness 21
Compassion and Nonviolence 5 3
How to Live and Die in a Better Way 87
Path for Spiritual Practice 119
The Two Truths 157
I N D E X 197
E D I T O R ’ S N O T E
This bo o k is a compilation of selected lectures
delivered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at
Tushita s dharma celebrations held annually in New
Delhi. It includes as well an ilhrminating foreword
by Venerable Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche. I am
honored that His Holiness and Rinpoche have per
mitted me this opportunity to bring together this
distinctive series of lectures that emphasize the im
portance of spirituality in a world now dominated
by an ethos of scientific and technological rational
ity. His Holiness offers a clear and penetrating in
sight into the problems facing mankind and how
love, compassion and universal responsibility are
required to skillfully solve these problems.
To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of
Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre, founded
in 1979 by the late LamaYeshe and Lama Zopa
Rinpoche, I would like to offer this book to His
Holiness as a token of our gratitude for his im
measurable kindness. I would also like to offer
viii Editor’s Note
this book— as we start the new millennium— to
a wider audience as a guide for their practice of
meditation in order that they can transform their
minds and achieve Enlightenment. Indeed, the
basic purpose of reading and listening to the Bud
dhist teachings is to equip ourselves with tools
of understanding so that we can engage in the
proper kind of “spiritual combat.”
The lectures follow a chronological order of
events except the last discourse on the Two Truths,
which was delivered over two consecutive evenings
in 1988. His Holiness often refers to theTwoTruths
and Four Noble Truths in the other lectures in this
collection that deal with, for example, the issues of
transforming one’s mind; of the journey to happi
ness by understanding the suffering nature of cyclic
existence and the realization of emptiness; of solv
ing personal, national and international problems
with compassion and nonviolence; of how to live
and die in a better way; and of the path for spiritual
practice through renunciation, bodhicitta and the
wisdom of emptiness— this being the essence of
the dharma that effectively liberates all beings.
Hence, for conceptual and philosophical clarity, it
seemed more appropriate to place this discourse
on the Two Truths at the end, reflecting on their
profundity and complexity.
Editor’s Note ix
I have also included here most of the question
and answer sessions that followed the lectures.
Most of the questions were taken from the audi
ence. I have tried to avoid repetition wherever
possible, yet due to the nature of the discourses,
certain mistakes might have crept in as a result of
transcription or misinterpretation.
Many individuals have made significant contri
butions toward the success of this endeavor. I am
deeply indebted to such lovable and revered teach
ers as His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable
LamaThubten Zopa Rinpoche for their kindness
and inspiration. A very special thanks to Venera
ble Lhakdor-la for taking out time to correct the
manuscript (in Dharamsala, on the plane and in
the United States) and for being the translator for
our talks. I would like to express my appreciation
to Thubten Jimpa-la as well for translating the
lecture delivered in 1997.1 am always grateful to
Tenzin Geyche Tethong-la, private secretary to
His Holiness, for putting up with my demands
and for all his help and cooperation.
Had it not been for the diligence and joyous in
volvement of all my predecessors and spiritual
program coordinators, Tushita would not have
been what it is today. Support from all our gener
ous sponsors, friends, members and the Founda
X Editor’s Note
tion for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition
has helpedTushita survive all these years.To name
a few, the Kakarias, Mathurs, Roys, Khannas,
Bhandaris, Nandas, Suds, Cerris, Chawlas, Jhala-
nis, Singhs, VenerableYeshe Chodron, Susie Roy,
Bruno Furrer, Derek Goh and Joan Mahony have
been great pillars of strength. I would also like to
mention the important role played by Venerable
Marcel Bertels, Venerable Roger Kunsang and Dr.
Nick Ribush in the history ofTushita. A heartfelt
thanks for their patience, help and commitment.
Assistance from Karthika and Diya Kar Hazra
at Penguin has been fruitful in giving this book its
final form. I thank them for working tirelessly.
Last but not the least, I would like to express
my gratitude to my family for being a constant
source of encouragement and affection. I miss es
pecially the love and support of my late sister
Ashma Singh, who was a fellow traveler with me
in the spiritual pursuit and quietly contributed a
great deal to the activities ofTushita.
May this book deepen the spiritual under
standing and experience of many people and
bring peace in their lives.
Kenuka Singh
New Delhi
November 1999
