My spiritual journey Personal reflections, teachings, and talks

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! --Seaman, Donna Copyright 2010 Booklist

Sign and symbol of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the focus of much political ire directed against the Chinese government and its policies in the country of Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama is also a genial and popular religious figure; it is not exaggeration to say that he is loved by millions in both Asia and the West. Stril-Rever has created a "spiritual autobiography" from many first-person passages in his previously unpublished writings. The result was published in French in 2009 and now comes to us in translation. As it is, the work provides neither a consistent argument nor the anchors of a conventional memoir. VERDICT Best read, perhaps, in conjunction with Freedom in Exile (the Dalai Lama's autobiography), this gathering of insights on a variety of topics should still please the Dalai Lama's English-speaking adherents. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.