In the introductory words of Rajiv Mehrotra:

“The core of the Buddhist path is the recognition that life is an endless round of suffering, disease, death, and rebirth, a cycle caused by a desire bred of ignorance and of an innate misconception of reality. Liberation or enlightenment occurs through training and disciplining of the mind. In time, the mind itself is transcended. There is then an innate experience of the true nature of reality, the recognition that all matter exists only in the manner of an illusion and in an ultimate voidness. Buddhism, from its earliest forms, included the finest moral philosophy, with a vast range of mind development and pioneering psychology. As it travelled the globe, it evolved into religion, advanced philosophy, mysticism, metaphysics, and the triple Yogas of India: the paths of reason, devotion, and action. It was not enough to be taught human ideals; Buddhism became a practical adventure. . . . The experiential empiricism of Buddhism has reached out to a dialogue in tune with the empiricism and the techniques of modern scientific method; the cultivation of altruism and deep insights into the reality of interdependence has bred a profound secular commitment and led to a meaningful dialogue.”

The topics of these writings, gathered from numerous lectures the Dalai Lama has delivered, range from the Need to Practice the Dharma, Compassion and Cultivating the Compassion Within, Altruism: Cherishing Others, Impermanence and Death, Recognizing the Enemy Within, Dealing with Anger and Hatred, and Universal Resonsibility. They will resonate with individuals drawn to the Buddhist conceptions of human life, and will surely provide reflections that may enlighten the daily confrontations that are the stresses and constraints of modern life.