Ethics for the New Millennium
by H. H. the Dalai Lama

Hardcover - 237 pages (August 1999)
Riverhead Books; ISBN: 1573220256

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Reviews:

A beacon of hope for a better world	February 2, 2000
Reviewer: Linda from New York City
This is the latest of books written for the general public by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Forced to flee his homeland in 1959 when China invaded Tibet, he has lived in exile in India ever since, and has been exposed to other religions and the modern world. This book has one simple message: compassion for others is the key to saving the world. A person doesn't have to be religious to do this. Indeed, there have been many abuses in history by people professing to follow one religion or other. The message he brings, however, is directly to individuals and it is call to move away from self-centeredness and care about others. The book is a beacon of hope because it makes the reader feel that a better world is possible. He recognizes also that we are not perfect, but holds up the concept as these ethical values as a goal to aspire to. Its all about basic human goodness and striving to be a better person. The way to enjoy this book is just to get into the flow of it. It's not an easy book to read because it lacks a lot of anecdotes. There is no dialog. And the paragraphs all seem the same size and say essentially the same thing. It is easy to be bored. But the message is so important that is it is worthwhile pushing on, feeling the tone of his words, and his message which, essentially, is the way to save the world.

His Holiness' most powerful, cogent and compelling work yet	August 4, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Brighton, England
Having read with great interest a lot of the Dalai Lama's other books, I found this one easily the most compelling. The language is simple and direct which has the effect of making some very complex ideas easy to understand. The Dalai Lama emerges as someone with a thorogoing understanding of human nature. But whereas his image is generally of someone who is limitlessly patient and benign, in this book he clearly shows that he has both depth and edge. The Dalai Lama makes a very clear connection between human happiness and what he calls inner discipline. He also makes clear that it is not really meaningful to speak of compassion except in the context of self-restraint. This shows that Buddhism is much more than the feel-good religion it is sometimes taken for in the west. It also shows that Buddhist ethical thinking is much closer to traditional Judeao-Christian and even Catholic social teaching than one might suppose. In fact when this is taken on board it becomes much easier to understand the Dalai Lama's near insistence that people stick to the religious tradition of their own culture. One of the most remarkable things about this book is his assertion that each of the major faith traditions are effective means of attaining human happiness. Stranger still for a major religious leader is his statement that, although religion is helpful, it is not actually essential if we are to be happy. What is essential is that we develop what he calls our basic human qualities. The first of these are love and compassion, but he also talks a lot about patience, tolerance, generosity and humility - each of which presuppose a degree of self discipline. It is tempting to write the Dalai Lama off as an oddity - especially given the way he seems all too ready to cosy up to celebrities. But reading this book, you begin to get the feeling that there really is something going on inside his head. In none of his other books have I been able to detect the intelligence, the cogence and the incisiveness that is so obvious even through the sometimes mangled translations when you see him in the flesh. As a would-be Catholic I can also say that the Dalai Lama's spiritual teachings are as relevant as any from within my own tradition. Is there any way the Pope could make him a Cardinal!?

Ever Suckers	April 14, 2000
Reviewer: Michael B.
Rather like dancing in a new club to strange music you've always avoided, there is always a bit of shame involved in coming to terms with yourself. And it's almost a cliche that this is what Eastern Philosophy does to us out here in the West. Nevertheless, within 30 pages, the Dalai Lama has created with precise and accessible language, a framework for understanding those things that seem ever to torment us: the divide between religion and spirituality, the mystery of causation and existence, the quandries of material progress and scientific achievement amid depression, stress and anxiety. You'd hardly believe such things could be negotiated so quickly and effortlessly, but that is a Western sucker's bet, and this genius of a man has done that and so much more. I hesitate to give any further clues as to what he writes so clearly. Yet I can assure you that upon completing this book you will feel so much more a part of the world of humanity, that you might even be ashamed at your previous distance. That sounds hokey, for sure. But then isn't there always something reassuring about the hokey? I loved this book. Now I feel like going out and dancing with strangers.

The discipline of a practical spirituality	April 3, 2000
Reviewer: Marianne from Copenhagen, Denmark
The Dalai Lama proposes a spiritual revolution. This I found interesting. I found even more interesting his definition of spiritual: "Thus spiritual practice involves, on the one hand, acting out of concern for others' well-being. On the other, it entails transforming ourselves so that we become more readily disposed to do so." The Dalai Lama points to a neglect of our "inner dimension" as the fundamental cause of the disharmony of our societies. And so this book, and his call for a spiritual revolution, is a "call for a radical reorientation away from our habitual preoccupation with self. It is a call to turn toward the wider community of beings with whom we are connected, and for conduct which recognises others' interests alongside our own." He is not claiming that all we need to do is to cultivate spiritual values and then these societal problems will automatically disappear. He acknowledges the need for specific solutions to each of our problems, but "when this spiritual dimension is neglected, we have no hope of achieving a lasting solution" Reading his wisdom and his clarity on matters that I intuit, but can't speak of with such certainty, brought a sense of relief and peace. It is an easy read, in the sense that his language is simple and clear, but it is tough in that he reminds us of the discipline and commitment it takes to develop our character and disposition to act out of concern for others, and make the rest of our life as meaningful as possible.