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59 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Transform Your Life - Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, 17 Sep 2002
By A Customer
This is a book that, being a non-Buddhist, I found to be of great use in explaining some of the fundamental concepts of the tradition. Not only is the writer systematic is his approach, he is also very thorough whilst giving a broad understanding of the subject to the reader.The author writes informatively about the Buddhist view of death and suffering and the true nature of human life. The main section of the book then, is based on daily practice and indeed how to transform your life, based on the profound concepts of the first couple of chapters. This involves discussion on why it is a good idea to cherish other people and also then, how to learn to cherish other people. Anger is a subject also covered in great detail and the chapters on it certainly help to put a lot of things into perspective. Towards the end of the book, there is also a short section on meditation, the reasons for it and how to begin practicing. From a beginner's point of view, I found this useful and easy to understand: it was very clear and also sympathetic to the difficulties of meditation! I found the book precise in its explantion of the ideals of Buddhism and each point was reinforced with either ancient or modern-day logic. Actually it was so well written that at times it was almost as though the author was in the same room! His humour and warmth comes across in many places, which for such heavy subject matter, is important I feel. Although the tradition behind the book goes back thousands of years, it's by no means a historical account. I would say it's a guide that can be read easily (and enjoyably) from start to finish, then referred back to at the reader's discretion as they become more involved in the practice of the tradition. The book is intended to be used as a companion as you take steps to follow its message at your own pace. I would recommend the book to people who are new to Buddhism and are looking for a comprehensive, well written discussion on the subject. The book does not patronize and doesn't overly use the ancient names/language that could have made it less accessible as a book. I know there are many books on Buddhism available at the moment, a few of which I have read, but I would have no hesitation in recommending this particular book to a relative newcomer to the subject. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that others will too.
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