Rating: 
Summary: Worth every penny
Review: A great lecture! Very informative. Robert Thurman's introductions are well done. I especially liked it when the dalai lama spoke in english; which he did several times throughout the discs. I used to watch this every night to help me go to sleep and i remember having dreams of enlightenment. Even though the dalai lama speaks in his native tongue most of the time, certain messages are spoken through his countenance that i have never seen another person express. its truly amazing just to observe him. very soothing and comforting. i loved it. im sure you will too!
Rating:
Summary: A rare opportunity....
Review: After waiting patiently for the arrival of these DVDs I want to say that I feel very priviliged to have at my fingertips an opportunity to see and hear the wonderfully compassionate Holiness right in my own home. Technology is great. It is a rare opportunity indeed and I'm sure I will cherish these DVDs for a long time. They will be very useful also for study groups. I want to thank all the people who made it possible.
Rating:
Summary: Good introduction to buddhist thinking
Review: Among all the books written by H.H The Dalai Lama, this book is the most concise and conveys the four noble truths in a simple and easy to follow manner. It is a very good introduction for any one who is in search of peace of mind.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring, comprehensive, easy to understand
Review: As a Christian trying to understand Buddhism better, I found this a clear and concise introduction to the central philosophy of Buddhism, with a strong humanistic emphasis. (Very different from the grass-roots Buddhist spirituality I have seen in Asia.) The Dalai Lama shows that he is not only a statesman and a leader, but also a teacher, scholar, and (most of all) a kind person. Often he amazes me with his honesty, even doubts. This little book covers a lot of ground, and uses a lot of abstract nouns and very few anecdotes in the process, so it takes concentration to read. I found his discussion of the third noble truth, emptiness, frustrating. I kept waiting for him to define exactly what he meant by "empty" "intrinsic existence" and "unreal" in the Madhyamaka school he follows, but I felt he never really explained how his idea of emptiness differed from the common sense observation that everything in life changes. I wrote in the margin on page 107, "'Nothing lasts.' Have we got any further than this yet?" because I found his explanation vague and extremely broad, so broad the Dalai Lama almost seemed at times to be defining me as a Buddhist. But otherwise most of his explanations, and his discussions of the various schools, were clear and helpful. The book ends with a rather simple but touching essay on kindness. For those who would like another perspective on self-love and compassion, try John Piper's Enjoying God: the Confessions of a Christian Hedonist, or C. S. Lewis' Four Loves. author, Jesus and the Religions of Man d.marshall@sun.ac.jp
Rating: 
Summary: The Dalai Lama is a pretty good teacher.
Review: As a Christian trying to understand Buddhism better, I found this a clear and concise introduction to the central philosophy of Buddhism, with a strong humanistic emphasis. (Very different from the grass-roots Buddhist spirituality I have seen in Asia.) The Dalai Lama shows that he is not only a statesman and a leader, but also a teacher, scholar, and (most of all) a kind person. Often he amazes me with his honesty, even doubts. This little book covers a lot of ground, and uses a lot of abstract nouns and very few anecdotes in the process, so it takes concentration to read. I found his discussion of the third noble truth, emptiness, frustrating. I kept waiting for him to define exactly what he meant by "empty" "intrinsic existence" and "unreal" in the Madhyamaka school he follows, but I felt he never really explained how his idea of emptiness differed from the common sense observation that everything in life changes. I wrote in the margin on page 107, "'Nothing lasts.' Have we got any further than this yet?" because I found his explanation vague and extremely broad, so broad the Dalai Lama almost seemed at times to be defining me as a Buddhist. But otherwise most of his explanations, and his discussions of the various schools, were clear and helpful. The book ends with a rather simple but touching essay on kindness. For those who would like another perspective on self-love and compassion, try John Piper's Enjoying God: the Confessions of a Christian Hedonist, or C. S. Lewis' Four Loves. author, Jesus and the Religions of Man d.marshall@sun.ac.jp
Rating:
Summary: If interested in the nugget of Buddhism, worth wading thru
Review: As usual, enlightenment will probably make the contents of this book self-evident. And without elightenment the contents may prove unintelligible. Yet as usual with Buddhist teachings, they point the way. And after you've traveled, you'll probably look back and nod in approval.
Rating:
Summary: An unforgettable few hours!
Review: Besides offering a thorough exposition of Mahayana belief, and indeed practice, with an anything but common traversal of the Four Noble Truths by a master, in these four videos one is invited to spend a few intimate hours in the presence of the Dalai Lama, always an ennobling experience. The camera work in this film is especially fine, making of the camera one's own eyes, as it were, and lifting the hours even lighter than they already seem. With respect to another of the reviews on this page, I found the necessary translation from the stage handled superbly, and clearly with a great deal of thought and natural reverence. In Thubten Jimpa, the Dalai Lama employs a beautifully adept translator, an interpreter not only brilliantly attuned to the words and thoughts of the Dalai Lama, but one so obviously loved by him, and who responds with a special kind of faithfulness, that a marvelous duet is often played out, only enhancing thereby this great teacher's magisterial presentation. I would add that one feels as well the 'Englishness' of the audience, so eager to quietly offer their accepting energy, so ready to listen, far more so than might be a gathering of Americans usually so conscious of themselves in the moment. The humor that ripples often between the Dalai Lama and his listeners throughout the evening is so generous and unaffected, one is returned again and again to the meaning behind the words, the experience behind the event. This is a film of the highest achievment, fortunately within the reach of us all. An unforgettable few hours!
Rating:
Summary: An ennobling experience!
Review: Besides offering a thorough exposition of Mahayana belief, and indeed practice, with an anything but common traversal of the Four Noble Truths by a master, in these four videos one is invited to spend a few intimate hours in the presence of the Dalai Lama, always an ennobling experience. The camera work in this film is especially fine, making of the camera one's own eyes, as it were, and lifting the hours even lighter than they already seem. With respect to another of the reviews on this page, I found the necessary translation from the stage handled superbly, and clearly with a great deal of thought and natural reverence. In Thubten Jimpa, the Dalai Lama employs a beautifully adept translator, an interpreter not only brilliantly attuned to the words and thoughts of the Dalai Lama, but one so obviously loved by him, and who responds with a special kind of faithfulness, that a marvelous duet is often played out, only enhancing thereby this great teacher's magisterial presentation. I would add that one feels as well the 'Englishness' of the audience, so eager to quietly offer their accepting energy, so ready to listen, far more so than might be a gathering of Americans usually so conscious of themselves in the moment. The humor that ripples often between the Dalai Lama and his listeners throughout the evening is so generous and unaffected, one is returned again and again to the meaning behind the words, the experience behind the event. This is a film of the highest achievment, fortunately within the reach of us all. An unforgettable few hours!
Rating:
Summary: words of wisdom
Review: dvd quality very good. the radiant smiles from his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and his words of wisdom is a wonderful way to spend the day or evening. Very good explaination of the four noble truths, who else could explain it any better. lay people might find it intense and needs a great deal of contentration of the meaning of his words.
Rating:
Summary: A comprehensive explanation of the four noble truths
Review: His Holiness The Thirteenth Dalai Lama has written a book that is intended to answer the questions that many may have about what the four truths mean. Sometimes the formal explanations can be overwhelming and hard to comprehend, but His Holiness provides examples and tries to relate the truths to real life. It is very helpfull that His Holiness does not just focus on the truths. Even though they are an integral part of the Buddhist faith, other parts of Buddism must be mentioned in order to further explain the truths.
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