The sixth volume of the Dalai Lama’s definitive
Library of Wisdom and Compassion series.
Courageous Compassion, the sixth volume of the
Library of Wisdom and Compassion series, continues the Dalai Lama’s teachings on the path to awakening. The previous volume,
In Praise of Great Compassion, focused on opening our hearts with love and compassion for all living beings, and the present volume explains how to embody compassion and wisdom in our daily lives. Here we enter a fascinating exploration of bodhisattvas’ activities across multiple Buddhist traditions—Tibetan, Theravada, and Chinese Buddhism.
After explaining the ten perfections according to the Pali and Sanskrit traditions, the Dalai Lama presents the sophisticated schema of the four paths and fruits for sravakas and solitary realizers and the five paths for bodhisattvas. Learning about the practices mastered by these exalted practitioners inspires us with knowledge of our minds’ potential. His Holiness also describes buddha bodies, what buddhas perceive, and buddhas’ awakening activities.
Courageous Compassion offers an in-depth look at bodhicitta, arhatship, and buddhahood that you can continuously refer to as you progress on the path to full awakening.
"Courageous Compassion, the sixth volume of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion, continues the Dalai Lama's teachings on the path to awakening. While volume 5, In Praise of Great Compassion, focused on opening our hearts to others and generating the compassion, joy, and fortitude to make our lives meaningful by benefiting them, this volume ventures further to describe buddhahood, the path of no more learning-the premise being that all sentient beings will become fully awakened buddhas. We learn about the ten perfections as well as how âsråavakas, solitary realizers, and bodhisattvas progress along the paths of their respective vehicles to ultimate bodhicitta. A sophisticated schema of the five paths (of accumulation, preparation, seeing, meditation, and no more learning) and of the eight and ten grounds of the Fundamental Vehicle and the Bodhisattva Vehicle, respectively, serves as a concise framework for studying a grounds-and-path text in depth. Finally, His Holiness describes the buddha bodies, what buddhas perceive, and the awakening activities of buddas. Throughout, we see how the Dharma is taught in Tibetan Buddhism, in the Påali tradition, and in Chinese Buddhism"--
“Courageous Compassion is among the most impressive and beautiful volumes in the remarkable
Library of Wisdom and Compassion series. Here Venerable Thubten Chodron stewards the presentation of a substantial and comprehensive description of the bodhisattva’s path of compassion with a special focus on the bodhisattva perfections and the paths and fruits of the three vehicles. Certainly a marvelous addition to everyone’s library of Buddhist wisdom!”
