BECOMING BUDDHA Wisdom Culture for a Meaningful Life

the long version

Book Summary of Becoming Buddha : Wisdom Culture For A Meaningful Life Becoming Buddha compiles the invaluable teachings of contemporary Buddhist teachers who have sought to illuminate the ways of the Buddha in a manner that is comprehensible to a wide audience. These lectures comprise easy to follow dialogues, with anecdotes from the Buddha's own life as well as the lives of ordinary people, to explain how everyone can attain Buddhahood. The message underlying these teachings is that becoming Buddha is not an unattainable ideal. Each person can be a Buddha by becoming the perfect spiritual practitioner, one who wants enlightenment for all fellow creatures. This is not achieved simply through prayers or offerings but through the practical application of Buddha's wisdom to our own lives. The book reaffirms the significance of taking responsibility for our actions and instructs us to cherish all sentient beings in this life. The friendly, empathetic tone puts the reader at ease, reducing the distance between teacher and disciple. Becoming Buddha includes a previously unrecorded lecture by the Dalai Lama, rare photographs of the other educators who speak through this book and an article by eminent Buddhist scholar Professor Robert Thurman, which locates enlightenment in a socio-historical context, establishing that it is not merely a spiritual desire but an essential tool for survival today. About the Author Renuka Singh is associate professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University and director, Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre, New Delhi. She has compiled and edited The Path to Tranquility, The Little Book of Buddhism, The Transformed Mind, The Path of the Buddha and Many Ways to Nirvana, works which have been translated in various languages. She is the author of Women Reborn and The Womb of Mind. QUOTE 'The aim of refuge is to transform an ordinary person into a Buddha. When this has been accomplished, the purpose of refuge has been fulfilled. It is the moment when our mind becomes Buddha; our speech becomes Dharma and our body, Sangha. -His Holiness the Dalai Lama