The Art of Living: A Practical Guide to Being Alive
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Synopsis:
The Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Michael Douglas, Deepak Chopra, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Mario Vargas Llosa, Muhammad Yunus, Sogyal Rinpoche, Desmond Tutu, Sir Richard Branson, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, J. Ruth Gendler, John Berger & others.
The Art of Living consists of a cross-section of voices from diverse cultures worldwide, each of whom share with us their thoughts on those questions of being alive which concern us all – irrespective of our religious or cultural backgrounds: in effect, ‘pooling our resources’, in order that we may all help each other learn the beautiful and complex ‘art’ of being alive.
From the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Michael Douglas, Mario Vargas Llosa, Muhammad Yunus, Deepak Chopra and Mikhail Gorbachev, to a Native American storyteller, an Armenian Shaman and a 104-year-old Holocaust survivor, The Art of Living doesn’t pretend to be an exhaustive study of every single aspect of being alive, but it is compiled with the hope that it may help to shift our perspectives – just a little.
Book Excerpt:
His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Tibet:
No matter how strong an individual is, we have to live as a human community.If someone lives in isolation, he will eventually experience a lot of mental frustration, because it is human nature to be social. Many of our needs, such as sufficient food and shelter, are provided by the efforts of others. That's the reality and our daily way of life and thinking should be according to these conditions and factors. Human intelligence is so sophisticated that it sometimes creates an image that hides the reality. Sometimes one is under the false illusion that one is independent and capable of achieving anything, and one does not realice how much one's life is dependent on the existence, help and support of others.
This applies not only to people, but also to the environment and other species; in fact, to everything. A lot of problems and suffering are caused because one is unable to realize the help and support one receives from the surrounding environment, and because one does not pay proper attention and understand their importance.
Even though your focus may be on your personal happiness and well-being, once you are able to understand how much your personal life is dependent on the surrounding environment, you will be able to widen your perspective and your realization of reality. This widened perspective will enable you to create a more harmonious life, not only for yourself but for others as well.
That kind of wider perspective or view then automatically results in a sense of commitment and concern for others. This is not for reasons holy or sacred, but because one's own future depends on these factors.
Author Comment:
Both my royalties and the publisher's profits fom 'The Art of Living' are being donated to 'Green Cross International', the NGO founded by Mikhail Gorbachev (www.greencrossinternational.net.) 'The Art of Living' is published in English and Spanish and is available in bookstores throughout the United States, South America and Spain. It's also available to order on Amazon now!
Topics/Categories:
Catalunya Radio, cultural perspective, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Gorbachev, Life, Living, Oleguer Sarsanedas, Pedrera, religious interconnection/ common spirituality/ religious tolerance/dialogue of religions/inter -religious dialogue/ spiritual evolution
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Original Publish Date:
September 4, 2008
Formats:
Paperback
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