The newest volume in the bestselling series from the Dalai Lama.

Delve into the substance of spiritual practice in this fourth volume of the Dalai Lama's definitive series on the path to awakening, Following in the Buddha's Footsteps. You'll first hear His Holiness's explanation of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, why they are reliable guides on the path, and how to relate to them. His Holiness then describes the three essential trainings common to all Buddhist traditions: the higher trainings in ethical conduct, concentration, and wisdom. These chapters show us how to live a life free of harm to self or others and give us detailed instructions on how to develop single-pointed concentration as well as the higher states of concentration available to an earnest practitioner. In addition, the chapters on wisdom contain in-depth teachings on the noble eightfold path and the four establishments of mindfulness for developing greater awareness and understanding of our body, feelings, mind, and other phenomena. Together, these topics form the core of Buddhist practice.

This is a book to treasure and refer to repeatedly as you begin the path, progress on it, and near the final goal of nirvana.
Following in the Buddha's Footsteps, H.H. Dalai Lama, Thubten Chodron, Wisdom Publications, Paperback, 552 pp, $24.95

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born in 1935 in rural eastern Tibet and recognized as a toddler as the reincarnation of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Groomed to be a Buddhist scholar monk and the leader of his people, his life changed dramatically when his homeland was occupied by Chinese Communist forces in the 1950s. Fleeing to India with thousands of his fellow Tibetans, he helped reestablish cultural institutions in exile and went on to become an inspiration and force for peace worldwide for his unyielding commitment to nonviolence, dialogue, and universal ethics. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, he is the now in his eighties and continues to travel and teach extensively.

Thubten Chodron has been a Buddhist nun since 1977. A graduate of UCLA, she is founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey in Washington State. She is a popular speaker and a bestselling author of numerous books, including Buddhism for Beginners.

CONTENTS: Following in the Buddha's Footsteps
Preface by Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron		xiii
Abbreviations		xix
1.	TRUSTWORTHY SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE	3
	The Entrance to the Buddhist Path	3
	Reasons for Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels	6
	The Mind's Potential and the Existence of the Three Jewels	7
	The Three Jewels according to the Fundamental Vehicle	10
	The Three Jewels according to the Perfection Vehicle	16
	Eight Excellent Qualities of the Buddha Jewel	19
	Eight Excellent Qualities of the Dharma Jewel	22
	Eight Excellent Qualities of the Sangha Jewel	25
	Final and Provisional Refuges	28
	The Three Jewels according to the Vajra Vehicle	34
2.	QUALITIES OF THE BUDDHA, DHARMA, AND SANGHA	39
	The Four Kinds of Self-Confidence	39
	The Ten Powers of the Tathagata	41
	The Eighteen Unique Qualities of a Buddha	47
	Qualities of the Buddha's Body, Speech, and Mind	51
	The Buddha as a Reliable Guide	54
	Recollection of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha	61
	Distinguishing Features of the Three Jewels	73
	Causal and Resultant Refuge	75
3.	HEARTFELT CONNECTION TO THE THREE JEWELS	79
	Formally Taking Refuge	79
	Deepening Our Refuge	80
	Maintaining Proper Refuge	85
	Bodhisattvas' Refuge	89
4.	THE HIGHER TRAINING IN ETHICAL CONDUCT	91
	The Three Higher Trainings	91
	The Importance of Ethical Conduct	92
	The Pratimoksa Ethical Code	94
	Vinaya Schools	98
	The Benefits of Practicing the Pratimoksa Ethical Conduct	99
	Intoxicants	104
	Why Celibacy?	105
	Bodhisattva and Tantric Ethical Codes	108
	Making Mistakes and Rectifying Them	109
5.	SANGHA: THE MONASTIC COMMUNITY	113
	The Value of the Monastic Community	113
	The Flourishing of the Dharma and the Existence of the Dharma	115
	The Intent and Purpose of Monastic Life	115
	Maintaining the Purity of the Sangha	118
	Tibetan Monastics and Monastic Institutions	127
	Challenges for Western Monastics	130
	Full Ordination of Women	132
	Advice for Monastics	136
	The Joy of Monastic Discipline	139
6.	THE HIGHER TRAINING IN CONCENTRATION AND THE PERFECTION OF MEDITATIVE STABILITY	143
	Concentration and Serenity	143
	The Importance of Developing Serenity	145
	Conditions Conducive to the Development of Serenity	148
	Observed Objects	153
	Choosing Our Meditation Object	162
	Structuring the Meditation Session	163
	Working with the Body	164
7.	OBSTACLES AND ANTIDOTES	167
	The Five Hindrances	167
	Taming the Five Hindrances	177
	Overcoming the Hindrances	184
	The Five Faults and Eight Antidotes	187
	The Nine Stages of Sustained Attention	196
	Mental and Physical Pliancy and the Bliss of Physical and Mental Pliancy	201
	A Diagram Illustrating the Process of Attaining Serenity	207
8.	MEDITATIVE ABSORPTIONS	211
	Cultivating Mundane Insight	212
	Meditative Absorptions of the Form Realm	218
	Meditative Absorptions of the Formless Realm	221
	Meditative Absorptions on the Four Truths	224
	The Eight Liberations	235
	The Nine Serial Absorptions	239
	The Superknowledges	243
	The Value of the Superknowledges for Bodhisattvas	253
	Serenity in Buddhist Practice	257
	Words of Advice	259
9.	CONCENTRATION IN THE PALI TRADITION	261
	Objects of Meditation	261
	The Four Dhyanas	272
	The Four Formless Absorptions	279
	Four Kinds of Development Samadhi	282
	Samadhi and Insight	283
10.	THE PRACTICE OF SERENITY IN CHINESE BUDDHISM	289
	Meditation	289
	Creating Balance at the Beginning and End of a Meditation Session	291
	Cultivating Serenity and Insight in Sitting Meditation	295
	Cultivating Serenity and Insight while Interacting with the Environment	296
	Deviant Meditation and Correct Meditation	300
	Counteracting the Work of Mara	301
11.	HIGHER TRAINING IN WISDOM: THE ROLE OF MINDFULNESS AND INTROSPECTIVE AWARENESS	305
	Introduction to the Thirty-Seven Harmonies with Awakening	305
	The Importance of Mindfulness and Introspective Awareness	306
	Mindfulness	307
	Introspective Awareness	312
	Mindfulness and Introspective Awareness Working in Tandem	319
	Mindfulness in Modernity	322
	The Thirty-Seven Harmonies with Awakening	323
12.	THE FOUR ESTABLISHMENTS OF MINDFULNESS: BODY, FEELINGS, AND MIND	327
	Introduction to the Four Establishments of Mindfulness	329
	Shared and Specific Characteristics	333
	Mindfulness of the Body (kayasmrti, kayagatasati)	336
	Mindfulness of Feelings	355
	Mindfulness of the Mind	365
13.	THE FOUR ESTABLISHMENTS OF MINDFULNESS: PHENOMENA	375
	Mindfulness of Phenomena	375
	Mindfulness of the Five Hindrances	377
	Mindfulness of the Five Aggregates	381
	Mindfulness of the Six Sources	385
	Mindfulness of the Seven Awakening Factors	387
	Mindfulness of the Four Truths	391
	Mindfulness in Vajrayana	393
	Bodhisattvas' Practice of Phenomena and the Four Establishments of Mindfulness	393
	The Selflessness of Phenomena and the Four Establishments of Mindfulness	394
	The Benefits of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness	408
14.	THE THIRTY-SEVEN HARMONIES WITH AWAKENING	413
	The Four Supreme Strivings	414
	The Four Bases of Spiritual Power	417
	The Five Faculties and Five Powers	422
	The Seven Awakening Factors	427
	The Aryas' Eightfold Path	432
	Relationships among the Thirty-Seven Harmonies with Awakening	446
	The Thirty-Seven Harmonies and the Five Paths	448
	Conventional and Ultimate Thirty-Seven Harmonies	452
	The Thirty-Seven Harmonies for Fundamental Vehicle and Mahayana Practitioners	453
	The Thirty-Seven Harmonies in Tibetan Buddhism	455
Notes		461
Glossary		473
Further Reading		487
Index		489
About the Authors		519