Silent Mind Holy Mind

Book excerpt: The celebration of Christmas focuses on our longing for peace and deepest expression of love. Its essential spirit, therefore, appeals not only to Christians but to all people. Until recently the Buddhism of Tibet has been largely shrouded in mystery. But as its teachers, or lamas, have more and more contact with the West they confirm the fundamental unity of the human family. In this book, Lama Yeshe, a highly respected Tibetan lama trained in the lineages of compassion and wisdom, shows how the modern spirit can be revitalized. Taking as his major focus the ways in which we customarily celebrate Christmas, Lama Yeshe exposes the foibles of our secular age and shows how we can surmount them. With the warmth and humor that have endeared him to so many, he takes a clear look at the ways we think. The relevance of these insights is refreshing. First published in 1978 by Wisdom Publications, the book has been out of print for many years. With the kind permission of Wisdom’s director, Daniel Aitken, LYWA has created the second edition, which includes the original collection of talks given by Lama Yeshe at Kopan Monastery on Christmas Eve, as well as another Christmas talk and a Cistercian priest’s tribute to Lama after he passed away in 1984.