Foreword

AFTER HIS ATTAINMENT of enlightenment the Lord Buddha taught for many years in north India. He counseled his listeners not simply to accept his words out of faith but to think about them and then, if they found them convincing and appropriate, to put the advice into practice. Thus, his teachings spread because they impressed people, who found them useful in their own lives, and in turn passed them on to others. With time Buddhism spread throughout Asia.

However, the relevance of the Buddha’s message is not confined to one geographical area, for all human beings can apply what he taught. In recent years people from Western lands have had greater access to living Buddhist tradition and have taken increasing interest in it; some have even become Buddhists themselves. One such is Ayya Khema, who presents here the advice she has given while leading a meditation course in Canada based on her own experience. Such efforts are indeed heartening, and I hope that through them all beings may find peace.

Tenzin Gyatso

H. H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama