An Open Heart
Chapter One
The Desire for Happiness
It is my hope that the reader of this small book will take away a basic
understanding of Buddhism and some of the key methods by which Buddhist
practitioners have cultivated compassion and wisdom in their lives. The
methods discussed have been taken from three sacred texts of Buddhism.
Kamalashila was an Indian who helped develop and clarify the practice of Buddhism in Tibet. His work, Middle-Length
Stages of Meditation, contains the essence of all Buddhism. Togmay Sangpo's The Thirty-Seven Practices of
Bodhisattvas and Langri Tangpa's Eight Verses on Training the Mind have also been drawn upon in the
preparation of this book. I would like to stress at the outset that one doesn't have to be a Buddhist to make use of
these meditation techniques. In fact, the techniques themselves do not lead to enlightenment or a compassionate and
open heart. That is up to you, and the effort and motivation you bring to your spiritual practice.
The purpose of spiritual practice is to fulfill our desire for happiness. We are al ... read full excerpt from An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life ebook
