Plucked from a humble nomad family to become the leader of one of
Tibet’s oldest Buddhist lineages, the young Seventeenth Karmapa draws on
timeless values to create an urgent ethic for today’s global
community.
We have always been, and will always be, interconnected—through family,
community, and shared humanity. As our planet changes and our world
grows smaller, it is vital we not only recognize our connections to one
another and to the earth but also begin actively working together as
interdependent individuals to create a truly global society.
The
Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is uniquely positioned to guide us in
this process. Drawing on years of intensive Buddhist training and a
passionate commitment to social issues, he teaches how we can move from a
merely intellectual understanding to a fully lived experience of
connection. By first seeing, then feeling, and finally living these
connections, we can become more effective agents of social and ethical
change.
The Karmapa shows us how gaining emotional awareness of
our connectedness can fundamentally reshape the human race. He then
guides us to action, showing step by step how we can change the way we
use the earth’s resources and can continue to better our society. In
clear language, the Karmapa draws connections between such seemingly
far-flung issues as consumer culture, loneliness, animal protection, and
self-reliance. In the process, he helps us move beyond theory to
practical and positive social and ethical change.
|
