His Holiness the Dalai Lama explores emptiness, one of the most central teachings in Buddhism, in the newest volume of the bestselling series The Library of Wisdom and Compassion.

In Searching for the Self the Dalai Lama leads us to delve deeply into the topic of the ultimate nature of reality, presenting it from a variety of approaches while focusing on identifying our erroneous views and directing us to the actual mode of existence of all persons and phenomena.

Placing our study of reality within the auspicious context of a compassionate motivation to benefit all sentient beings, the Dalai Lama explains why realizing emptiness is important and what qualities are needed to do that, and he evaluates various tenet systems' perspectives on this vast topic. He then helps us understand our perceptions and the mental states involved in both our ignorant and accurate cognitions. He examines inherent existence and other fantasized ways of existence that we seek to disprove through reasoned analysis and presents the Middle Way view that abandons all extremes. The closing chapters by Thubten Chodron discuss the three characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self as explained in the Pali tradition and show how meditation on these can lead to the meditative breakthrough to realize nirvana.

Engaging in this investigation with His Holiness will challenge our deepest-held beliefs and uproot false ways of viewing ourselves and the world that are so habitual we don't even notice them. Get ready to be challenged and intrigued, for realizing the nature of reality has the power to cut our defilements at the root and free us from cyclic existence forever!

Searching for the Self, His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Venerable Thubten Chodron, Wisdom Publications, Hardcover, 456 pages, $29.95

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and a beacon of inspiration for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. He has persistently reached out across religious and political lines and has engaged in dialogue with scientists in his mission to advance peace and understanding in the world. In doing so, he embodies his motto, "My religion is kindness."

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

CONTENTS: Searching for the Self
Preface by Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron		xiii
Abbreviations		xxi
INTRODUCTION BY HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA		1
1.	THE IMPORTANCE OF REALIZING THE ULTIMATE NATURE, EMPTINESS	5
	Why Realizing Emptiness is Important	5
	What Is Emptiness?	9
	Emptiness, Its Nature, Its Purpose, and Its Meaning	11
	Suitable Vessels to Receive Teachings on Emptiness	16
	Prerequisites for Insight	23
2.	THE NALANDA TRADITION	25
	Illuminating the Threefold Faith: An Invocation of the Seventeen Great Scholar-Adepts of Glorious Nalanda	26
	Commentary on "Illuminating the Threefold Faith"	32
	Reliable Guides and Explanations	35
3.	INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHICAL TENET SYSTEMS	39
	The Value of Studying the Tenet Systems	40
	Buddhist Tenet Systems and Their Sages	46
4.	OVERVIEW OF BUDDHIST AND NON-BUDDHIST TENET SYSTEMS	51
	The Worldly Person and the Yogi	51
	Non-Buddhist Tenet Systems	54
	Buddhist Tenet Systems	56
	Vaibhasika	57
	Sautrantika	59
	Yogacara (Cittamatra)	64
	Madhyamaka	69
5.	COMPARING ASSERTIONS	75
	Levels of Selflessness of Persons	77
	Levels of Selflessness of Phenomena	80
	What Is the Middle Way?	83
	Gradually Leading Us to the Correct View	86
	Definitive and Interpretable	92
	Proving the Definitive Meaning	100
	The Three Doors of Liberation	103
	Nagarjuna's Homage	107
6.	COGNIZING SUBJECTS AND COGNIZED OBJECTS	111
	The Steps to Understand Emptiness	111
	The Process of Cognition	114
	Syllogisms and Consequences	125
7.	THE IMPORTANCE OF REALIZING EMPTINESS	129
	Who Am I?	129
	The Root of Samsara	132
	How Ignorance Grasps Its Object	135
	The Development of Afflictions in Daily Life	137
	Inappropriate Attention and Distorted Conceptions	139
	Conceptualizations and Elaborations	140
	Ceasing Samsara	147
	Emptiness Is a Nonaffirming Negative	150
	Realizing the Selflessness of Persons and Selflessness of Phenomena	152
	Characteristics of Reality	156
	The Object of Attainment	158
8.	OBJECTS OF NEGATION	161
	Objects Negated by the Path and Objects Negated by Reasoning	161
	The Importance of Correctly Identifying the Object of Negation	164
	What Is Not the Object of Negation	168
	The Valid Sense of I	170
	Inherent Existence	171
	Self of Persons	176
	Self of Phenomena	187
	The Heart Sutra	189
9.	THE MIDDLE WAY VIEW	197
	Settling the Object of Negation and the View of Selflessness	197
	Correctly Identifying the Object of Negation to Avoid the Two Extremes	202
	Confusing Existence with Inherent Existence and Emptiness with Nonexistence	204
	Madhyamaka's Unique Quality	206
	Samsara and Nirvana Are Empty and Dependent	211
	Madhyamikas Are Not Nihilists	216
	Emptiness Exists and Is Itself Empty	221
	Do Madhyamikas Have Theses?	223
	Abandoning the Two Extremes	226
10.	THE EXTREME OF ABSOLUTISM	229
	Buddhist Essentialists That Don't Refute Enough	230
	What Do Sravakas and Solitary Realizers Realize?	232
	The Fundamental Vehicle and the Universal Vehicle	237
	Examining our Absolutist Beliefs	238
	A Creator or Prior Intelligence	241
	The Origin of the Universe	246
	Self and Soul	247
	Misunderstanding Buddha Nature	249
	Causes and Effects, Permanent and Impermanent	251
	Buddhism and Other Religions	253
	Awakening and Other Spiritual Traditions	255
	Free Will and Predetermination	258
11.	PALI TRADITION: ABANDONING THE TWO EXTREMES	261
	Wisdom	261
	Penetrating the Four Truths	262
	Subduing Defilements	265
	The Importance of Realizing Selflessness	268
	Cultivating Wisdom and Gaining Realization	272
	Calming Reactivity to Feelings	274
	Unique Qualities of the Buddha's Teaching	277
	Relinquishing Wrong Views	279
12.	PALI TRADITIONS: CULTIVATING INSIGHT KNOWLEDGE	285
	Schemas to Use and Phenomena to Examine	286
	The Three Characteristics	288
	Abandon What Is Not Yours	300
	Insight Knowledge	302
	The Six Sets of Six	303
	Analysis of the Thirty-Six Factors as Not-Self	308
	Understanding Selflessness by Means of the Elements	312
	Understanding Selflessness by Means of Derived Forms	317
CODA: THE PALI ABHIDHARMA		321
	Formulating a Philosophy Rooted in the Buddha's Teachings	322
	The Early Abhidharmikas	324
	The Dharma Theory	326
	The Development of Dharma Theory	329
	Substance and Own-Nature	332
	Own-Characteristic	334
	Designation and Concepts	338
	The Two Truths	340
	The Theory of Form	343
	The Theory of Smallest Particles	346
	The Theory of Momentariness (Instantaneous Being)	349
	The Theory of Time	351
	The Theory of Space	352
	The Evolution of the Abhidharma	353
	Some Reflections	355
	The Abhidharmikas and Later Indian Philosophers	358
Notes		361
Glossary		375
Recommended Reading		395
Index		399
About the Authors		423