An Open Heart is one of the first Buddhist books which really sold me on Buddhism. I had been a bit up in the air about my feelings on it until this work really catalyzed my spiritual journey. The book is a religiously agnostic, spiritual journey towards a Buddhist approach to life which is compatible with every faith.
This book is composed of material from The Dalai Lama, but isn’t too religious in nature or limited to Tibetan Buddhism. This is a general spiritual survey through and through. The back even mentions that the goal is just to take away a “basic understanding of Buddhism”.
The Dalai Lama’s An Open Heart covers the basics of meditation, Bodhicitta, and a few other basics of Buddhism. The book doesn’t just live in a Tibetan Buddhist framework and can easily be applied to general spirituality, Buddhism of pretty much any type, or even integrated into other religions.
Approaching Buddhism
This book is a great step in determining whether Buddhism is compatible with your spirituality or not. It won’t teach you everything, it won’t do much but gauge your interest one way or another and show you a way forward. An Open Heart is the first step in the journey, not the last.
Do you want to know more about Buddhism without committing that much? Get this book. Do you want to practice a little without feeling caught up in a single school of thought or having to invest too much? This book is what you want. Like the rest of the Dalai Lama’s more common works, you’re not going to learn everything about Buddhism, but you’ll definitely approach Buddhism differently for better or for worse when you’re done.
What Does This Book Do Well?
This book makes Mahayana Buddhism extremely accessible (it doesn’t delve too deep into the Tibetan side of Buddhism). Most works lay on the symbolism and complexities from the start, but this book looks to be an introductory work without the complexity. You aren’t going to know everything, but you aren’t going to struggle to understand the content either.
From the title itself, this book focuses primarily on compassion. It mixes in meditation, wisdom, and karma as well, but the primary focus is on understanding the whole point of the practice. Bodhicitta, which is characteristic of Mahayana Buddhism (and Tibetan Buddhism), is covered as well. None of these topics are delved into as deeply as they could be, but to do so would require a much thicker book or collection of books.
This book makes the basic principles of Buddhism accessible and does so without trampling any religion. The writing is extremely clear and accessible as well. If you’re not sure whether you want to look into Buddhism or not, read this book. It also focuses on more than just the theory and teaches you how to practice a lot of what it introduces.
What Does “An Open Heart” Offer?
This is one of the most direct, most accessible books on Buddhism I’ve ever read. An Open Heart aims to make sure that it is accessible to people of all faiths and even takes special measures to avoid being sacrilegious to any major faith. It manages to do this without compromising its message at any stage.
Basically every major tenant of modern Mahayana Buddhism is touched on well enough to have a working knowledge of the implications. It’s the 1010 survey course though. You’ll be introduced to a lot, get some idea of the implications, but there’s so much further you can go.
If you are curious about the practice of modern Buddhism, this book will show you how to practice and why it matters. If you are looking for a spiritual fountain to draw on, this book will provide it. This book provides exercises and a framework to practice Buddhism without it being overwhelming. You can practice anywhere, anytime, and it makes it easy to incorporate in any spiritual framework.
What’s It Missing?
Though this book is amazing for the scope it covers, it does have a few things it could do better. For one, there isn’t an index in the book. Despite the brevity of the book, it would benefit greatly from an index for reference, or a glossary at the end.
This book is arguably short. It is 190 pages give or take, but it could easily be 80 with the right typeface. An Open Heart could afford to go into a little more detail on certain parts and not really complicate the work too much, but I understand why they refrained from doing so.
An Open Heart is a compiled work and certain chapters feel like they jump a little. This isn’t necessarily a dig against the work, but something to be aware of. A little more transition between certain concepts could make them make more sense without needing external works or rereads of certain sections. Even an index or glossary could remedy this to a degree.
Conclusion
An Open Heart is a beginning (and not an end) to your spiritual journey. This book really catalyzed my spiritual journey and is arguably the base of why I even started this site. It left me asking more questions than it answered, but this curiosity got me down the right path towards my spiritual journey.
This book has been the catalyst to many positive changes. It is accessible, well written, simple, but deep. There are a few things it could do better, but if you’re on the fence, take the gamble. It’s a great work. Even if you find the path isn’t right for you, you won’t regret the journey you take with this book.
If you’re curious about Buddhism, or looking to get on a better spiritual track, the Dalai Lama’s An Open Heart will serve you well. It’s a light read with deeper implications. It has a few minor faults, but it’s not made to be the be all end all to your journey either.
