The Heart Is Noble: Changing the World from the Inside Out

If you are inspired to take up his challenge, Karmapa offers a pathway to participate in a global community that is based on compassion. In these chapters of The Heart Is Noble: Changing the World from the Inside Out, he shares his vision for bringing social action into everyday life, on a scale that we can realistically manage through the choices we make every day – what to buy, what to eat, and how to relate honestly and courageously with our friends, family and co-workers. Her fresh and encouraging perspective shows us that we have the strength to live with kindness in the midst of the many challenges we face as socially and environmentally conscious beings. Because he sees the world through the lens of the interdependence of all beings, he sees that human beings can change social and environmental problems by changing their attitudes and actions. And so he shows ways we can change our world by changing ourselves, by examining our own consumption habits, and by being willing to look at how our food gets to our table and how the products we buy are made. In his chapter on gender, he stresses that we do not have to label others according to a social construct.

If his point of view sounds optimistic, it is – and it is also demanding. The Karmapa urges us to open our minds and hearts to the countless connections we share with others – in our families, communities, social systems and on our planet. Thanks to the depth of his spiritual training, and the breadth of his curiosity about and love for the world, he presents a relevant framework for understanding what it means to be human now – and why it is imperative that we care about the well-being of all others. He points to a world we can create through our own efforts, using a resource we already have in abundance – the basic nobility of our human heart.

“The teachings in this book are tools to clear away anything that prevents us from recognising and connecting with our own noble heart, and to open that heart to others in the most radical way. I am so grateful to His Holiness the Karmapa for offering these transformative teachings, and I recommend this book to all who want to change the world, starting with themselves.”-Pema Chödrön, author of Living Beautifully

“In The Heart Is Noble the Seventeenth Karmapa shares her deep wisdom and compassion as a lens on topics ranging from global hunger to healthy relationships and the meaning of life. His message shows how each of us can be heroes in daily life in ways big and small, and that bringing a noble heart to whatever we encounter enriches everyone.”-Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

About the Author

The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is the spiritual head of one of the greatest schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 900-year lineage of Karmapas has included some of Tibet’s greatest spiritual masters. Born to nomadic parents in rural Tibet, he was identified as a child as the heir to this leadership position. In 2000, the Karmapa’s dramatic escape to India from Chinese-ruled Tibet at the age of fourteen propelled him onto the world stage. Since then, he has emerged as an international Buddhist leader and environmental activist, founding Khoryug, a region-wide environmental protection programme. The Karmapa has been dubbed “the new face of Tibetan Buddhism”, and many Tibetans look to the Karmapa for inspiration in their struggle to preserve their clashing culture. In 2008, he made his first historic visit to America. He currently resides at Gyuto Monastery near Dharamsala, India.

Author: The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje
Language: English
Publisher: Shambhala
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 191