"As new condition textured black faux leather boards with silver front cover and spine lettering contained in a fine condition non price-clipped color illustrated dust jacket. Includes Author Dedication; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Notes; Index and About the Author. A tiny 1/16th inch repaired closed tear at the lower left front jacket edge (difficult to see in the photos). Signed, inscribed, and dated (election day 2000) by the author with blue ink on the blank first free front endpaper. """"In this book, Gregory Huth explores the potential of different faiths to join together to usher in a spiritual great awakening. It is my hope that readers may find here inspiration and understanding that in some way contributes to their own awakening to inner peace. And I pray that through inner peace they too will become better human beings able to help create a happier, more peaceful world."""" - His Holiness the Dalai Lama. """"Bravo! Awakening: In Pursuit of the Divine Paradox provides a highly spiritual, yet highly humanistic path for survival in the next century .Congratulations!"""" - Richard Selzer, M.D. """"I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacle we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external developments alone. The key is to develop inner peace. Human beings naturally possess diverse temperaments and interests. Therefore, it is inevitable that different religious traditions emphasize different philosophies and modes of practice. And yet today, the world over, we can find followers of many faiths sacrificing their own welfare in the service of others. So, our various religious traditions clearly have similar commitment to promoting human welfare and a sense of universal responsibility. It is my sincere belief that this development of altruism, the wish to work for the happiness of others, is the most important goal of religious practice. Every religion and culture has its distinguishing characteristics. As Buddhists, we Tibetans regard inner strength, gentleness, love, compassion, wisdom and a stable mind as the most important treasures a human being can collect in his or her lifetime. However, I feel that we Buddhists also have much to learn from our Christian brothers and sisters. We are all aware of the inner peace that can be found in prayer and meditation, but our Christian friends may have a richer experience of bringing that inner peace to bear in practical ways in the generous service of others. I believe it is extremely important that we extend our understanding of each other's spiritual practices and traditions. This is not necessarily in order that we can adopt them ourselves, but because to do so increases our opportunity for mutual respect. Sometimes, too, we encounter something in another tradition that helps us better appreciate something in our own. In this book Gregory Huth explores the potential of different faiths to join together to usher in a spiritual great awakening. It is my hope that readers may find here inspiration and understanding that in some way contributes to their own awakening to inner peace. And I pray that through inner peace they too will become better human beings able to help create a happier, more peaceful world."""" - His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from the inner front and rear jacket flaps."