The lectures collected on these pages by His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, encompass the teachings of Buddha in two ways: as a path to world peace and as a path to ultimate peace of mind. All religions, the Dalai Lama assures, essentially share this hope as their purpose: to exchange selfishness for altruism. They have developed their own strategies to achieve this. In his explanations, the Dalai Lama provides insight into the depth and breadth of his own religious thinking, as well as the Tibetan tradition, in which these teachings have been practiced and passed down for centuries. He clarifies the crucial theoretical principles and practices for a meaningful and compassionate life, which, through the understanding of the true reality and nature of consciousness, need not fear death.