HOW TO PRACTICE The Way to a Meaningful Life

Michael Rafkin does a fine job reading this overview of Tibetan Buddhist doctrine and practices. His delivery is clear and methodical, even when the Dalai Lama's text includes esoteric concepts, foreign place names, or untranslated Sanskrit terms. Even though Rafkin is reading a translation, much of the Dalai Lama's spirit comes through, primarily when telling illustrative personal stories. This is largely due to Rafkin's friendly tone and conversational pacing. The only thing lost is the Dalai Lama's well-known sense of humor, which is absent. The text is well organized for the ear, with frequent reviews and restatements of core points, but it's still difficult, because of the complex abstractions that are introduced. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 03]