His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the supreme head of Tibetan Buddhism, is an exceptional Buddhist master. He has been a guiding light for the Tibetan people during the nearly half a century since the Communist Chinese invasion of their country. For countless others around the world he has become renouned as a compassionate and compelling apostle of peace whose message brings insight and inspiration to a troubled world. Through his teachings and writings, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has taken on an increasingly influential role in the West as a spiritual and moral guide, for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. Within the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition, His Holiness is an authority on the wide range of teachings and practices encompassed within the various Tibetan schools and lineages.

In 1989, His Holiness the Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize. Immediately following that, he gave a series of Dzogchen teachings and empowerments in San Jose, California. Also, speaking to a small gathering at the Vajrapani Institute retreat center in Boulder Creek, California, His Holiness gave this teaching on the Four Mindfulnesses, from the well-known root text of the Seventh Dalai Lama. To receive teachings from the Dalai Lama is quite extraordinary; witness his sparkling alertness and intelligence, experience his warmth and compassion.

Song of the Four Mindfulnesses (#VDL1) His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches on the well-known root text of the Seventh Dalai Lama. Boulder Creek, California, 1989.