clairewords's review against another edition
4.0
A distillation of the key components of buddhist thought and practice channeled through a lifetime of experiences of Sylvia Boorstein,co-founding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Centre in California.
Split into sections on equanimity, wise effort (and speech), mindfulness, and concentration it uses anecdotes and examples in every day life to illustrate how to put this philosophy of compassion into practice. It often sounds like common sense and indeed it is, however the mind often loses track and imagines, worries, obsesses and does everything but choose the path of common sense and we often need to be reminded of the most simple observations to declutter it.
She reminds us that much that happens in our lives is external to us and beyond out control, but that our response to it is within our ability to manage and there is much we can do to help ourselves by learning how to respond in a way that will calm and nurture us, that we can choose to respond in a way that veers more toward happiness.
Split into sections on equanimity, wise effort (and speech), mindfulness, and concentration it uses anecdotes and examples in every day life to illustrate how to put this philosophy of compassion into practice. It often sounds like common sense and indeed it is, however the mind often loses track and imagines, worries, obsesses and does everything but choose the path of common sense and we often need to be reminded of the most simple observations to declutter it.
She reminds us that much that happens in our lives is external to us and beyond out control, but that our response to it is within our ability to manage and there is much we can do to help ourselves by learning how to respond in a way that will calm and nurture us, that we can choose to respond in a way that veers more toward happiness.
'Speech that compliments is, by definition, free from derision, which clouds the mind with enemies and makes it tense. Kind speech makes the mind feel safe and also glad.'
rachelteresacrawshaw's review against another edition
3.0
Thought this was an interesting book, but it's not for people new to the subject of Buddhism, meditation or spirituality- I found it a little confusing at times but the overall premise was good. I will definitely be using some of the techniques in this book to help remain calm, positive and happy in the future.
debnanceatreaderbuzz's review
4.0
Sylvia Boorstein knows happiness and she knows how we can all, big and small, crazy or not so, can get there. It's simple practices, really, but practices that are all deeply grounded in habits developed over hundreds of years. What are they? Thinking kindly about others. Wise speech. Mindfulness.
Very, very helpful.
Very, very helpful.
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