Buddha's Way of Happiness

Thomas Bien

Sujets

• Assertiveness

Informations

• Publié par: New Harbinger Publications
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 0001
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781608822041
• Langue: English

Extrait

“A wonderful blend of purpose, parable, and practice conveying the essential Buddhist insight that happiness and contentment are much closer than we think.”
—Zindel V. Segal, Ph.D, coauthor of The Mindful Way Through Depression
“In a delightfully unpretentious fashion, Thomas Bien provides a sophisticated introduction to Buddhist philosophy and practice. That he can pull that feat off in a book that contains a section called ‘Why Your Dog Is Happier Than You Are’ is both a testimony to his skill as a writer and to his contagiously easy relationship with these ancient teachings. I heartily recommend savoring these pages!”
—Steven Forrest, author of The Inner Sky and Yesterday’s Sky
“Brilliant, captivating, and insightful, The Buddha’s Way of Happiness will help all of us move toward greater degrees of joy, ease, and freedom. Bien’s clinical wisdom, scientific rigor, and deep compassion are felt in each page of the book. These ideas and practices have the power to transform our individual and collective lives.”
—Shauna L. Shapiro, Ph.D., associate professor at Santa Clara University and coauthor of The Art and Science of Mindfulness
“This wonderful volume skillfully blends common sense and uncommon wisdom to lead readers toward what we all really want: happiness and contentment. With the care of a psychotherapist, the knowledge of a researcher, and the insight of one who has walked the walk, Bien shows us that happiness is found closer to home than we believed, and points out how we get there.”
—Paul R. Fulton, Ed.D., director of mental health for Tufts Health Plan and president emeritus of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy
“Reading these pages, you will understand the meaning and experience the wisdom of the ancient Eastern tradition. With warmth and compassion, Bien draws a wonderful road map to happiness. I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with any form of suffering, but also to whomever wants to find a pathway leading to well-being and wishes to discover the magic and the healing power of being deeply present.”
—Fabrizio Didonna, Psy.D., clinical psychologist and editor of The Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness
“In Western psyche and psychology, the pursuit of happiness is often assumed to involve doing, taking control, striving, and acquiring. In The Buddha’s Way of Happiness , Bien invites us to stroll a very different path, an ancient Eastern way toward inner peace and contentment. Whatever one’s own religion, there is deep wisdom here to read, ponder, and practice.”
—William R. Miller, Ph.D., Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico
“It is a radical notion to think that happiness might be found much closer than we think, or that it is not located in the places we usually look for it. In his new book, Bien invites us to consider exactly this possibility as he draws on the teachings of the Buddha, everyday examples, and the richness of diverse faith and spiritual traditions. Bien explores an expanded perspective on human happiness rooted in ancient wisdom, yet extraordinarily relevant to our time. Whether you consider yourself a Buddhist or not, there is much of value here. I recommend you see for yourself. If you do, you just might come away feeling happier!”
—Jeffrey Brantley, MD, author of Five Good Minutes
“Accessible and graceful, this book unfolds with a clarity that rises from a depth of practice and extends a kind invitation to others to explore the truth of these teachings for themselves. The Buddha’s insights penetrate into daily life applications with philosophical understanding, meditation practices, and stories that encourage investigation and engagement with one’s moment-to-moment experience of living.”
—Florence Meleo-Meyer, MS, MA, director of Oasis Professional Training and Education and senior teacher of the stress reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School
“In this wise, readable book, Bien reveals the essence of ancient Buddhist psychology—the psychology of happiness—for modern readers. Then he offers practical strategies for uncovering the happiness we already possess. Recommended for anyone who seeks freedom from suffering at the deepest level.”
—Christopher K. Germer, Ph.D., clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion
“An intelligent and compassionate wellspring of dharma teachings that shows us how we can rely on our own inner wisdom to find that happiness is already present within us, here and now. Through inspiring stories and practical instruction, this remarkable book teaches us the art of mindfulness and self-care. When we are mindful in our everyday lives, happiness follows.”
—Steven Hick, PhD, meditation teacher and professor in social work at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario
“Bien reminds us of the liberating truth we most regularly forget: the source of our happiness and freedom is within us, already here in this moment. This book is a clear and wise guide on the path of spiritual awakening.
—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance
“In The Buddha’s Way of Happiness, Bien gives readers an unusually clear, accessible, and engaging introduction to the profoundly useful teachings of the Buddha. Blending ancient insights with those of a modern psychologist, he shows us how our everyday habits of mind create needless suffering, and how the Buddha’s teachings can free us from these habits to help us find genuine happiness today. This delightful, wise, and compassionate book is full of practical exercises, tips, and easy-to-follow suggestions that anyone can use to live a richer, more awakened life.”
—Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD, assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and author of The Mindfulness Solution
Healing Sorrow, Transforming Negative Emotion, and Finding Well-Being in the Present Moment
Thomas Bien, Ph.D.
New Harbinger Publications, Inc. -->
Publisher’s Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2010 by Thomas Bien
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Amy Shoup
Text design by Michele Waters-Kermes
Acquired by Catharine Sutker
Edited by Nelda Street
Epub ISBN: 9781608822041
The Library of Congress has Cataloged the Print Edition as:
Bien, Thomas.
The Buddha’s Way of Happiness : Healing Sorrow, Transforming Negative Emotion, and Finding Well-Being in the Present Moment / Thomas Bien, Ph.D. ; Foreword by Lama Surya Das.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-57224-869-4 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-57224-870-0 (pdf ebook) 1. Buddhism--Psychology. 2. Emotions--Religious aspects--Buddhism. 3. Happiness--Religious aspects--Buddhism. I. Title.
BQ4570.P76B53 2011
294.3’444--dc22
2010043969
All Rights Reserved
For Edker Matthews and Susan Hopkins, two of the happiest people I know.
Don’t look outside yourself for happiness. Let go of the idea that you don’t have it. It is available within you.
—Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Being Happiness
Releasing Concepts
Releasing Habit Energy
Transforming Thoughts and Feelings
Self, No Self, and Other
Taking Care of Our Sorrow
Practicing Happiness
Living Happiness
Death and Rebirth
Afterword
Recommended Reading
References
Foreword: Happiness and Well-Being Is the Way by Lama Surya Das
Spiritual awakening and enlightenment is an inside job. Thank God for Buddhist wisdom and practices, and thank God Thomas Bien has done his homework.
Recent scientific research (Seligman 1998) demonstrates that we can increase our happiness in an enduring way by understanding our positive emotions and consciously encouraging those factors that are conducive to them and discouraging those that are detrimental to them. The efficacious factors include cultivating mindfulness, empathy, compassionate action, and altruism. This happiness research, along with the tools and techniques that have emerged from it, offers far more significant benefits than mere hedonism, where we try to experience as many momentarily happy feelings as possible. The new study of happiness encompasses lessons on how we can live a long, deeply meaningful, good, and true life of authentic satisfaction and fulfillment. Is this not what we all search for in our lives?
Happiness is very popular these days, perhaps even more than ever. Although time seems scarce, today many people seem to have the leisure to worry about whether or not they are happy, whether they are in the right relationship, job, or location. Or they commonly express other concerns to the extent that my therapist friends refer to them as “the worried well.” Like most people, I, too, consider happiness to be of the utmost importance, especially when it comes to my own happiness and that of my loved ones! May all be happy, peaceful, and content, as the Buddha’s loving-kindness prayer expresses it.
Meanwhile, as we mature and widen our circle of caring to include more and more people and creatures of all kinds in our heart-mind-spirit’s warm, empathic embrace, all the wisdom of the timeless spiritual, philosophical, psychological, and humanistic traditions come into play. For happiness is the goal of human life, as the Dalai Lama of Tibet likes to say, and wisdom, both practical and transcendental, is needed to achieve it. Knowing the world is mere information, knowledge; knowing yourself is wisdom. When I become clearer, everything becomes