Author: Karen Armstrong Publisher: Anchor ISBN: 0307595633 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 240
Book Description
One of the most original thinkers on the role of religion in the modern world—author of such acclaimed books as A History of God, Islam, and Buddha—now gives us an impassioned and practical book that can help us make the world a more compassionate place. Karen Armstrong believes that while compassion is intrinsic in all human beings, each of us needs to work diligently to cultivate and expand our capacity for compassion. Here, in this straightforward, thoughtful, and thought-provoking book, she sets out a program that can lead us toward a more compassionate life. The twelve steps Armstrong suggests begin with “Learn About Compassion” and close with “Love Your Enemies.” In between, she takes up “compassion for yourself,” mindfulness, suffering, sympathetic joy, the limits of our knowledge of others, and “concern for everybody.” She suggests concrete ways of enhancing our compassion and putting it into action in our everyday lives, and provides, as well, a reading list to encourage us to “hear one another’s narratives.” Throughout, Armstrong makes clear that a compassionate life is not a matter of only heart or mind but a deliberate and often life-altering commingling of the two.
Author: Marc Barasch Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers ISBN: 9781576757567 Category : Career development Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
With a keen balance of hope and skepticism, Barasch sets out on a journey to the heart of compassion, discovering its power to change who we are and the society we have become. He describes encounters with empathetic apes, and with Buddhist monks whose brain scans prove the power of compassion; with a man who forgave his daughter's murderer; with teenage Palestinian and Israeli girls trying to wage peace; even with astronomers trying to send a missive to E.T. that we're not only clever, but kind.Barasch poses vital questions: What can we learn from exceptionally empathetic people? How do we open our hearts to those who do us harm? What if the great driving force of our evolution were actually "survival of the kindest?" Drawing on science and spirituality, history and popular culture, button-down business and a high sense of fun, he creates a smart, provocative argument that a simple shift in consciousness changes "pretty much everything."
Author: Michael Schut Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc. ISBN: 0819223697 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 297
Book Description
On its ten-year anniversary of publication, we are pleased to re-issue this popular title. Editor Michael Schut presents a rare collection of voices -- Henri Nouwen, Cecile Andrews, Richard Foster and others -- as they explore our use of money, the practice of simplicity, listening to our lives, widening our circle of community, and other topics at the core of how we live out our faith in our homes and workplaces. A study guide is included.
Author: Dalai Lama Publisher: Simon and Schuster ISBN: 0861718186 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 130
Book Description
"The key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion." --His Holiness the Dalai Lama Giving and receiving affection is the key to happiness, and compassion is the key that opens our hearts to affection. Illuminating themes touched upon in The Good Heart and The Art of Happiness, this generous and gentle book contains some of the most beloved teachings on compassion that the Dalai Lama has ever offered. Touching and transformative, The Compassionate Life is a personal invitation from one of the world's most gifted teachers to live a life of happiness, joy, and true prosperity. Collected here for the first time are four of the Dalai Lama's most accessible and inspiring teachings on compassion. The purpose of life is to be happy, His Holiness reminds us. To be happy, we should devote ourselves to developing our own peace of mind; the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own peace of mind. Therefore, we must develop compassion for others in order to be truly happy. In these four teachings--imbued with the gentle humor and extraordinary kindness of this incomparable teacher--His Holiness explores altruism and the need for compassion on an individual as well as a global scale. He offers specific practices for developing loving-kindness and compassion in even the most difficult situations.
Author: Dzigar Kongtrul Publisher: Shambhala Publications ISBN: 0834840138 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 246
Book Description
Tibetan Buddhist instructions for developing radical compassion through lojong mind training—from a contemporary master with a gift for making the ancient teachings speak to modern hearts Dzigar Kongtrül's lively and accessible presentation of the Tibetan training method known as lojong (mind training) focuses on what he considers the heart of that practice: tonglen, the practice of exchanging self for other, for taking in others’ pain and suffering and sending out kindness, ease, and consolation. It’s a powerful method for developing compassion of the most transformative kind, and its supreme expression is found in the classic text The Great Path of Awakening by Jamgon Kongtrül. This book is Dzigar Kongtrül's commentary on that beloved text, based on a series of talks he gave on it. It includes his fresh translation of the Great Path, and it is full of his characteristic humor as well as his skill in translating esoteric concepts into terms that not only are easily understood but that speak directly to the heart.
Author: Robert D. Lupton Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com ISBN: 145960668X Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 178
Book Description
Rethinking Ministry to the Poor The urban landscape is changing and, as a result, urban ministries are at a crossroads. If the Church is to be an effective agent of compassion and justice, we must change our mission strategies. In this compelling book, Lupton asks tough questions about service providing and community building to help us enhance our effectiveness. Among the questions; What dilemmas do caring people encounter to faithfully carry out the teachings of Scripture and become personally involved with the least of these? What are some possible alternatives to the ways we have traditionally attempted to care for the poor? How do people, programs and neighborhoods move toward reciprocal, interdependent relationships? To effect these types of changes will require new skill sets and resources, but the possibilities for good are great.
Author: Dr Patrizia Collard Publisher: Hamlyn ISBN: 0600627896 Category : Body, Mind & Spirit Languages : en Pages : 273
Book Description
Self-compassion is a life-changing way of thinking that is rooted in Mindfulness. By learning to have more loving kindness and forgiveness for ourselves, we have more empathy and compassion for others. The self-compassion movement has been growing rapidly over the past two years with recent research into the neuroscience of compassion showing that changing our thinking habits makes new neural pathways in the brain - and that compassion can be learned. The benefits of this practice are personal and global, from learning to manage chronic pain to relieving stress, boosting the immune system and circulation, along with improving relationships as we connect more authentically with others.
Author: Philip W Mason Publisher: ISBN: 9780228826729 Category : Body, Mind & Spirit Languages : en Pages : 96
Book Description
During life, everyone experiences difficult struggles and pain. The relief from this pain can come when either we recognize that we are only human and make an appropriate change for the better or when another person helps us recognize it and encourages us to make that change. These two phenomena are called self compassion and compassion and are great powers that people possess to make life better. They are the first steps to take towards a healing process that results in one being able to enjoy and share all the wondrous experiences that life has to offer.
Author: Pema Chodron Publisher: Shambhala Publications ISBN: 1611804205 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 145
Book Description
The revered Buddhist teacher and author of When Things Fall Apart presents the lojong teachings—pithy slogans for daily contemplation—and the ways in which they can enrich our lives Welcome compassion and fearlessness as your guide, and you’ll live wisely and effectively in good times and bad. But that’s easier said than done. In The Compassion Book, Pema Chödrön introduces a powerful, transformative method to nurture these qualities using a practice called lojong, which has been a primary focus of her teachings and personal practice for many years. For centuries, Tibetan Buddhists have relied on these teachings to awaken the deep goodness that lies within us. The lojong teachings include fifty-nine pithy slogans for daily contemplation, such as “Always maintain only a joyful mind,” “Don’t be swayed by external circumstances,” “Don’t try to be the fastest,” and “Be grateful to everyone.” This book presents each of these slogans and includes Pema’s clear, succinct guidance on how to understand them—and how they can enrich our lives. It also features a forty-five-minute downloadable audio program entitled “Opening the Heart,” in which Pema offers in-depth instruction on tonglen meditation, a powerful practice that anyone can undertake to awaken compassion for oneself and others.