Bøger udgivet af Wisdom Publications,U.S.

"Eihei Dåogen-the thirteenth-century Japanese Zen Master of peerless depth and subtilty-heard the music of the universe that sounds as all events and places, people, things and spaces. He experienced reality as a great dance moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special dance, for it is the dance that the whole of reality is dancing, with nothing left out, that you are I are dancing, that is dancing as you and me. In The Zen Master's Dance, Jundo Cohen takes us deep into the mind of Master Dåogen-and shows us how to join in the great and intimate dance of the universe. Through fresh translations and sparkling teaching, Cohen opens up for us a new way to read one of Buddhism's most remarkable spiritual geniuses"--

"In the same everyman-style that appealed to readers in A Fool's Guide to Actual Happiness, Mark Van Buren returns with A Fool's Guide to Mindfulness. This book's emphasis is bold and clear: your entire life is the Path, your entire life is meditation-every aspect and every circumstance can become a place of practice. Nothing is too mundane, and nothing at all is left out. Van Buren excels at communicating in a simple and breezy fashion the nothing-special quality of spiritual practice, and leaves the reader feeling empowered, encouraged, and up for the task of living into a life of at least just a little bit more freedom and peace"--

A groundbreaking English translation of a key tantric text in the history of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism.English translation of the “root text” of the Taramula-kalpa, a scripture-ritual compendium that documents the emergence of  the quintessential female Buddha Tara in seventh-century India. This book contains an English translation of the “root text” of the Taramula-kalpa, a scripture that captures an important Buddhist tantric tradition in mid-formation. In this regard it is utterly unique and unlike any other text in the Buddhist canon. Its contents document the emergence of the quintessential female Buddha Tara in seventh-century India. As her popularity grew, her cult spread throughout Southeast Asia, as well as Tibet, where she became revered the “Mother” of the Tibetan people. Tara is worshipped for a variety of reasons from health and long life, to wealth, protection from enemies, and ultimately, the mind of enlightenment. Her presence pervades the evolution of Buddhism in Tibet, within royal circles, as well as mentor and guide to many important Buddhist scholars, practitioners, and lineage holders.

A new take on the interplay of emotional and spiritual development, in the tradition of Safran’s Psychoanalysis and Buddhism, which has sold nearly 13,000 copies.“Please read this book. Joseph Bobrow is a true meditation teacher who walks his talk and enjoys his practice.” —Thich Nhat Hanh What do Zen and psychotherapy have in common? How do they differ and how do they support each other’s goals? This book is an intimate dialogue that examines the interplay of emotional and spiritual development through the lens of Zen Buddhism and psychotherapy. Zen and Psychotherapy artfully illuminates the intrinsic connections between the two practices, and demonstrates how these traditions can be complementary in helping to live a truly fulfilled and contented life. Zen teacher and psychologist Joseph Bobrow deftly explores how integrating these two streams can help us to better understand our conscious and unconscious experiences and more fully develop the fundamental capacities of the self. Bobrow shows how the major themes of trauma, attachment, emotional communication, and emotional regulation play out in the context of Zen and psychotherapeutic practice, and how, in concert, both provide a comprehensive, interactive model of fully functioning human life.

A plain-English introduction to a major school of Tibetan Buddhism, by His Holiness the Sakya Trichen, its emeritus head.This book will give you the rare opportunity to learn directly from His Holiness the Sakya Trichen. Collected from teachings by His Holiness, this book is a warm and comprehensive introduction to the Buddhist path as told by the patriarch of the Sakya order. His Holiness offers explanations of the philosophical tenets of the Mahayana path and in particular the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism—giving down-to-earth advice for practicing in the world today: -the principles of tantra, -the value of retreat, -the history of the Sakya lineage, -ecology from a Buddhist perspective, -biographies of great women practitioners, -and other commonly asked questions. A must-read for anyone interested in following a Buddhist spiritual path.

One of Tibet's great scholars presents the Buddha's profound teachings on the laws of karma and dependent arising.In the Rice Seedling Sutra, the Buddha unpacks the law of cause and effect. He notes how in the natural world, a seed becomes a sprout, which produces a flower, which bears fruit. A seed has no intention to sprout; when the right conditions are assembled the fruit arises. Similarly, when our senses encounter an object, a sense consciousness arises naturally, without our intending it. This, says the Buddha, is also how karma works and how actions performed out of ignorance create suffering, whether we want it or not. And this same law of causality also governs enlightenment-when the right conditions are assembled, awakening is assured. In many sutras like this one, the Buddha explains that to understand his Dharma is to understand dependent arising. Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe explores dependent arising, and the corollary teaching of emptiness, through this sutra and others. Commenting on the works of Indian masters such as Shantaraksita, he shows how belief in a creator god is incompatible with dependent arising, and by illuminating the teachings of Nagarjuna and Chandrakirti, he shows how we do-and do not-exist. Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe was among the last generation of scholars to be trained in Tibet before the Chinese occupation. He has been teaching Westerners for decades, having worked with top scholars in the United States, and he is especially familiar with this sutra, having translated the commentary by Kamalasila into Hindi. Here his deep familiarity, combined with his extensive command of the Buddhist scriptures, allows him to present the Buddha's words in a rich and authoritative context.

The fifth volume of the Dalai Lama’s definitive Library of Wisdom and Compassion series, which has sold nearly 15,000 copies to date.In Praise of Great Compassion, the fifth volume of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion, continues the Dalai Lama’s teachings on the path to awakening. While previous volumes focused on our present situation and taking responsibility for creating the causes for the happiness we seek, this volume is about opening our hearts to others and generating the compassion, joy, and fortitude to make our lives meaningful by benefiting them. We are embedded in a universe with other beings, all of whom have been kind to us in one way or another. More than any other time in human history, we depend on one another to stay alive and flourish. We are sometimes oblivious to their kindness, or take it for granted, which leads to feelings of discontent. But when we look closely, it becomes apparent that we have been the recipient of great kindness and naturally we want to repay it. To do this, we begin by cultivating a positive attitude toward others by contemplating the four immeasurables—immeasurable love, compassion, empathic joy, and equanimity—and the altruistic intention of bodhicitta. We learn to challenge the deluded logic of the self-centered attitude that leads to misery and replace it with a more realistic perspective that helps us to remain balanced when we experience either happiness or suffering. This enables us to make all circumstances favorable to the path to awakening.

Khenpo Sodargye translates and provides commentary on the Diamond Sutra, the oldest printed book in China, shedding light on the Buddha’s teachings on how to destroy attachment without being led astray; the author is a household name in China and his books and CDs sell in the millions in China.To study the Diamond Sutra is to realize that fluctuations of change, happiness, fear, anger, and sorrow are not the true essence of your life. The dialogue between the Buddha and his disciple, Subhuti, gives a view of the world that deconstructs our normal categories of experience to indicate that we are always relating to figments of our own imagination, that what we think are real entities in the world are conceptualizations. The Buddha teaches us to cut our attachment to all phenomena and realize that there has never been anything such as an “I,” which is empty of inherent existence. Attachment is the root cause of our suffering; even the most minor attachment can still cause unending distress. Yet the Buddha also teaches that it is better to have attachment as gigantic as the mythic Mount Meru to “existence” than attachment as tiny as a mustard seed to “nonexistence.” That is, when we believe we are giving up attachment, and that because all phenomena are empty there is no need to be attached to virtue, we fall into the worst trap of all—the deluded attachment to emptiness. So how do we destroy attachment without being led astray? With this question in mind, Dzogchen Master Khenpo Sodargye provides sparkling commentary on the Diamond Sutra from the view of the Sutrayana—so that the reader will understand its actual meaning (incidentally preparing the reader to understand the view of the Great Perfection and Mahamudra). Before recognizing the nature of the mind, we learn we must hold on to things that are virtuous and right. Like a boat, these can help us cross a river; until we reach the other shore, it makes no sense to give them up. The division of the sutra into thirty-two chapters, according to the Chinese Buddhist tradition, makes it easier for readers to understand the meaning of the Buddha’s teaching stage by stage.

New translations two of the most revered and important tantric texts in Tibetan Buddhism, essential for meditators, scholars, and students alike.“If one knows the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra, the Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra, and the Tantra Without Syllables, one will have command over the general meaning of the tantras, like a king who has command over his subjects.”—Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle The eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras are among the most important texts in the tradition of the Great Perfection—and in all of Tibetan Buddhism. This set provides these two luminous root texts in crystal-clear translation, along with their commentaries, which break down the tantra passage by passage under headings that contextualize many instructions for the practice of the Great Perfection. The two texts are published together because they contain some of the most detailed expositions on which are based the two essential practices of the Great Perfection: trekchö, the cultivation of the four modes of unfettered equipoise unique to the Great Perfection, and thögal, the cultivation of the four contemplative visions of the Great Perfection that lead to the realization of the body of light. The Tantra Without Syllables focuses on the theoretical basis for trekchö, and the Blazing Lamp focuses on the theoretical basis of thögal. The actual tantra discussed is not the body of the root text of the tantra, but rather the subject matter that the root text points to: the continuum of one’s own vidya, personal knowledge of one's true condition, confirmed in a direct perception, which cannot be explained in words. Malcolm Smith’s simple and lucid introductions bring clarity to an intricate subject, making these volumes vital reading for any student of Dzogchen.

An encouraging guide for the angry or heartbroken soul, in the form of uplifting stories and quotations.Sometimes forgiveness can feel unfathomable, unreachable, or even just plain wrong. Inspiring Forgiveness throws wide open the doors of possibility within the human heart with the wise words of philosophers, writers, poets, and great thinkers from across centuries and continents. Each offering can serve as guideposts along the path to bringing greater forgiveness into our lives. This book also tells the stories of real-world people-from the Dalai Lama to Congressman John Lewis and more-whose lives were changed forever by forgiveness, including for themselves. Just bearing witness to these experiences can itself be transformative. One wise teacher quoted in this book, Pema Chödrön, offers a simple practice for cultivating forgiveness: "First we acknowledge what we feel-shame, revenge, embarrassment, remorse. Then we forgive ourselves for being human. Each moment is an opportunity to make a fresh start." This book is a collection of those moments. Inspiring Forgiveness consists of twelve true stories of people who have endured great pain at the hands of others and have found a way to open themselves to forgiveness in its many forms. Each story is followed by extraordinary poems that speak to forgiveness as well as a collection of over 100 inspiring quotations. "What a wonderful illumination of the power of forgiveness Barbara Bonner has given us. The book's unique gathering of personal stories, poems, and quotations shows that forgiveness is not a momentary feeling but an attitude toward life, a practice of deep self-healing, and a path to freedom. Inspiring Forgiveness is aptly titled, for it does more than tell us about forgiveness, it inspires us to live it." -John Brehm, editor of The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy

Author of "Mindfulness In Plain English" Bhante Gunaratana advises on how to incorporate meditation, mindfulness and holistic ideas from Buddhism into busy modern life, reaping the benefits in relationships, work and other aspects of experience.

A Tibetan Buddhist lama gives advice on the issues facing people in the modern world.In this book, Khenpo Sodargye, a world-famous Tibetan Buddhist lama and scholar, offers guidance on an issue that troubles so many of us in the modern world: What is true happiness, and how do we achieve it? Bombarded with information, endlessly pursuing possessions-we look for happiness in all the wrong places. Khenpo Sodargye, one of the busiest Buddhist teachers in the world, shows us how to redirect our attention away from such distractions and instead calm our minds and find true contentment. His wide-ranging advice covers careers and conventional notions of material success, romantic relationships, and the environment. Erudite and compassionate, he points the reader to inspiration from sutras, Zen masters, Confucius, and the daily news, offering warm, heartfelt encouragement for these troubled times.

A friendly, funny, practical guide for creatives and entrepreneurs, written by a four-time Emmy award-winning and two-time Grammy-nominated composer-guitarist-producer who has worked with Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Jerry Garcia, Lana Del Rey, and Krishna Das, among many others. Also a beloved and highly regarded Buddhist teacher, David teaches readers how to integrate their creative process with their spiritual practice and livelihood."How do I make a living doing what I love?" "Am I a sellout as an artist if I want to be successful?" "How do I integrate my spiritual principles with the art of running a business? And actually, um, how do I run a business?" Wondering how to reconcile your calling with your need to make a living wage, or what to do once your art starts selling, or how to achieve success in your field, or what it even means to be successful? David Nichtern offers his lived, learned experience as an entrepreneur, musician, and Buddhist teacher to first help you figure out what "success" means to you and then show you how to get there. He offers advice on the creative process and principles of business and ethics-everything from "listen to the muse!" to "protect your intellectual property!"-and provides mindfulness exercises to help you integrate inspiration and aspiration, vocation and avocation-to go from surviving to thriving. Whether you're a baker trying to grow from the farmer's market to a brick-and-mortar or a CEO exploring how taking care of your employees can be the same as taking care of your business-if you're trying to align your spiritual, creative, and financial pursuits and discover what it means to truly live well, this book is for you.

The definitive biography of Shinjo Ito, the founder of one of the main traditions of Buddhism, which has almost 1 million members worldwide.This is the first major biography of Shinjo Ito, the founder of the Shinnyo-en tradition of Buddhism and one of the twentieth century's most innovative spiritual teachers. Shinjo Ito was schooled in the millennium-old esoteric Buddhism of Japan, and used that as the basis for developing a unique lay practice grounded in the principles and concepts of the Mahayana version of the Nirvana Sutra. Sculpting the Buddha Within is an important book that traces Shinjo Ito's evolution not only as a spiritual master but also as a human being. Living in a time of unprecedented change, Shinjo Ito's personal life was often marked by hardships and personal grief, experiences that became the foundation for cultivating universal compassion. Committed to making buddhahood tangible for others and a goal worth aspiring to, Shinjo Ito also excelled as a sculptor of devotional images. His wish was to help his practitioners see their own potential for goodness so that they, too, would want to work diligently to shape and give form to their inner buddha. Rather than encouraging his followers to believe in a fixed system of practice or beliefs, Shinjo Ito taught how to live life in accordance with one's buddha nature-and the gratitude, creativity, and happiness latent within it.

A rare glimpse of the sophisticated philosophical exchange between Buddhist and non-Buddhist schools at an early stage.The Vaidalyaprakarana provides a rare glimpse of the sophisticated philosophical exchange between Buddhist and non-Buddhist schools at an early stage and will be of interest to scholars of Buddhist thought, classical Indian Philosophy, and the history of Asian thought. Belonging to a set of Nagarjuna’s philosophical works known as the yukti-corpus, the Vaidalyaprakarana is noteworthy for its close engagement with the Hindu philosophers. It refutes the sixteen categories of the Nyaya school, which formed the logical and epistemological framework for many of the debates between Buddhist and Hindu philosophers. The Sanskrit original of the Vaidalyaprakarana long lost, the author translates the text from Tibetan, giving it an extensive analytical commentary. The aim is twofold: to investigate the interaction of the founder of the Madhyamika school with this influential school of Hindu thought; and to make sense of how Nagarjuna’s arguments that refute the Naiyayika categories are essential to the Madhyamika path in general.

Learn from the Dalai Lama how to put into practice your understanding of renunciation, the awakening mind, and emptiness.His Holiness the Dalai Lama's commentary on Tsongkhapa's Three Principal Aspects of the Path helps us integrate the full Buddhist path into our own practice. His Holiness offers a beautiful elucidation of the three aspects of the path: true renunciation and the wish for freedom, the altruistic awakening mind (bodhichitta), and the correct view of emptiness. These three aspects of the path are the foundation of all the sutric and tantric practices, and encapsulate Tsongkhapa's vision of the Buddhist path in its entirety. Practitioners will find The Three Principal Aspects of the Path invaluable as a manual for daily meditation. The universal and timeless insights of this text speak to contemporary spiritual aspirants, East and West. The root verses are presented in both Tibetan and fluid English translation to accompany these profound teachings.

An inspiring book that will help readers rediscover their values and discover a way to truly live life to the fullest.The Dalai Lama on Wholehearted: "Intimacy is based on the willingness to open ourselves to many others, to family, friends, and even strangers, forming genuine and deep bonds based on common humanity. Koshin Paley Ellison's teachings share the way forward into a path of connection, compassion, and intimacy." Each of us has an enormous capacity for love-a deep well of attention and care that we can offer to ourselves and others. With guidance that is both simple and wholly transformative, Koshin Paley Ellison, Zen teacher and psychotherapist, shows us how to uncover it: pay attention, be of service, and be with others. With this inspiring and down-to-earth book, drawn from the Zen precepts and illustrated with anecdotes from Koshin's own life and practice, you'll learn how to explore and investigate with your own core values, identify the mental habits that could be unconsciously hurting yourself and others, and overcome isolation. Each chapter closes with a contemplation to help integrate the teachings into your life. This book is about getting back in touch with your values, so you can live energetically, authentically, and lovingly. This an invitation to close the gaps we create between ourselves and others-to wake up to ourselves and the world around us. It's time to live wholeheartedly.

Eight Tibetan opera narratives express Buddhist concepts in myths and stories for the enjoyment and edification of readers of all ages.Timeless Buddhist ideas come to life in the myths and stories in Tales from the Tibetan Operas. Poetically vibrant, these eight classic lhamo stories have continued to delight and edify Tibetan audiences of all backgrounds, from village children to learned scholar-monks and Dalai Lamas. Western readers can now also get a glimpse into ancient Indian and Tibetan history and mythology through these cultural touchstones. The operas revolve around the drives of the human condition: the desire for power, the irresistible seduction of attraction, thoughts of revenge, attachment to family, the fear of separation and pain, the wish to be free from oppression. On visual display are the human and nonhuman characters of history and folklore - kings, queens, conniving ministers, ordinary folk, yogis, monks, and powerful beings from other realms such as gods and nagas - engaged in plotting, kidnapping, fighting and death, journeys to faraway lands, separation, and reconciliation, often with a quest for seemingly impossible treasure. The suspenseful tales have many dramatic plot twists, but they all end in happiness, where the good achieve their goals and the bad receive their just desserts. The operas thus bring to the people the fundamental ethical laws of behavior and teachings of natural justice based on Buddhist doctrine. The book features more than fifty gorgeous photos of the operas being performed in Tibet and India.

Jewels of the Middle Way documents an important tradition of Madhyamaka and provides insight into both the late Indian Buddhist blend of Madhyamaka and tantra and the Kadampa school founded by the Indian Buddhist master Atisa.This book presents a detailed contextualization of the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) school in India and Tibet, along with translations of several texts in the Bka’ gdams gsung ’bum (Collected Works of the Kadampas), recently recovered Tibetan manuscripts that are attributed to Atisa and Kadampa commentators. These translations cohere around Atisa’s Madhyamaka view of the two realities and his understanding of the practice and the nature of the awakening mind. The book is organized in three parts based on the chronology of Atisa’s teaching of Madhyamaka in India and Tibet: (1) Lineage Masters, the Mind of Awakening, and the Middle Way; (2) Articulating the Two Realities; and (3) How Madhyamikas Meditate. Each part focuses on a specific text, or set of texts, specifically related to Atisa’s Middle Way. The authorship and date of composition for each work is discussed along with an outline of the work’s textual sources followed by an analysis of the content.

Leaders of the Dalai Lama’s tradition illuminate a divisive intrasectarian controversy.Until recently, the figure of Shukden was an obscure one in the pantheon of Tibetan Buddhism’s many oracles and protectors. But after a small faction within the Geluk tradition began to promote and disseminate the practice of Shukden, the Dalai Lama decided to investigate the practice more deeply. The fruits of this research are presented here, as are the statements made by His Holiness about it over the past fifty years. Discover the historical context behind this contentious practice, which dates back to the Fifth Dalai Lama in the seventeenth century, and learn why the Dalai Lama has been so vocal in countering it. Understanding the Case against Shukden is a clarion call for unity among the Tibetan people and a vision for a more harmonious Tibetan Buddhist community.

A new book distilling Wisdom's definitive masterpiece on mindfulness and all-time bestseller, Mindfulness in Plain English, down to a pocket-sized guide with everything you need to get started practicing mindfulness right now. In a clear, friendly voice, this concise collection of beloved and renowned meditation master Bhante G's bestselling instructions will teach you everything you need to know to start-and maintain!-your mindfulness meditation practice. The book includes practical advice on What to do with the body and mind in meditation; What to do when the mind wanders and how to work with distraction; How to deal with physical discomfort in meditation; How to overcome drowsiness, boredom, and inability to concentrate; How to work with fear and agitation, judgments, and self-criticism; How to avoid trying too hard, expecting too much, or getting discouraged; 11 common misconceptions about meditation; 10 tips for effective practice; and how to get the most out of your practice.

Entertaining and engaging, this new follow-up to Wisdom's bestseller The Dharma of Star Wars stands on its own and will captivate a broad audience with the Star Wars story from a Buddhist perspective.

The most important commentary on Vajrayana from the founder of the Dalai Lama's school of Buddhism.The Brilliantly Illuminating Lamp of the Five Stages (rim lnga rab tu gsal ba'i sgron me) is Tsong Khapa's most important commentary on the perfection-stage practices of the Esoteric Community (Guhyasamaja), the tantra he considered fundamental for the practice of the "father tantra" class of unexcelled yoga tantras. It draws heavily on Nagarjuna's Five Stages (Pañcakrama) and Aryadeva's Lamp that Integrates the Practices (Caryamelapaka­pradipa), as well as a vast range of perfection-stage works included in the Tibetan canonical (Kangyur and Tengyur) collections. It is an important work for both scholars and practitioners. A reader of this work will find in it convincing evidence for Tsong Khapa's own yogic experience and attainment, in coordination with his better-known philosophical and scholarly achievements. The present revised edition of the work is a cornerstone of the Complete Works of Jey Tsong Khapa and Sons collection, a subset of the Treasury of the Buddhist Sciences series. Comprised of the collected works of Tsong Khapa (1357-1419) and his spiritual sons, Gyaltsap Darma Rinchen (1364-1432) and Khedrup Gelek Pelsang (1385-1438), the numerous works in this set of Tibetan treatises and supercommentaries are based on the thousands of works in the Tibetan Buddhist canon.

Go beyond mere mindfulness—and deepen your connection to your self, the people in your life, and the world around you.Mindfulness is an ancient and powerful practice of awareness and nonjudgmental discernment that can help us ground ourselves in the present moment, with the world and our lives just as they are. But there’s a risk: by focusing our attention on something (or someone), we might always see it as something other, as separate from ourselves. To close this distance, mindfulness has traditionally been paired with a focus on intimacy, community, and interdependence. In this book, Ben Connelly shows us how to bring these two practices together—bringing warm hearts to our clear seeing.   Helpful meditations and exercises show how mindfulness and intimacy can together enrich our empathetic engagement with ourselves and the world around us—with our values, with the environment, and with the people in our lives, in all their distinct manifestations of race and religion, sexuality and gender, culture and class—and lead to a truly engaged, compassionate, and joy-filled life

In her long-awaited debut, a beloved master teacher shows us how to move from the "constant squeeze" of suffering to a direct experience of enoughness.The magnanimous heart is a heart of balance and buoyancy, of generosity and inclusivity. It allows us to approach each moment exactly as it is, in a fresh and alive way free from agendas and "shoulds," receiving all that arises. It has the capacity to hold anything and everything, transforming even vulnerability and grief into workable assets. In writing evocative of Pema Chödrön's, Narayan Helen Liebenson teaches us exactly how it is possible to turn the sting and anguish of loss into a path of liberation-the deep joy, peace, and happiness within our own hearts that exists beyond mere circumstances. The Magnanimous Heart shows us how to skillfully respond to painful human emotions through the art of meditative inquiry, or questioning wisely. Readers will learn how to live from a compassionate love that guides our lives and warms whatever it shines upon. With metta and compassion as companions and allies, we discover how our own magnanimous hearts can gently allow the inner knots to untie themselves.

A portable treasury of gems from a lifetime of Wisdom.To know Lama Yeshe was to know he loved chocolate; it was his favorite metaphor to describe the nature of our attachments. This funny and trenchant little volume answers the question of how we can be happy even after the "chocolate" has run out. By cutting the cords of attachment, we discover the indestructible happiness that has always been--and always will be--available to us. Capturing the remarkable personality of Lama Yeshe, who played an integral role in introducing Tibetan Buddhism to the western world, When the Chocolate Runs Out will delight both readers who knew Lama Yeshe for decades and those who have never encountered this timelessly inspiring teacher. At once lighthearted and profound, this delightful book of wisdom is a perfect companion to How to Be Happy by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

David R. Loy draws from giants of psychotherapy and existentialism, from Nietzsche to Kierkegaard to Sartre, to explore the fundamental issues of life, death, and what motivates us.Psychotherapy, existentialism, and Buddhism are all concerned with the same fundamental issues of life and death-and death-in-life. David R. Loy's groundbreaking claim is that the unifying feature connecting these perspectives is a sense of pervasive sense of dissatisfaction-or, in a word, lack. In Lack & Transcendence, he brings all three traditions together in a way that casts new light on each, as he draws from giants of psychotherapy, particularly Freud, Ernest Becker, Rollo May, Irvin Yalom, and Otto Rank; great existentialist thinkers, like Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre; and the teachings of Buddhism, especially as interpreted by Nagarjuna, Huineng, and Dogen. Written in accessible style that does not assume prior familiarity with any of its subjects, this book will appeal to readers of all backgrounds, including psychotherapists and psychoanalysts, religious scholars, Continental philosophers, and anyone seeking clarity on the Great Matter itself. The reader will come away with fresh perspectives on ancient questions and deeper insights into the human predilection to be unhappy-and what the liberating alternative may be.