Mediocre to the core. Loving the ending part written by Sylvia Boorstein. She made my day. Enjoy reading her meditation experience, hilarious! Accepting the suffering as we need suffering to strengthen us and get us to the next step. Suffering... is just your way of digesting a new phase in your life. This is just what you do: you go all to pieces, then you pick yourself up and you go forward. A big reorganization, which is always painful. Often suffering is needed for reorganization. We're stronger after we reorganize. Losing my beloved mommy is a big reorganization.
Small but useful book, full of practical tips for bringing compassion and finding serenity in the everyday. Also enjoyed the short mediations at the end of each of the three sections. Each of the teachers had some wisdom to share, but I was particularly drawn to Sylvia Boorstein's contribution. Theres a lot of suffering out there at the momment and books like this can maybe help us to find some equanimity in our lives.
This book helped me get through the first three months of the year- which are always difficult for me. I have a yet-undiagnosed seasonal affective disorder.
I absolutely love Sylvia Boorstein- but she only wrote the last third of the book. I appreciated the contributions of the other authors as well- but they should be listed along with her as authors! I thought I was going to get all Sylvia all the time.
Anyway- like "Happiness is an Inside Job" and "It's Easier than You Think," I'm going to be coming back to this one in the future. Unlike those books, this one includes guided meditations at the end of each of the three sections which I really appreciated. I have the eBook on my iPad so I expect I'll be whipping it out again when I need some zen.
This wonderful book comprises of just three chapters, one each from renowned Buddhism teachers Sylvia Boorstein, Norman Fischer and Tsokyni Rinpoche. Each contribution provides great insights and teachings about how we can face the sufferings in our lives with equanimity, mindfulness, loving kindness and meditation.
There are three essays in this collection. I enjoyed the one by Norman Fischer which was about Alan Lew, one of my favorite people. Sylvia Boorstein's essay was also great as always. But I found the one by Tsoknyi Rinpoche didactic and judgmental. Two out of three is very good and this is still a great collection.
Loved Sylvia Boorstein's section so much I purchased more of her books. Offers practical advice that helped me find opportunities to practice during some recent challenges. Was sad when I reached the end. A very easy read for all (Buddhists and non-Buddhists).
Three fairly basic, general dharma talks (and some meditations with each). Boorstein's section is best. But, I'd recommend her other books over this one.