The Wisdom of Imperfection: The Challenge of Individuation in Buddhist Life

by Rob Preece

If you have been practicing Buddhism for a while, why do you still have so many problems? And how do you balance the sometimes different needs of spiritual and psychological perspectives? Rob Preece draws on his personal experience-over two decades as a psychotherapist and many years as a meditation teacher-to explore and map the psychological influences on our struggle to awaken. For psychological and spiritual health, acceptance of imperfection is key.

Wisdom does not always come as a flash of inspiration, but from the slow, often painful workings of experience. As we detach from our ideals of perfection and develop our acceptance of imperfection, our love and compassion can grow in ways that are both psychologically and spiritually healthy.

The Wisdom of Imperfection delves into this journey of individuation in Buddhist life, articulating the psychological processes beneath the traditional path of the Bodhisattva.

"Takes us on a remarkable journey of self-discovery. This lucid and well-written work is further enriched and brought to life by compelling anecdotes and case histories drawn from Rob Preece's practical experience as a skilled psychotherapist and Buddhist practitioner. The Wisdom of Imperfection is an important contribution to the growing dialogue between Western psychology and Eastern spirituality."ùHoward C. Cutler, M.D., coauthor, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, of The Art of Happiness and The Art of Happiness at Work.

"A wonderfully thorough and engaging look at the unfolding of the spiritual/psychological journey. Drawing on a depth of personal experience, Rob Preece offers an insightful and important perspective."ùSharon Salzberg, author of The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

"Strikes an illuminating balance between commitment to a Buddhist practice and recognition of deep-seated psychological realities. This is the book for all those who wonder why they can't stop undermining and contradicting what they cherish most deeply."ùStephen Batchelor, author of Confession of a Buddhist Atheist

Genres: Buddhism, Psychology, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Self Help, Zen

334 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2006

About the author

Rob Preece has been a practicing Buddhist since 1973, principally within the Tibetan tradition. He has spent many years in intensive retreat in the Himalayas under the guidance of eminent Tibetan lamas. Preece has been working as a psychotherapist since 1987 and gives workshops on comparative Jungian and Buddhist psychology. An experienced meditation teacher and thangka painter, he lives in London and is the author of The Wisdom of Imperfection and The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra. (Bio from his publisher)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Preece

Reviews

[Jan Jilecek · Rating 5 out of 5]

100 out of 100 book.

This book was the wood I was floating on in the vast ocean of dread I was previously drowning in.

This book introduced me to Jungian psychology.
It talks thoroughly about the Shadow Self,
and there are absolutely mind-blowing sections
about the Puer Aeternus complex, which helped me a ton.
And it is beautifully intertwined with the Buddhist knowledge.

Everything about the book is perfect.
And it is almost as if the Destiny showed it to me.
This book made me also realize what kind of relationship I WAS in,
effectively saving my sanity and preserving my well-being.

Absolutely recommend to everyone.

[Zubr · Rating 5 out of 5]

To, že se mi do rukou dostala Moudrost nedokonalosti, bylo dílem náhody, nikoliv cíleného hledání příručky, jak pokračovat ve vlastní buddhistické praxi. Nejsem totiž praktikující buddhistka a s literaturou tohoto typu běžně vůbec nepřijdu do kontaktu. Brala jsem ji tak do ruky s nezanedbatelnou dávkou pochybností - může někdo, kdo má o buddhismu a jungovské psychologii jen velmi povšechnou představu, porozumět textu, který se zabývá procesem individuace v životě buddhisty? Knihu jsem tak otevírala s obdobným přístupem, s jakým si člověk čte třeba popularizační článek o principech jaderné fúze - takové téma vás může zajímat, ale jakožto nefyzik víte, že se na něj stejně budete nutně dívat nepoučeně, zvenku, povrchně.

Při čtení Moudrosti nedokonalosti jsem rychle zjistila, že nemusím být buddhistka, aby pro mě byl Preecův text cenný a v jistém smyslu i uzdravující. Knihu jsem začínala číst ve chvíli, kdy jsem procházela tou nejtemnější fází rozpadu dlouholetého vztahu, odmítala jsem si připustit, že mám nějaký problém, ale zároveň jsem se ubíjela sebeobsesivním nimráním se ve vlastní rozpadlosti. Byla jsem nesnesitelná sama sobě, o lidech ve svém okolí nemluvě.

Preece na rozdíl od masové literatury zaměřené na „osobnostní rozvoj“ nenabízí žádné konkrétní návody, žádných „deset věcí, které musíte udělat, abyste byli šťastní“ a podobně. Zároveň dokáže hovořit jazykem, kterému rozumí i průměrný Zápaďák, a který tak nemá potřebu knihu po třech stranách odložit s úšklebkem, že omylem zabrousil do nestravitelného esoterična.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book at an important time in my spiritual life.

I recommend this for every person engaged in a spiritual practice, especially those from the East in which one's personality, individuality etc are easily eschewed under a banner of "emptiness" or " no self" or "non-duality." Certainly it is not always the case that such expressions are pathological, but for people in America who engage in Eastern Spiritual systems, it is easy to gloss over ourselves and the foundational work that is required for the esoteric practices of the East to bear fruit. Even so we may complete our 100,000 prostrations or mantras, but find that we still need further work... I appreciated this book at a particular time in my life and still enjoy it, though I find that the authors uses the word "veneer" a little too often for my taste ;)

[Bish Denham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a small understanding of Jungian psychology, with most of my reading having to do with the interpretation of fairy tales, so this book intrigued me. I liked learning about the make-up of Eastern and Western minds and how different we are. We in the West are really pretty damaged. That is not to say that people in the East aren't damaged, they are, but in a different way.

Using both Buddhism and Jungian psychology the author explores the differences, the similarities, and the common archetypes that express themselves. The methods of individuation and attaining enlightenment seem to be two "ways" comfortably suited to work together.

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended by Ven. Thartso because she knew of my past interest in Jungian psychology. It is a really great book with practical application to daily life.

[Anne D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super book for those interested in a Buddhist approach to psychology

[Veev · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://substack.com/home/post/p-1509...

[1unaaaaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me this book is really helpful, I am always a big fan of Jung, as a buddhist it is very interesting to see this combination together, and it is also very helpful and interesting way to learn more about Buddhist Tantra and to understand the stuggles of a buddhist in the west.

[ˋ°•☆&;josie.ೃ࿐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life-changing combination of Jungian psychology and Buddhism built for Westerners specifically trying to adapt to Eastern culture and belief systems

[Jaime Gacitua · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best reading experiences I’ve had in a long time.

New nuggets of knowledge and wisdom until the last page.
I think I highlighted half of the book.

[Yi-Ting · Rating 4 out of 5]

許多人對靈性感到嚮往，但不確定怎麼追求，或者不確定以甚麼方式面對世俗世界，相信本書能引發你內心的共鳴，並且從中得到啟發，因為，作者真誠地記錄了自己心靈提升的旅程，分享大家(包含他自己)多多少少走過的彎路，以及當時他的心理狀態和省思。

另外，作者本身是密宗信徒，但他把密宗的理念跟當代流行的榮格心理學做連結，讓讀者了解到真正的信仰其實跟當代心理學並不遙遠，當然，也有所謂掛羊頭賣狗肉的惡質宗教，如果不幸遇到，讀者也需要辨別出來，不受到它們傷害。

不過本書並非完美，許多章節充滿難懂的密宗詞彙，文句上也冗長不好讀，不適合非密宗信徒閱讀。建議讀者完整閱讀前1/4，後3/4根據自身興趣選讀特定章節，如果讀不太下去，不訪跳到下一個有興趣的章節，不會有太大損失。

[Alexandra Mergen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book at Green Gulch Farm, a Zen retreat center, and read it in one sitting amid the redwoods in my quiet, rented room there. The book is dense; I found myself making notes from most pages, and it was helpful to be able to take it all in then walk toward the ocean and breathe salt air. Preece combines his experience with Buddhism and psychotherapy to outline processes a person might go through along the path to figuring out big questions like who am I? why am I here? how do I reconcile suffering and joy? how can I be of service? This book is extremely helpful for any Westerner drawn to Buddhism; Preece uses language familiar from Jungian theory and the much-beloved Joseph Campbell to explain how individuality differs from individuation and how one can confine and isolate, and the other can free.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this book because I had been looking for something that addressed spiritual growth and personal development from a western context. Although I do not practice Buddhism, or undergone Jungian analysis, I am familiar with the concepts in both traditions. This book might have been a difficult read if I had been completely unfamiliar with one or both. Even so, Preece is a great writer and explains his ideas very well. My only complaint is that I found the end of the book a bit tedious, with many short little chapters that were somewhat redundant. The last 75 pages, give or take, needed more editing/re-organization. But many books suffer from this malady.

[Frank Jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two parts of this book, along with several chapters from Part Three, are excellent! Preece offers a helpful and rich integration of Jungian psychoanalysis and buddhist theory. It's when he gets into some overly woo Tibetan ideas (specifically about reincarnation) that he falls off the deep end. Still, I'd recommend this book for its insights into how working with archetypes and the 'heroes journey' can be a skillful means towards liberation.