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Freedom for All of Us: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on Finding Inner Peace
Three luminary teachers unfold a compelling series of dialogues on inner freedom―what it is and how to cultivate it in ourselves and others.
“We are, nearly all of us,” writes Matthieu Ricard, “the playthings of our whims, our conditioning, our impulses, our inner conflicts, our wandering thoughts, and our afflictive emotions. This servitude of ours is at the root of much that torments us. How do we free ourselves from the prison of these mental mechanisms, in the face of which we often feel helpless, even resigned?”
With their acclaimed book In Search of Wisdom , these three gifted friends―a monk, a philosopher, and a psychiatrist―shed light on our universal quest for meaning, purpose, and understanding. Now, in this new in-depth offering, they invite us to tend to the garden of our true freedom .
Turn by turn, each shares his own unique perspective on the various obstacles to inner freedom, the “ecology” of freedom, the ways to cultivate it, and the harvest that comes out of it. What emerges is a panoramic vision and road map for us to overcome the barriers that hinder our liberation.
“It is our hope,” they write, “that this book will clarify the means for freeing ourselves from the causes of suffering.” Filled with unexpected insights and specific strategies, Freedom for All of Us presents an inspiring guide for breaking free of the unconscious walls that confine us.
“We are, nearly all of us,” writes Matthieu Ricard, “the playthings of our whims, our conditioning, our impulses, our inner conflicts, our wandering thoughts, and our afflictive emotions. This servitude of ours is at the root of much that torments us. How do we free ourselves from the prison of these mental mechanisms, in the face of which we often feel helpless, even resigned?”
With their acclaimed book In Search of Wisdom , these three gifted friends―a monk, a philosopher, and a psychiatrist―shed light on our universal quest for meaning, purpose, and understanding. Now, in this new in-depth offering, they invite us to tend to the garden of our true freedom .
Turn by turn, each shares his own unique perspective on the various obstacles to inner freedom, the “ecology” of freedom, the ways to cultivate it, and the harvest that comes out of it. What emerges is a panoramic vision and road map for us to overcome the barriers that hinder our liberation.
“It is our hope,” they write, “that this book will clarify the means for freeing ourselves from the causes of suffering.” Filled with unexpected insights and specific strategies, Freedom for All of Us presents an inspiring guide for breaking free of the unconscious walls that confine us.
- GenresNonfictionSpirituality
368 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2020
29 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Matthieu Ricard
227 books821 followersMatthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk, trained as a molecular biologist before moving to Nepal to study Buddhism. He is the author of The Monk and the Philosopher (with his father, Jean-François Revel); The Quantum and the Lotus (with Trinh Thuan); Happiness; The Art of Meditation; Altruism: The Power of Compassion; A Plea for the Animals; and Beyond the Self: Conversations between Buddhism and Neuroscience (with Wolf Singer). He has published several books of photography, including Motionless Journey and Tibet: An Inner Journey, and is the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 28, 2021
“Here and now, what can my joyful participation be?”
Wonderful powerful conversations and lessons that gave me so much to reflect on and contemplate. I paused many times while reading this book because of that. Each voice provided wonderful stories, examples and wisdom. The toolbox summaries at the end of each chapter were reasonable, practical and concise.
May these teachings help me to continue to pause, lean in, listening to my inner compass, and discovering my basic goodness.🙏🏻
Wonderful powerful conversations and lessons that gave me so much to reflect on and contemplate. I paused many times while reading this book because of that. Each voice provided wonderful stories, examples and wisdom. The toolbox summaries at the end of each chapter were reasonable, practical and concise.
May these teachings help me to continue to pause, lean in, listening to my inner compass, and discovering my basic goodness.🙏🏻
November 21, 2022
Ah, inner peace! That blessed state of inner freedom and joy. It too can be yours!
This is exactly the kind of book that’s up my alley: a re-printing of dialogues between several men of varying life paths and professions. The topic: Freedom. The pathway? A combination of attention to brain science, Buddhism and philosophical ontologies that overlap and interweave, thereby allowing for an intersectional examination of the interior life. I like it.
Two main themes arise within the book, specifically those of akrasia (“weakness of the will”) and ascesis (self-discipline). Throughout the discussion, each man raises specific attributions (i.e., Spinoza, the Dalai Lama), anecdotes and affirmations, each of which allow for readers to take away varying perspectives as they approach their own examination of the possibility of inner peace. Below are a few pearls of wisdom:
“Freedom doesn’t just come along; it has to be constructed, discovered in the midst of the alienation and illusions that shut us up in our own world, far from reality. In order to benefit from it, we are invited to engage in a process of “liberation,” to start moving forward, to say goodbye to our preconceptions and drop our projections as well as the heap of expectations that have us by the throat.”
“To liberate oneself, it’s always a matter of understanding, exposing the mechanisms in play, and taking action to get out of these prisons by developing healthy habits that can open up a new life to us.”
“We urgently need to leave our parochialism behind and relate to humanity as a whole.”
4 stars. This book delivers exactly what it advertises. Worth a read.
This is exactly the kind of book that’s up my alley: a re-printing of dialogues between several men of varying life paths and professions. The topic: Freedom. The pathway? A combination of attention to brain science, Buddhism and philosophical ontologies that overlap and interweave, thereby allowing for an intersectional examination of the interior life. I like it.
Two main themes arise within the book, specifically those of akrasia (“weakness of the will”) and ascesis (self-discipline). Throughout the discussion, each man raises specific attributions (i.e., Spinoza, the Dalai Lama), anecdotes and affirmations, each of which allow for readers to take away varying perspectives as they approach their own examination of the possibility of inner peace. Below are a few pearls of wisdom:
“Freedom doesn’t just come along; it has to be constructed, discovered in the midst of the alienation and illusions that shut us up in our own world, far from reality. In order to benefit from it, we are invited to engage in a process of “liberation,” to start moving forward, to say goodbye to our preconceptions and drop our projections as well as the heap of expectations that have us by the throat.”
“To liberate oneself, it’s always a matter of understanding, exposing the mechanisms in play, and taking action to get out of these prisons by developing healthy habits that can open up a new life to us.”
“We urgently need to leave our parochialism behind and relate to humanity as a whole.”
4 stars. This book delivers exactly what it advertises. Worth a read.
February 6, 2025
Ascoltato su Audible, perché cercavo qualcosa di Mathieu Ricard (citato in STORIA DELLA FELICITÀ come “uomo più felice al mondo” durante un esame del cervello fatto anni fa e poi invitato a parlare tra i potenti a Davos).
Interessante l’idea di un ritiro tra amici sulle Alpi, per chiacchierare e rilassarsi, senza lavorare. Da quelle registrazioni nasce il libro.
Molto influenzato dal buddismo, ovviamente. Non è mi è piaciuta la parte finale in cui si invoca l’altruismo e si attacca l’egoismo in maniera spinta, arrivando addirittura a chiedere alla gente di preoccuparsi di tutta la gente che sta male nel mondo, anche se è un male infinito.
Ci sta voler sentire compassione per l’umanità, e non solo le persone più vicine a noi, ma si rischia il declino nel socialismo e nell'irresponsabilità individuale (abbiamo bisogno dell'opposto).
Tuttavia, ci sono tanti spunti utili per vivere più in pace. Tanti riferimenti allo stoicismo.
Interessante l’idea di un ritiro tra amici sulle Alpi, per chiacchierare e rilassarsi, senza lavorare. Da quelle registrazioni nasce il libro.
Molto influenzato dal buddismo, ovviamente. Non è mi è piaciuta la parte finale in cui si invoca l’altruismo e si attacca l’egoismo in maniera spinta, arrivando addirittura a chiedere alla gente di preoccuparsi di tutta la gente che sta male nel mondo, anche se è un male infinito.
Ci sta voler sentire compassione per l’umanità, e non solo le persone più vicine a noi, ma si rischia il declino nel socialismo e nell'irresponsabilità individuale (abbiamo bisogno dell'opposto).
Tuttavia, ci sono tanti spunti utili per vivere più in pace. Tanti riferimenti allo stoicismo.
June 2, 2021
The book started promising. Part 1 and 2 resonated with me but I lost interested once the "options" to free our mind were presented. ( part 3.and 4)
The book is commercialized as well, talked about KakaoTalk- It would be more word trustee if a voice note was used instead of a brand name/ad, especially if the intention of the book is to stay on the market longer than " now".
The book contains many good references to authors and philosophers but I could not digest the reference to Anthony de Mello Awareness - self-proclaimed Master of spirituality.
The book is commercialized as well, talked about KakaoTalk- It would be more word trustee if a voice note was used instead of a brand name/ad, especially if the intention of the book is to stay on the market longer than " now".
The book contains many good references to authors and philosophers but I could not digest the reference to Anthony de Mello Awareness - self-proclaimed Master of spirituality.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews