The Book
Buddhism can sometimes come across as abstract and philosophical, but it has a strongly practical side too – and that’s what this book is all about. It focuses on four areas in particular:
– The analysis of personality types, both in Buddhism and traditional Chinese medicine, showing how this can enhance self-awareness and personal development.
– How “karma”, or the law of cause-and-effect applied on a personal scale, functions in an entirely non-mystical, non-supernatural way within the flow of human thoughts and emotions.
– How meditation techniques are used in different schools of Buddhism to calm the mind and provide insight into its inner workings.
– A “demystification” of Zen Buddhism, showing how its seeming illogicality and iconoclasm actually serve a serious practical purpose in developing the human mind.
My Thoughts
Andrew is probably best known for his science books, but has also written on a wide range of subjects, from the mysterious to the historical, so it comes as no surprise to find this little gem about Buddhism among his latest work.
Buddhism is something which has fascinated me for a long time, but I sadly don’t know as much about it as I would like, so I came to this book with eager interest and I wasn’t disappointed.
I found this book to be a fascinating introduction to the practical aspects of Buddhism. As is always the case with Andrew’s books the topic was discussed in an approachable and accessible way, clearly laid out, and themes that might have at first seemed complex were explained in a way that made them easy to understand. I was left feeling that I’d been given a really solid introduction to a subject that was quite new to me and have come away with a far better understanding of Buddhism in general. I certainly feel inspired to read more on this topic.
Many thanks for the great review Kate!
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