In Search of Wisdom
A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on What Matters Most
-
- $189.00
-
- $189.00
Descripción editorial
In Search of Wisdom is a book born of the friendship of three gifted teachers, exploring the universal human journey and our quest for meaning and understanding. This translation of the French bestseller brings readers an intimate, insightful, and wide-ranging conversation between Buddhist monk and author Matthieu Ricard, philosopher Alexandre Jollien, and psychiatrist Christophe André.
Join these three luminaries as they share their views on how we uncover our deepest aspirations in life, the nature of the ego, living with the full range of human emotion, the art of listening, the temple of the body, the origin of suffering, the joy of altruism, true freedom, and much more.
“We don't pretend to be experts on the subject matter or models in accomplishing the work or overcoming the obstacles involved in it,” they write. “We are only travelers in search of wisdom, aware that the path is long and arduous, and that we have so much still to discover, to clarify, and to assimilate through practice . . . Our dearest wish is that when you cast your eyes on these pages, you will discover subjects for reflection to inspire you and brighten the light of your life.”
In Search of Wisdom Highlights
• Discovering our deepest aspirations
• The ego: friend or impostor?
• Learning to live with the full spectrum of our emotions
• The art of listening
• The body: burden or idol?
• Suffering and its origins
• The joy of altruism
• The school of simplicity
• Guilt and forgiveness
• True freedom
• Daily practice
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this wide-ranging series of enlightening conversations, three prominent thinkers share what they have learned about facing suffering, achieving happiness, helping others, and following their "deepest aspirations." French-born Ricard (Altruism) gave up a career in molecular genetics to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk and is commonly referred to as the happiest man in the world; French psychiatrist Andr (Happiness) brings mindfulness approaches to his work; and Jollien (In Praise of Weakness), a Christian and student of Zen, is a Swiss philosopher whose thought has been shaped by his cerebral palsy. Despite varied life experiences and interests, the three have far more commonalities than differences. ("Every moment of life can become the occasion for liberation because we are not born free, we become free.") Much of their discussion is grounded in key ideas from positive psychology ("Positive emotions revive our openness and renew our ability to relate with others") mindfulness, and Buddhism ("Ignorance is a kind of addiction of which we endlessly create the causes"). Using examples from their daily lives, the participants bring clarity and subtlety to bear on familiar topics such as compassion, gratitude, and nonviolence; roaming freely, they also investigate timely subjects such as listening without judgment, living according to one's ideals, and responsibly exercising freedom of thought, speech, and action. Each chapter concludes with brief advice from the three on the topic at hand. The conversations in this sprawling feast of ideas offer a model of engaged dialogue based on mutual regard.
