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An illuminating perspective on the science of meditation—and a handbook for transforming our minds, bodies, and lives
In The Joy of Living, world-renowned Buddhist teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche—the “happiest man in the world”—invites us to join him in unlocking the secrets to finding joy and contentment in the everyday. Using the basic meditation practices he provides, we can discover paths through our problems, transforming obstacles into opportunities to recognize the unlimited potential of our own minds.
The Mind – East meets West We often hear and talk about the different way of thinking – Eastern or Western and left brain vs right brain. But rarely do we see a work that brings it all together in easy to understand language. The Joy of Living really does a great job of explaining how the mind works and how to make the mind work for you and what you want. “The mind is the source of all expereince, and by changing the direction of the mind, we can change the quality of everything we experience. When you transform your mind, everything you experience is transformed.”The book is divided into three parts. Part one is “The Ground”. To trully understand the benefits of meditation, you need to understand how the mind works and what we need to do to make it work for us. Here Yongey goes into great detail to explain the different parts of the brain and their function. He also enlightens the reader with the movement of scientific research concerning the mind and how the Eastern and Western thoughs are moving toward the same goal.Part two is The Path. Here Yongey gives detailed instructions on the various methods of meditating. His explanations are very easy to understand and follow. Unlike many books I have read on meditation, he tries to make it simple and workable. He is not so much concerned with technique as he is with results.Part three is The Fruits. This is simply a recap of the benefits to be gained from meditation.Even if you never plan to do any formal meditation, there is a lot to be learned from this book. Basically we grow up thinking in dualistic terms – that is self vs others, mine vs theirs, having or not having. When we think this way, we are bound by limitations. This way of thinking is a habit and habits can be changed.There are basically two concepts that cause the majority of our problems – attachment and aversion. We become attached to the way we want things to be and have an aversion to change. The lessons about reality and preception are extremely good.Do not expect to read this book once and become enlightened. There are many concepts that will take time to sink in and become part of your way of thinking. It is a book that will need to be studied and the concepts put into practice to give you the ultimate – The Joy of Living.
Meditation clarified and simplified I have been a meditator since 1980. Many people ask me how to meditate or they tell me of their problems when they have “tried” to meditate (too many thoughts, too fidgety, couldn’t concentrate, etc.). Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche has clarified it so well that from now on I’m simply going to recommend this book, The Joy of Living, to anyone wishing to learn how to meditate. I facilitate TheHappinessWorkshop (dot com) and teach Meditation 101 for beginners. I learned many new practical things from him in this excellent, clearly articulate and easy to understand book. I HIGHLY recommend it.