In Search of Wisdom: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on What Matters Most
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

"1126652512"
In Search of Wisdom: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on What Matters Most
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

18.95 In Stock
In Search of Wisdom: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on What Matters Most

In Search of Wisdom: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on What Matters Most

In Search of Wisdom: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on What Matters Most

In Search of Wisdom: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on What Matters Most

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Overview

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


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781683640240
Publisher: Sounds True, Incorporated
Publication date: 06/19/2018
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 545,896
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Matthieu Ricard
Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk and has authored several books, including The Monk and the Philosopher and The Quantum and the Lotus. He is a major participant in the research collaboration between cognitive scientists and Buddhist practitioners, spearheaded by the Dalai Lama and the Mind and Life Institute. Ricard is a noted translator and photographer, and initiates and oversees humanitarian projects in India, Tibet, and Nepal. For more information, visit shechen.org.


Christophe André
Christophe André is a psychiatrist specializing in the psychology of emotions. His books include Looking at Mindfulness and Feelings and Moods.


Alexandre Jollien
Alexandre Jollien is a philosopher and writer who spent 17 years in a home for the physically disabled. His books include In Praise of Weakness.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction 1

Our Motivation for This Book

Our Paths

1 What Are Our Deepest Aspirations? 21

What Motivates Us

The Path and the Goal

What Inspires Us

2 The Ego, Friend or Impostor? 39

The Diseases of Ego

Genuine Self-Confidence

The I, the Person, and the Ego

Forgetting the Self-the Silence of Ego

Shower of Gratitude

Our Advice for Working with Ego

3 Learning to Live with Our Emotions 59

The Afflictive Emotions

When Modern Psychology and Buddhism Come Together

The Role of Emotions

The Importance of States of Mind

Is It Possible to Liberate Ourselves from Negative Emotions?

Is There Such a Thing as Addiction to Painful Emotions?

The Myth of Emotional Apathy

How to Cultivate Benevolence

Happiness and Joy

Our Advice for the Good Use of the Emotions

4 The Art of Listening 93

The Characteristics of True Listening

What Exactly Does Listening Without Judging Mean?

The Face of Listening

Parasites on Listening

Daring to Be Silent

Being There, Present

Our Advice about Listening

5 The Body: Burden or Idol? 115

Inhabiting the Body

The Body Made Me a Doctor

The Body in Buddhism

The Body and Meditation

The Body-Mind Connection

Out Advice for Working with Your Body

6 The Origins of Suffering 131

The Cartography of Suffering

Self-Inflicted Suffering

Analyzing Unhappiness: The Causes of Suffering

The Looks of Others Can Kill or Cure

Can We Get Away from Unhappiness?

The Remedies for Suffering and Some Pitfalls

Acceptance Is Not Resignation

The Practice of Acceptance in Everyday Life

Persevering After Suffering

Our Advice for Times of Trial

7 Consistency: A Question of Fidelity 175

High-Fidelity People

Should We Play a Role in the Social Theater or Tell the Whole Truth?

The Ravages of Intolerance

Embodying an Ethic

Our Advice on Consistency

8 Altruism: Everybody Wins 187

The Joy of Altruism

Where Does Concern for Others Come From?

Altruism, Empathy, Compassion

Extending Our Capacity for Compassion

True Altruism

Altruism Without Labels

How to Be Compassionate Toward Difficult People

The Courage of Altruism and Nonviolence

Fatigue, Helplessness, Discouragement

Practicing Compassion

Compassion Toward Oneself

Our Advice for a More Altruistic Life

9 The School of Simplicity 233

The Diogenes Syndrome

Detachment and Opening to Others

Being Content with Simplicity

The Freedom of Nonattachment

Lightening Up That Pacifies

Stripping Away in Daily Life

Teaching Simplicity to Children

Our Advice for Traveling Light

10 Guilt and Forgiveness 257

An End to Guilt

Intimate and Painful Feelings

Regrets-the Replay Button

What It Means to Forgive

Small Pardons

Our Advice on Daring to Forgive

11 True Freedom: What Can I Liberate Myself From? 277

Urgency Without Haste

Disobeying a Frivolous Ego

Liberating Ourselves from What Ruins Our Daily Lives, or the CCL File

Freedom Inseparable from Responsibility

The Propet Exercise of Freedom

The Ultimate Freedom: Liberating Oneself from the Causes of Suffering

Compassion as a Compass

Out Advice for Exercising Freedom in Everyday Situations

12 Our Daily Practice 295

Turning Daily Life into a Practice Ground

Obstacles to Practice

What I Find Helpful

A Typical Day

Looking at the Big Picture

Listening, Studying, and Assimilating Through Practice

The Infinite Transforming Power of Mind

My Personal Practice

Advice for a Daily Practice

Epilogue 315

A Final Aspiration

Acknowledgments: Three Authors and Some Inspiring Friends 317

Notes 319

About the Authors 321

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