Selfless Persons

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521397261
Total Pages : 344 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (972 download)

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Book Synopsis Selfless Persons by : Steven Collins

Download or read book Selfless Persons written by Steven Collins and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1982 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book seeks to explain carefully and sympathetically the Buddhist doctrine of anatta ('not-self'), which denies the existence of any self, soul or enduring essence in human beings. The author relates this doctrine to its cultural and historical context, particularly to its Brahmanical background, and shows how the Theravada Buddhist tradition has constructed a philosophical and psychological account of personal identity and continuity on the apparently impossible basis of the denial of self.

Me the People

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Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 067960412X
Total Pages : 354 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (796 download)

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Book Synopsis Me the People by : Kevin Bleyer

Download or read book Me the People written by Kevin Bleyer and published by Random House. This book was released on 2012-05-29 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States Constitution promised a More Perfect Union. It’s a shame no one bothered to write a more perfect Constitution—one that didn’t trigger more than two centuries of arguments about what the darn thing actually says. Until now. Perfection is at hand. A new, improved Constitution is here. And you are holding it. But first, some historical context: In the eighteenth century, a lawyer named James Madison gathered his friends in Philadelphia and, over four long months, wrote four short pages: the Constitution of the United States of America. Not bad. In the nineteenth century, a president named Abraham Lincoln freed an entire people from the flaws in that Constitution by signing the Emancipation Proclamation. Pretty impressive. And in the twentieth century, a doctor at the Bethesda Naval Hospital delivered a baby—but not just any baby. Because in the twenty-first century, that baby would become a man, that man would become a patriot, and that patriot would rescue a country . . . by single-handedly rewriting that Constitution. Why? We think of our Constitution as the painstakingly designed blueprint drawn up by, in Thomas Jefferson’s words, an “assembly of demigods” who laid the foundation for the sturdiest republic ever created. The truth is, it was no blueprint at all but an Etch A Sketch, a haphazard series of blunders, shaken clean and redrawn countless times during a summer of petty debates, drunken ramblings, and desperate compromise—as much the product of an “assembly of demigods” as a confederacy of dunces. No wonder George Washington wished it “had been made more perfect.” No wonder Benjamin Franklin stomached it only “with all its faults.” The Constitution they wrote is a hot mess. For starters, it doesn’t mention slavery, or democracy, or even Facebook; it plays favorites among the states; it has typos, smudges, and misspellings; and its Preamble, its most famous passage, was written by a man with a peg leg. Which, if you think about it, gives our Constitution hardly a leg to stand on. [Pause for laughter.] Now stop laughing. Because you hold in your hands no mere book, but the most important document of our time. Its creator, Daily Show writer Kevin Bleyer, paid every price, bore every burden, and saved every receipt in his quest to assure the salvation of our nation’s founding charter. He flew to Greece, the birthplace of democracy. He bused to Philly, the home of independence. He went toe-to-toe (face-to-face) with Scalia. He added nightly confabs with James Madison to his daily consultations with Jon Stewart. He tracked down not one but two John Hancocks—to make his version twice as official. He even read the Constitution of the United States. So prepare yourselves, fellow patriots, for the most significant literary event of the twenty-first, twentieth, nineteenth, and latter part of the eighteenth centuries. Me the People won’t just form a More Perfect Union. It will save America. Praise for Me the People “I would rather read a constitution written by Kevin Bleyer than by the sharpest minds in the country.”—Jon Stewart “Bleyer takes a red pencil to democracy’s most hallowed laundry list. . . . Uproarious and fascinating.”—Reader’s Digest “I knew James Madison. James Madison was a friend of mine. Mr. Bleyer, you are no James Madison. But you sure are a heck of a lot more fun.”—Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Team of Rivals

Selfless Persons

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 323 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (783 download)

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Book Synopsis Selfless Persons by : Steven Collins

Download or read book Selfless Persons written by Steven Collins and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Selfless Insight

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Author :
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262260360
Total Pages : 371 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (622 download)

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Book Synopsis Selfless Insight by : James H. Austin

Download or read book Selfless Insight written by James H. Austin and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2011-09-30 with total page 371 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Attention, self-consciousness, insight, wisdom, emotional maturity: how Zen teachings can illuminate the way our brains function and vice-versa. When neurology researcher James Austin began Zen training, he found that his medical education was inadequate. During the past three decades, he has been at the cutting edge of both Zen and neuroscience, constantly discovering new examples of how these two large fields each illuminate the other. Now, in Selfless Insight, Austin arrives at a fresh synthesis, one that invokes the latest brain research to explain the basis for meditative states and clarifies what Zen awakening implies for our understanding of consciousness. Austin, author of the widely read Zen and the Brain, reminds us why Zen meditation is not only mindfully attentive but evolves to become increasingly selfless and intuitive. Meditators are gradually learning how to replace over-emotionality with calm, clear objective comprehension. In this new book, Austin discusses how meditation trains our attention, reprogramming it toward subtle forms of awareness that are more openly mindful. He explains how our maladaptive notions of self are rooted in interactive brain functions. And he describes how, after the extraordinary, deep states of kensho-satori strike off the roots of the self, a flash of transforming insight-wisdom leads toward ways of living more harmoniously and selflessly. Selfless Insight is the capstone to Austin's journey both as a creative neuroscientist and as a Zen practitioner. His quest has spanned an era of unprecedented progress in brain research and has helped define the exciting new field of contemplative neuroscience.

Scared Selfless

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0735215359
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (352 download)

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Book Synopsis Scared Selfless by : Michelle Stevens, PhD

Download or read book Scared Selfless written by Michelle Stevens, PhD and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-03-27 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A riveting memoir that takes readers on a roller coaster ride from the depths of hell to triumphant success.”—Dave Pelzer, author of A Child Called “It” Michelle Stevens has a photo of the exact moment her childhood was stolen from her: She’s only eight years old, posing for her mother’s boyfriend, Gary Lundquist—an elementary school teacher, neighborhood stalwart, and brutal pedophile. Later that night, Gary locks Michelle in a cage, tortures her repeatedly, and uses her to quench his voracious and deviant sexual whims. Little does she know that this will become her new reality for the next six years. Michelle can also pinpoint the moment she reconstituted the splintered pieces of her life: She’s in cap and gown, receiving her PhD in psychology—and the university’s award for best dissertation. The distance between these two points is the improbable journey from torture, loss, and mental illness to healing, recovery, and triumph that is Michelle’s powerful memoir, Scared Selfless. Michelle suffered from post‐traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, and made multiple suicide attempts. She also developed multiple personalities. There was “Chelsey,” the rebellious teenager; “Viscous,” a tween with homicidal rage; and “Sarah,” a sweet little girl who brought her teddy bear on a first date. In this harrowing tale, Michelle, who was inspired to help others heal by becoming a psychotherapist, sheds light on the all-too-real threat of child sexual abuse, its subsequent psychological effects, and the best methods for victims to overcome their ordeals and, ultimately, thrive. Scared Selfless is both an examination of the extraordinary feats of the mind that are possible in the face of horrific trauma as well as Michelle’s courageous testament to their power.

The Selfless Mind

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136783296
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (367 download)

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Book Synopsis The Selfless Mind by : Peter Harvey

Download or read book The Selfless Mind written by Peter Harvey and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-09-13 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This careful analysis of early Buddhist thought opens out a perspective in which no permanent Self is accepted, but a rich analysis of changing and potent mental processes is developed. It explores issues relating to the not-Self teaching: self-development, moral responsibility, the between-lives period, and the 'undetermined questions' on the world, on the 'life principle' and on the liberated one after death. It examines the 'person' as a flowing continuity centred on consciousness or discernment (vinnana) configured in changing minds-sets (cittas). The resting state of this is seen as 'brightly shining' - like the 'Buddha nature' of Mahayana thought - so as to represent the potential for Nirvana. Nirvana is then shown to be a state in which consciousness transcends all objects, and thus participates in a timeless, unconditioned realm.

Enough About Me

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Publisher : Zondervan
ISBN 13 : 0310362466
Total Pages : 253 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Enough About Me by : Richard Lui

Download or read book Enough About Me written by Richard Lui and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2021-03-23 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What if your path to a more successful, healthy, and satisfying life is actually not about you? Enough About Me equips you with practical tools to find meaning and compassion in even the smallest of everyday choices. When his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Richard Lui made a tough decision. The award-winning news anchor decided to set aside his growing career to care for his family. At first, this new caregiving lifestyle did not come easily for Lui, and what followed was a seven-year exercise in what it really means to be selfless. Enough About Me also takes a behind-the-scenes look at some of the world's most difficult moments from a journalist's point of view. From survivors of terrorist attacks to victims of racial strife, Lui shares the lessons he learned from those who rose above the fray to be helpful, self-sacrificing, and generous in the face of monumental tragedy and loss. Lui shares practical tips, tools, and mnemonics learned along the way to help shift the way we think and live, including: Selfless decision methods and practices for work, home, relationships, and community Studies and research that show the personal benefits of being selfless The lasting impact of sharing your story Practical, bite-sized ways to be more engaging and inclusive in your day-to-day life How to train our decision-making muscles to choose others over ourselves Choice by choice, step by step, the path to a more satisfying and fulfilling journey is right here in the people around us. Praise for Enough About Me: "Richard Lui underscores the importance of sharing stories to bring people together through selfless acts for the greater good." Beth Kallmyer, Vice President of Care and Support, Alzheimer's Association "Richard is living a life of service. This is a jewel of a book, a celebration of the best of the human spirit and of the good that emerges from sacrifice. Richard Lui is a beacon of light in these dark times." José Díaz-Balart, Anchor, NBC Nightly News Saturday; Anchor, Noticias Telemundo

The Selfless Act of Breathing

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Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1982175583
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (821 download)

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Book Synopsis The Selfless Act of Breathing by : JJ Bola

Download or read book The Selfless Act of Breathing written by JJ Bola and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-02-15 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Black teacher searches for himself across the United States in this “emotive, brave” (Daily Mail, London) story for all of us who have fantasized about escaping our daily lives and starting over. Michael Kabongo is a British Congolese teacher living in London and living the dream: he’s beloved by his students, popular with his coworkers, and adored by his proud mother who emigrated from the Congo to the UK in search of a better life. But when he suffers a devastating loss, his life is thrown into a tailspin. As he struggles to find a way forward, memories of his fathers’ violent death, the weight of refugeehood, and an increasing sense of dread threaten everything he’s worked so hard to achieve. Longing to start over, Michael decides to spontaneously pack up and go to America, the mythical “land of the free,” where he imagines everything will be better and easier. On this transformative journey, Michael travels everywhere from New York City to San Francisco, partying with new friends, sparking fleeting romances, and splurging on big adventures, with the intention of living the life of his dreams until the money in his bank account runs out. “Narrated with haunting lyricism, The Selfless Act of Breathing is an intimate journey through the darkest of human impulses to the gleaming flickers of love and radical hope” (Susan Abulhawa, author of Against the Loveless World).

Your Life Isn't for You

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Publisher : National Geographic Books
ISBN 13 : 1626560951
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (265 download)

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Book Synopsis Your Life Isn't for You by : Seth Adam Smith

Download or read book Your Life Isn't for You written by Seth Adam Smith and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2014-09-22 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Give Your Life to Live Your Life In this book, Seth Adam Smith expands on the philosophy behind his extraordinarily popular blog post “Marriage Isn’t for You”—which received over 30 million hits and has been translated into over twenty languages—and shares how living for others can enrich every aspect of your life, just as it has his. With a mix of humor, candor, and compassion, he reveals how, years before his marriage, his self-obsession led to a downward spiral of addiction and depression, culminating in a suicide attempt at the age of twenty. Reflecting on the love and support he experienced in the aftermath, as well as on the lessons he learned from a difficult missionary stint in Russia, his time as a youth leader in the Arizona desert, his marriage, and even a story his father read to him as a child, he shares his deep conviction that the only way you can find your life is to give it away to others. Your Life Isn’t For You was recently named the Gold Medalist for Inspirational Memoir in the 2015 Living Now Book Awards!

How to Raise Selfless Kids in a Self-Centered World

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Author :
Publisher : Thomas Nelson
ISBN 13 : 1400321395
Total Pages : 161 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (3 download)

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Book Synopsis How to Raise Selfless Kids in a Self-Centered World by : Dave Stone

Download or read book How to Raise Selfless Kids in a Self-Centered World written by Dave Stone and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2013-04-08 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dave Stone shares creative ideas, real-life stories, and scriptural guidance about how to be a family that puts others first. In this third book from the Faithful Families series, How to Raise Selfless Kids in a Self-Centered World, Dave Stone continues to share his practical, conversational, and humorous approach to the challenges of building a strong spiritual foundation for the family. He equips parents with what they need to raise kids whose focus is not always on themselves. Some topics include: Becoming Others Focused, Service, Generosity, Forgiveness, and much more. Preaching is his gift, but Pastor Dave Stone’s family is his life’s blessing. And after raising three kids of his own, as well as shepherding the diverse families of his twenty-thousand-member congregation, his heart and passion for building strong families rings louder than ever. He knows that raising faithful families is a vital key to continued growth of the church.

What Makes a Hero?

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Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101622644
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis What Makes a Hero? by : Elizabeth Svoboda

Download or read book What Makes a Hero? written by Elizabeth Svoboda and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-08-29 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An entertaining investigation into the biology and psychology of why we sacrifice for other people Researchers are now applying the lens of science to study heroism for the first time. How do biology, upbringing, and outside influences intersect to produce altruistic and heroic behavior? And how can we encourage this behavior in corporations, classrooms, and individuals? Using dozens of fascinating real-life examples, Elizabeth Svoboda explains how our genes compel us to do good for others, how going through suffering is linked to altruism, and how acting heroic can greatly improve your mental health. She also reveals the concrete things we can do to encourage our most heroic selves to step forward. It’s a common misconception that heroes are heroic just because they’re innately predisposed to be that way. Svoboda shows why it’s not simply a matter of biological hardwiring and how anyone can be a hero if they're committed to developing their heroic potential.

Losing Ourselves

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Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691220573
Total Pages : 224 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (912 download)

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Book Synopsis Losing Ourselves by : Jay L. Garfield

Download or read book Losing Ourselves written by Jay L. Garfield and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2023-11-14 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why you don’t have a self—and why that’s a good thing In Losing Ourselves, Jay Garfield, a leading expert on Buddhist philosophy, offers a brief and radically clear account of an idea that at first might seem frightening but that promises to liberate us and improve our lives, our relationships, and the world. Drawing on Indian and East Asian Buddhism, Daoism, Western philosophy, and cognitive neuroscience, Garfield shows why it is perfectly natural to think you have a self—and why it actually makes no sense at all and is even dangerous. Most importantly, he explains why shedding the illusion that you have a self can make you a better person. Examining a wide range of arguments for and against the existence of the self, Losing Ourselves makes the case that there are not only good philosophical and scientific reasons to deny the reality of the self, but that we can lead healthier social and moral lives if we understand that we are selfless persons. The book describes why the Buddhist idea of no-self is so powerful and why it has immense practical benefits, helping us to abandon egoism, act more morally and ethically, be more spontaneous, perform more expertly, and navigate ordinary life more skillfully. Getting over the self-illusion also means escaping the isolation of self-identity and becoming a person who participates with others in the shared enterprise of life. The result is a transformative book about why we have nothing to lose—and everything to gain—by losing our selves.

How to Find Selfless Joy in a Me-First World

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Author :
Publisher : WaterBrook
ISBN 13 : 1578563984
Total Pages : 226 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (785 download)

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Book Synopsis How to Find Selfless Joy in a Me-First World by : Leslie Vernick

Download or read book How to Find Selfless Joy in a Me-First World written by Leslie Vernick and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2003-09-16 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do You Need Greater Self-Esteem–Or Something Else Entirely? Western culture increasingly emphasizes the importance of self-love and self-esteem. Many of us believe we must “find” ourselves–and feel good about what we see–before we can experience significant spiritual growth. Focusing so much on ourselves, however, distracts us from pursuing the only source of true fulfillment. Do we, as God’s people, really need to love ourselves more? Or is there a wiser, biblical path that can lead us to joy that is not self-centered and fleeting, but God-focused and lasting? Challenging the current fascination with self esteem, Leslie Vernick answers these questions and others that trip up Christians today. Offering surprising insights and practical helps that can make a real difference in your life, she shows how you can experience greater personal, relational, and spiritual growth while humbly adoring and glorifying your God.

Nirvana

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 0521881986
Total Pages : 205 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (218 download)

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Book Synopsis Nirvana by : Steven Collins

Download or read book Nirvana written by Steven Collins and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2010-03-25 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An introduction to the Buddhist concept of nirvana, offering its own interpretations of key texts and translations for non-specialist readers.

From #Selfie to Selfless

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Publisher : Deep River Books LLC
ISBN 13 : 9781632694546
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (945 download)

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Book Synopsis From #Selfie to Selfless by : Kristen Perino

Download or read book From #Selfie to Selfless written by Kristen Perino and published by Deep River Books LLC. This book was released on 2018-01-18 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Living in a world where "selfies" are glorified, personal opinions are amplified, and society is unashamedly selfish, where do we find purpose? From #Selfie to Selfless takes an authentic, personal look at areas where we can shift our gaze from inward to upward, resulting in a more fulfilled, purpose-driven life.

Buddhism, Cognitive Science, and the Doctrine of Selflessness

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Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1000656195
Total Pages : 243 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis Buddhism, Cognitive Science, and the Doctrine of Selflessness by : Hugh Nicholson

Download or read book Buddhism, Cognitive Science, and the Doctrine of Selflessness written by Hugh Nicholson and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-09-30 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the relationship between Buddhist philosophy and scientific psychology by focusing on the doctrine of No-self. The hypothesis is that No-self can function as an instrument of counter-induction, that is, an alternative conceptual scheme that exposes by contrast the intuitive or "folk" theoretical presuppositions sedimented in our perception of ourselves and others. When incorporated into regimens of meditative and ritual practice, the No-self doctrine works to challenge and disrupt our naïve folk psychology. The author argues that there is a fruitful parallel between the No-self doctrine and anti-Cartesian trends in the cognitive sciences. The No-self doctrine was the product of philosophical speculation undertaken in the context of hegemonic struggles with both Buddhist and non-Buddhist rivals, and the classic No-self doctrine, accordingly, is a somewhat schematic and largely accidental anticipation of the current scientific understanding of the mind and consciousness. Nevertheless, inasmuch as it challenges and unsettles the seemingly self-evident certitudes of folk psychology, it prepares the ground for the revolution in our self-conception promised by the emerging cognitive scientific concept of mind. A novel contribution to the study of Buddhist Philosophy, the book will also be of interest to scholars of Buddhist Studies and Asian Religions.

The Bodhisattva's Brain

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Author :
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262525208
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (625 download)

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Book Synopsis The Bodhisattva's Brain by : Owen Flanagan

Download or read book The Bodhisattva's Brain written by Owen Flanagan and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2013-09-13 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fascinating introduction to the intersection between religion, neuroscience, and moral philosophy asks: Can there be a Buddhism without karma, nirvana, and reincarnation that is compatible with the rest of knowledge? If we are material beings living in a material world—and all the scientific evidence suggests that we are—then we must find existential meaning, if there is such a thing, in this physical world. We must cast our lot with the natural rather than the supernatural. Many Westerners with spiritual (but not religious) inclinations are attracted to Buddhism—almost as a kind of moral-mental hygiene. But, as Owen Flanagan points out in The Bodhisattva's Brain, Buddhism is hardly naturalistic. In The Bodhisattva's Brain, Flanagan argues that it is possible to discover in Buddhism a rich, empirically responsible philosophy that could point us to one path of human flourishing. Some claim that neuroscience is in the process of validating Buddhism empirically, but Flanagan'’ naturalized Buddhism does not reduce itself to a brain scan showing happiness patterns. “Buddhism naturalized,” as Flanagan constructs it, offers instead a fully naturalistic and comprehensive philosophy, compatible with the rest of knowledge—a way of conceiving of the human predicament, of thinking about meaning for finite material beings living in a material world.