Reads: Dear Patrick, Life is Tough - Here's Some Good Advice
Here's some good advice from a Jew who practise Buddhist meditation, who is also a psychiatrist, and a fatherly figure who'd 'been there, done that'.
Jeffrey M. Schwartz wrote to Patrick Buckley, a young man of 16, in a series of letters in hope to give the young man some philosophical guidance. Schwartz adopted many teachings from the Buddha, which he began by identifying the ten greatest 'killers' (equivalent to the Bible's reference to the Seven Deadly Sins). The ten killers, Mara, are as follows:
1. Sensual desire
2. Boredom and dissatisfaction
3. Hunger and thirst
4. Craving
5. Sloth and torpor
6. Cowardice and fearfulness
7. Excessive doubt and uncertainty
8. Hypocrysy and stubborness
9. Ill-won gain, honour, fame
10. Praising oneself and denigrating others.
In the collection of letters, Schwartz emphasized on mindfulness and approached the matter from the viewpoints of anatomical medicine, religious comparison (Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity), and philosophy, even economics - so dynamically written to provide a harmonious understanding.
I reckon that this book is most suitable for those who are in their teens, or even young adults seeking answers to life's puzzling question. People who had read this will say 'Jeffrey was talking to me'... and I can assure you a fruitful and liberating read.
The ISBN of this book is 0-06-098743-X, costs some RM 50.
Till then, may you be well, and have an pleasant discovery.
Dan Xia
Jeffrey M. Schwartz wrote to Patrick Buckley, a young man of 16, in a series of letters in hope to give the young man some philosophical guidance. Schwartz adopted many teachings from the Buddha, which he began by identifying the ten greatest 'killers' (equivalent to the Bible's reference to the Seven Deadly Sins). The ten killers, Mara, are as follows:
1. Sensual desire
2. Boredom and dissatisfaction
3. Hunger and thirst
4. Craving
5. Sloth and torpor
6. Cowardice and fearfulness
7. Excessive doubt and uncertainty
8. Hypocrysy and stubborness
9. Ill-won gain, honour, fame
10. Praising oneself and denigrating others.
In the collection of letters, Schwartz emphasized on mindfulness and approached the matter from the viewpoints of anatomical medicine, religious comparison (Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity), and philosophy, even economics - so dynamically written to provide a harmonious understanding.
I reckon that this book is most suitable for those who are in their teens, or even young adults seeking answers to life's puzzling question. People who had read this will say 'Jeffrey was talking to me'... and I can assure you a fruitful and liberating read.
The ISBN of this book is 0-06-098743-X, costs some RM 50.
Till then, may you be well, and have an pleasant discovery.
Dan Xia
2 comments:
This book is so good that, at my blog, I have it on my list of "Great Books". I think even those of us a bit older than young adult can benefit from its messages. Definitely a lttle-known treasure!
Hi DanXia thanks for the review.. can you label it 'Book Review', so that in future easier to trace back your wonder post.
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