Product Description

When things go wrong in our life and we encounter difficult situations, we tend to regard the situation itself as our problem, but in reality whatever problems we experience come from the side of the mind. If we responded to difficult situations with a positive or peaceful mind they would not be problems for us. Eventually, we might even regard them as challenges or opportunities for growth and development. Problems arise only if we respond to difficulties with a negative state of mind. Therefore if we want to be free from problems, we must transform our mind.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #514414 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 172 pages

From Publishers Weekly
"All our problems... come from our delusions of attachment," writes Gyatso, a Tibetan-born teacher of Buddhism, and "Buddha's teachings are the supreme... method to solve human problems." Gyatso puts this thesis to the test by first offering very brief, general outlines of each of the Four Noble Truths. He spends the bulk of the book examining a particular delusion—anger—in chapters that more or less correspond to those Noble Truths. He begins by pointing out the many problems anger can cause, then investigates why we get angry. Gyatso then sets forth "patient acceptance" as a method of liberating one's mind from anger, and offers specific strategies for nurturing patient acceptance. He rounds out the book with several appendixes addressing topics such as reincarnation and meditation. Gyatso's discussions have mixed effectiveness. At times his insights are penetrating and his illustrations compelling, as when he explains that patient acceptance—far from being passive—requires strength and courage to resist "well-worn mental grooves of intolerance," but at other times he makes assertions with little or no explanation. Moreover, he fails to extrapolate lessons from his anger case study to address other human problems. Fans of Gyatso will find the book helpful, but others may feel he does not deliver on the book's ambitious title.
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From Booklist
"There is no less suffering in the world today," writes Buddhist teacher Geshe Kelsang Gyatso in this clarifying and genuinely instructive primer on the foundation of Buddhism, in spite of how technology has changed the material world. In fact, new technologies have caused dire new global problems, compounding the already demanding challenges inherent in the attempt to live a morally disciplined life. The author of nearly 20 books based on Kadampa Buddhism, a school founded by the Indian Buddhist master Atisha (982-1054 C.E.), Geshe Kelsang Gyatso illuminates the very heart of Buddhist thought and practice by offering exceptionally clear explanations of why individuals should seek to develop their "capacity of mind," and how the law of karma makes every action relevant not only to an individual's life but also to the very future of humankind. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso has a unique gift for simultaneously addressing everyday difficulties--particularly in his useful and inspiring elucidation of how to control anger and practice patience--and bringing into focus the spiritual dimension in which they reverberate. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"A profound illumination of our human experience and our potential for deep inner freedom." Arturo Sanchez, Professor, Columbia University "This insightful book offers peace of mind in these troubled times. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking happiness or greater meaning in their lives." Thomas Mitchell, Professor and author, Indiana University

Customer Reviews

Wisdom that improves your daily life.
I read this book over one of my summer reprieves. I must say in all honesty, this was a much better investment of my time than The Da Vinci Code.

This book penetrates and exposes the subtle processes in your mind that lead you to suffering over and over. Geshe Kelsang brings Buddhist teachings into our lives for their very intended purpose: easing our suffering and pointing us to the path of liberation. If you believe Buddhist teachings are simply of an intellectual or mystical nature, this book will show you that they are intended to be applied to your everyday life. This is the only way in which they are of any benefit, and Geshe Kelsang expresses this point perfectly.

Awesome.

If you have problems with anger, this is the book for you
The book is really divided into two sections, one which illustrates the central points of Buddha's teachings, highlighting that the source of all human suffering is really all in our minds. That it is our perspective on a person or event or thing, the 'broken car', the 'enemy' at work, that often stops us from being happy.

The second part of the book contains advice on anger, and how to cultivate patience. The central argument he puts forward is that anger is a destructive mind, which causes pain to ourselves and to others. And that in the grip of anger, people behave in the most unskillful and even dangerous ways. In the West we feel anger is a good thing, active, 'getting things out in the open' as it were, instead of 'repressing.' what it most often does, however, is makes the whole situation worse, because we are letting our often deluded mind, clouded by anger and disappointment, call the shots. Think of Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers-his constant anger drove people away, and only made his daily life more and more complicated! I kept thinking of the scene where he gets so angry at his car he says, "right, i'll show you," and begins to beat it with a huge tree branch while he tells it all the things that he has always hated about it.

We may not use the tree branch with our loved ones, but verbal lashing out can be even more damaging-we can easily get a new car, but a new friend, partner, child?

As Geshe Kelsang Gyatso says, a patient mind is able to step back from the situation to see how best to deal with it without flying off the handle and causing one to do or say something they will definitely regret. Arguments with loved ones, for example, are supposed to restore harmony and peace, but how often do they really? A whole chapter on reasons not to retaliate is super as well.

This is a very basic book for people interested in learning more about Buddhism, but the ideas for managing anger and cultivating patience in order to keep control of even the most difficult situations is one which any reader can benefit from.

BUDDHA'S TEACHINGS ON THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS ARE CLEAR, COMPELLING, AND COMPASSIONATE.
The instructions Geshe Kelsang Gyatso explains in his book "How to Solve your Human Problems" are very insightful and applicable to people in the Western world living busy lives. Geshe Kelsang explains how happiness and suffering are states of mind. Because this is true, if we learn how to control our minds, then we can learn how to experience deep happiness and inner peace even in the face of very difficult circumstances. This is the first book I have ever seen that distills down the teachings of Buddha to their very essence and explains them in a way that is easily understandable for both a beginner embarking on their spiritual journey, and the advanced meditator who has years of experience under their belt. I recommend this book to anyone who has a genuine interest in improving their lives and being of benefit to others.