The Lost Art of Compassion
The Lost Art of Compassion

by Lorne Ladner

From the rear cover:

DON'T LEAVE HAPPINESS TO CHANCE

Modern culture has overlooked one of the most powerful inner resources for creating a life of happiness and contentment. With The Lost Art of Compassion, clinical psychologist and long time Tibetan Buddhist practionerLorne Ladner rescues compassion from the margins and demonstrates its potential to transform our daily lives.

While interest in positive psychology is just dawning in the West, the cultivation of compassion has been a cornerstone of Tibetan Buddhism for over a thousand years. This is the first book to incorporate the Tibetan Buddhist teachings most suited to the demands of our busy lives and provides a crucial perspective lacking in Western psychology. Bringing together the best contributions of psychology and Buddhism, Dr. Ladner bridges the gap between East and West, theory and practice, offering ten methods for cultivating joy and contentment amidst the everyday challenges we face. The result is a highly practical, user-friendly guide to discovering the neglected path of happiness in this modern world.

"Dr. Ladner brings his own passion to the cause of compassion. He shows how revolutionary a lost art it really is. His book is inspiring for all of us, therapists and patients alike."

Mark Epstein, M.D., author of Thoughts without a thinker.

"Lost arts can be rediscovered and revived. Lorne Ladner is like an inner archaeologist brilliantly illuminating the treasured jewels of compassion - an essential but often neglected component of personal and global transformation.

Tara Bennet-Goleman, author of Emotinal Alchemy

"You've probably noticed you can't make yourself happy. Exercising compassion will not only get you through a traffic jam, but it will begin building an unshakeable happiness. Dr. Ladner's written a wonderful book.

Annie Dillard, author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Note: I have only just started 2 read this book but I highly recommend it - reading off a computer screen cannot compare with sitting in a nice, comfy chair with a copy in your hot, little hands :)

Some links:

Search 4 the author

Leads us here

Looking 4 the book itself

A few quotes about compassion

What does the Dalai lama have 2 say?

Cultivating compassion for yourself is discussed in the book

More Buddhist sites

Buddhanet is also worth a visit or 2

This forum has some Buddhist sites listed - they are on page 1 of 'Still crazy after all these years' & post number 2

Quotes about compassion

Could Google many of them ...

Could search this interesting site

Or this one

Pema Chodron is another wonderful teacher

Shambhala Sun is also searchable

The ultimate compassion

This being the fist I click on

You must have compassion for yourself before you can have genuine compassion for others

To develop meaningful compassion for ourselves, we have to be willing and able to look deeply at our own suffering and its causes. Doing this is sometimes so painful, heart-wrenching, humiliating and terrifying that people avoid it at almost any cost - even when the cost is terrible over a long period of time

May tap out more of this section but why not just buy the book ...

It's page 51 - great advice

Quote from Jung

Using a different search engine 4 an earlier theme

Another leads us 2 this page about the Dalai Lama

You might like 2 buy one of his books

More on overcoming desire - great chapter but I couldn't be bothered typing it up just now :)

Ladner advises us 2 analyse our own experiences with compassionate but ruthless honesty

He quotes Lama Yeshe

This piece also follows a similar vein

When your mind is entirely free from desire, frustration, anger and other afflictive emotions, that's nirvana

Contentment is also something we can develop

That site has many interestin pages

The book tells us how 2 cultivate Bodhicitta

While contemplating impermanence & death ... I cannot recall a single person who didn't, in his or her own way, respond that love, kindness and compassion were what mattered most in the face of death

Continuing the theme

The ultimate aim of a Buddhist life is 2 become a Bodhisattva

The purifymind site is well-worth a visit or 2

Leads us to this HUGE list of sites about compassion

Nagarjuna gets a mention in the text

Advice 4 waking up and having another 24 hours to live

Is this person like every other human being in wanting to be happy and wanting to be free from suffering?

The book also discusses the projections we all tend 2 make

For the most part, no one teaches us how to be an effective paren, son or daughter, citizen spouse or good friend

Lorne advises us on how 2 use our imagination to have more empathy 4 other people

He also discusses right speech in our daily conversations

Quote from the Bhagavad Gita

Often it is difficult people who are suffering the most intensely and who are therefore most in need of compassion

In this chapter we'll explore how we can develop feelings of contentment and compassion by actively cultivating gratitude

The Buddha insisted that he would present or discuss only ideas that would help people attain happiness and awakening; anything else was simply not worth our breath or our thought

Tibetan meditators often begin their practices by thinking with gratitude of each of their teachers & mentors

By spending time regularly for months or years imagining how they received limitless love & kindness over infinite expanses of time, meditators gradually develop an inexhaustible sense of gratitude, love, affection & inner wealth

The key to happiness is to develop kind & compassionate thoughts

His holiness the Dalai Lama often notes that in order to avert war and bring about disarmament in the world, we must begin by effecting an inner disarmament

The successful practitioner utterly destroys these inner enemies

Dharmaraksita wrote a poem on the subject

I often talk with people who have gained an absolutely clear insight that a current pattern is their inner enemy bringing them and those around them only suffering, and yet they're terrified to change

The book speaks at length about inner transformation

If you're sincerely interested in being a more loving, good-hearted person then it can be particularly helpful at the beginning to recognise that it's mainly through your practice with difficult people that you will become confident that your inner development is bearing fruit

Variation of an earlier theme

May type more of this chapter but why not buy the book :)

Lorne discusses the many different prayer techniques that Buddhists employ

You can think of manifesting as a dear friend for all who are lonely, as a builder for those without homes, as a teacher for those wanting knowledge, as a caring doctor and nurse for those who are ill and as a protector for those who are afraid

There is an entire chapter devoted to the practice of tonglen which can greatly enhance your capacity 4 compassion

Meditation is a vital factor in mental health

We are urged 2 cultivate positive emotions

When you strive to see the divine everywhere, including within yourself, you naturally begin feeling a sense of connection and kinship with others and with the world around you

When you view yourself and others as sacred, then you naturally see beyond any temporary limitations and negativities to each person's underlying vast potential.

As we begin discovering the joy, fullness and sense of meaning that compassion brings, we begin developing gratitude for those who give us the chance to practice compassion

One such insight is that when we view others through the eyes of compassion, then no one - no matter how dirty, difficult, angry or annoying he or she may be - is beyond deserving our compassion

That's up to page 277 ... then a summary of the practices ... so there you have it!

More on difficult people

Ruthless compassion site

Another article at that site

Let's be grateful our basic needs are met as well as having teachings 2 cultivate compasssion & wisdom

Transforming problems - saved :)

What 2 do about adversity

For example

Count your blessings

Great example of compassion

My own personal gratitude list -

Gift of life; wisdom in so many books; fitness; skills of sportsmen, authors, actors; Haloperidol; musicians & singers; web sites; people at forums; nature; photos; God's love; human love (imperfect as it often is); jobs that produce or sell food or books etc

Counting your blessings

Great advice on cultivating compassion

The rear of the book has a summary of compassionate practices

This being the first 2 catch my eye

That same site has many pages

Not sure if the book will go into mindfulness so here's a good page on it - thanks 2 Emily :)

Came from this search

The mindfulness bell looks an interesting site

Here is a PDF file at their site

You can use this viewer for PDF files

Pema Chodron is another excellent teacher

Lojong is a way 2 train your mind

Centre 4 inner peace

Practicing compassion

More wisdom from the Dalai Lama

Prayer 4 compassion

May all beings be happy

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