The World's Best Book Summaries
Do you often feel anxious? What causes anxiety, and how do you overcome it? According to the Dalai Lama, anxiety, like all negative emotions, stems from ignorance. If you struggle with anxiety, educate yourself about where the anxiety comes from and whether it’s valid, recommends the Dalai Lama. Here’s how to deal with anxiety, according to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
What are some of the most illuminating quotes from the book Many Lives Many Masters? What succinctly captures the main points and themes? In 1981, the course of Dr. Brian Weiss’s career changed dramatically when one of his therapy patients, “Catherine,” suddenly recalled details of her past lives while under hypnosis. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, Many Lives Many Masters is a fascinating account of an experience that changed the lives of both Weiss and his patients. Continue on to read some of the best Many Lives Many Masters quotes and their context.
What is compassion in Buddhism? How do you cultivate compassion? In Buddhism, compassion—the desire to free others from suffering—is one of the highest virtues you can cultivate. According to the Dalai Lama, the best way to cultivate compassion is to develop empathy—the ability to understand others’ pain as if it was your own. Here’s what His Holiness the Dalai Lama has to say about cultivating the virtue of compassion.
What is the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler’s book The Art of Happiness about? What’s the key message to take away from the book? The Art of Happiness presents the Dalai Lama’s Buddhist approach to achieving greater happiness in life. Happiness, he says, isn’t something that happens to lucky people and eludes the unlucky: It’s something you can—and should—actively work to increase in your life. Here’s our review of The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler.
What is the book Many Lives Many Masters about? What are the main themes brought out in its story? In 1981, the course of Dr. Brian Weiss’s career changed dramatically when one of his therapy patients, “Catherine,” suddenly recalled details of her past lives while under hypnosis. Though Weiss, like many scientists, is a natural skeptic, his experience with this patient convinced him that there are spiritual “Masters” providing help and guidance from beyond the veil. He claims that the Masters shared messages revolving around four major themes. Read on to learn the four themes you can find in the
What is the Stoic take on suffering? How does subjective perception cause suffering? According to Stoics, suffering is, to a great extent, the result of our inability to see things as they are. In contrast, Stoics view events neutrally—that is, they observe only the facts of any given situation, without judgment. Here is how our inability to see things as they are leads to unnecessary suffering.
Can you free yourself from suffering? How can embracing suffering help you free yourself from it? According to Buddhism, suffering is inherent to human existence. That’s why the first step toward eliminating suffering is, paradoxically enough, to accept it. There are four strategies to embrace suffering: 1) don’t take things personally, 2) stop feeling guilty, 3) contemplate your mortality, and 4) stop resisting change. Let’s explore each in more detail.
What does Buddhism say about suffering? Can you really be free from suffering? According to Buddhism, suffering is an inescapable fact of life. That’s why—paradoxically enough—freeing yourself from suffering requires that you first accept it as inherent to your existence. Let’s explore the Buddhist take on suffering as a part of life and why you shouldn’t fight it.
What is the cost of discipleship? What does it mean to follow Christ? In the classic The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer emphasizes that discipleship is a matter of personal, dynamic obedience to Christ, not to a program of rituals. However, he does draw a blueprint for the general lifestyle of a disciple, based on what Christ taught his original 12 disciples. Four key aspects of a disciple’s life that he discusses are humility, self-denial, suffering, and pacifism. Read more to learn about Bonhoeffer’s view of discipleship.
How is the virtue of humility part of the Christian life? What does it mean to keep your good deeds secret from yourself? Dietrich Bonhoeffer believes that humility is an indispensable part of being a disciple. That means that you do good for God’s sake, not yours. You realize that the credit for anything good belongs to God alone. Keep reading to learn about Bonhoeffer’s view on the virtue of humility.