Beyond Happiness : The Zen Way to True Contentment

by BAYDA, EZRA

• ISBN13: 9781590308257
• ISBN10: 1590308255
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-12-14
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

Many books have been published in recent years on happiness. Zen teacher Ezra Bayda believes that the happiness "boom" has been largely a bust for readers. Why? Because itrs"s precisely the pursuit of happiness that keeps us trapped in cycles of dissatisfaction and suffering. InBeyond Happiness, Bayda draws on Zen teachings to question our conventional notions about happiness. Most of us seek happiness in things that are external to us. We imagine that getting more money, a better relationship, or going on a nice vacation will finally make us happy. But he shows us that the deepest and most lasting kind of happiness does not rely on external circumstances at all. Itrs"s deeper than any kind of passing emotional state or circumstance, and beyond any idea we have about it. He offers Zen insights and practices to help readers to tap into the true sources of lasting happiness: mindfulness, compassion, gratitude, and generosity.Beyond Happinessis loaded with simple meditation and mindfulness practices that will help readers to put these insights into action in their daily lives. Practices include: basic sitting meditation, gratitude practice, loving-kindness practice, and the Three Questions (Am I happy right now? What blocks happiness? Can I surrender to what is?).

Author Biography

Ezra Bayda teaches at Zen Center San Diego. He is also the author of Being Zen, At Home in the Muddy Water, Saying Yes to Life (Even the Hard Parts), and Zen Heart.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction: What Is Happiness?	p. 1
What Blocks Happiness?
Entitlement	p. 13
The Thinking Mind	p. 21
Caught in Emotions	p. 31
Conditioned Behaviors	p. 41
The Roots of Happiness
Surrendering to What Is
Being Present	p. 53
Three Questions	p. 65
Emotional Freedom	p. 77
Meditation	p. 87
Gratitude	p. 99
Cultivating Happiness
Giving from the Heart
Generosity of the Heart	p. 111
Loving-Kindness	p. 121
Giving through Work	p. 129
Giving through Relationships	p. 137
Forgiveness	p. 149
Final Words: Beyond the Myth of Happiness	p. 157
About the Author	p. 161
Also	p. 163
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.