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Reviews of “Open Heart, Clear Mind”

Reviews of “Open Heart, Clear Mind”

Cover of book Open Heart, Clearn Mind.

Cover of the book Open Heart, Clear Mind.

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Presents a clear and complete survey of the teachings of the Buddha. Open Heart, Clear Mind will help many on the open path of meditation and in dealing with the challenges of everyday life.”
—Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh

Her analyses of psychological states underlying behavior and how to modify this behavior in order to live a more healthy, more Buddhist life is useful to all persons wishing to follow a Buddhist path.
—Venerable Dr. Havanpola Ratanasara, Executive President, American Buddhist Congress

A refreshingly straightforward and accessible introduction to the basic principles of Buddhist practice …”
—Professor Alan Sponberg, Department of Religious Studies, Stanford University

At last we have a readable, reliable introduction to this ancient wisdom.
—Bhikshuni Karma Lekshe Tsomo, President, Sakyadhita, International Association of Buddhist Women

I recommend it highly to anyone who wants to know, without any mystification, what Buddhism is all about.”
—Dr. Alexander Berzin, translator and lecturer

Two years ago I was searching for ‘something’—happiness and something to believe in. Christianity wasn’t really working for me so I turned to researching various other religions and decided that, ‘these Buddhist monks always seem so darn happy …’ I found Open Heart, Clear Mind and was instantly changed. Long-term change takes years of practice, but this book by Venerable Chodron really did change my life. It led me on a path to dive into more books on the subject and to eventually meet Venerable Chodron and practice with her at a course at Sravasti Abbey for a short time.

I strongly believe (as so many Buddhist practitioners do) that no matter what religious background a person has come from, there are many practices that we can learn from Buddhism to accomplish a very vast understanding of life, death, suffering, and happiness. This book (or any other book by Venerable Chodron) will not try to change your faith or pressure you to become a Buddhist. It simply offers a variety of tools to use on our journey towards personal happiness. Once we open our mind to some of these things, we can let go of so much stress and attachment, which gets us one step closer to pure happiness.

This book is so well written and extremely easy to understand that I have bought copies for friends and family. Venerable Chodron is an American-born woman who knows the perfect way to explain things in a simple way to all of us who have no background in Buddhism. She’s absolutely wonderful and I am happy to call her one of my teachers and inspirations.
—Kyle Braun, Dharma student

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Venerable Thubten Chodron

Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.

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