How cultivating compassion is like engaging in a mental fitness program for the mind. What we feed our mind, what we attend to, shapes us and our experience.
“An Open-Hearted Life”: A Healthy Diet for the Mind
A series of talks based on An Open-Hearted Life given at Sravasti Abbey’s monthly Sharing the Dharma Day in April 2017. Co-written by Venerable Thubten Chodron and clinical psychologist Dr. Russell Kolts, the book offers practical Buddhist and Western psychological approaches to developing compassion.
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A series of talks based on An Open-Hearted Life given at Sravasti Abbey’s monthly Sharing the Dharma Day in April 2017. Co-written by Venerable Thubten Chodron and clinical psychologist Dr. Russell Kolts, the book offers practical Buddhist and Western psychological approaches to developing compassion.
“An Open-Hearted Life”: Becoming friends with ourselves
Becoming our own friend means treating ourselves with kindness, respect and compassion; celebrating our successes while working to improve.
“An Open-Hearted Life”: Working with unwanted thoughts and emotions
How we can work over time to replace troublesome thoughts and emotions with more compassionate ones, and establish new, compassionate mental habits.
“An Open-Hearted Life”: The power of optimism and types of emotion
How an optimistic attitude is important in maintaining compassion. A look at different ways to understand, and work with, our emotions.
“An Open-Hearted Life”: Compassionate understanding of emotions
How a compassionate understanding of how emotions play out in our minds gives us a roadmap for developing the positive mental qualities we want to have.
“An Open-Hearted Life”: Mindful awareness
Mindful awareness helps us to observe, accept and take responsibility for our emotions, so we can work with them, rather than letting them dictate our actions.
“An Open-Hearted Life”: A different kind of strength
Compassion is based on inner strength that helps us remain present with own and others difficult emotions. It’s the strength to face difficulties without fear.
“An Open-Hearted Life”: Confusion about compassion
While everyone admires compassion, there is a lot of confusion about it. It’s good to know about attitudes and actions that are confused with compassion.
“An Open-Hearted Life”: Courageous compassion
Compassion includes the courage to stay when things get tough and deal with discomfort that arises when in contact with those experiencing suffering.
“An Open-Hearted Life”: Strength, joy, and compassion
Getting clear about what compassion is and is not. Increasing compassion by changing our perspective on the world and others.