Eastern Religion and Compassion

Books Oriented to Eastern Religion and

Related to the Understanding of Compassion

Last Updated:
September, 2007

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Title: Comfort with Uncertainty: 108 teachings on cultivating fearlessness and compassion
Author: Pema Chodron
Publisher/Date: Shambala, 2002

Book Summary: A collection of 108 short essays that speak to the problems of becoming compassionate from the teachings of mahayana buddhism. The author speaks to our "need to know" and our problems with uncertainty (nothingness). Compassion training aids are focused on meditation, tonglen (sending and taking in), letting go, and learning to practice a compassionate mental state.

Comments: Author states that compassion is a part of our innate nature and that we avoid accessing it and that compassion is linked to healing. But there is little else regarding these topics. There is good material on the barriers that keep us from compassion, although general in scope. There is no clear discussion of developmental levels. Passing it on may have some similarities with "refuge in sangha", but it is not clear. There is no discussion of empathy.

Title: Waking Up To What You Do: a zen practice for meeting every situation with intelligence and compassion
Author: Dianne Eshin Rizzetto
Publisher/Date: Shambhala, 2005

Book Summary: Written in very clear language, this is an introduction to Zen Buddhism. Basic "vows" are explored that speak to the automatic thought and action patterns that inhibit developing a compassionate mind and replacing them with new ones. These new patterns include: speak open (truthfully) while presenting possibilities and doing no harm, knowing we are all equal, live now with a clear mind, take nothing that is not freely given, let go of anger, treat intimacy with deep respect, and cherish all life. When seeking to change old patterns pause, breathe, recicte the new pattern, act while observing and then reflect. It is also good to have a teacher.

Comments: This book could be called "A Beginner's Guide to Compassion Readiness", although the orientation would need to include more discussion of compassion and its nature. The material presented is probably very helpful for beginners but it would also be nice to see it tied more to the development of compassion (as it is in the title of the book). Not much in the book directly speaks to the 8 basic assumptions of compassion.

Title: The Lost Art of Compassion: Discovering the practice of happiness in the meeting of Buddhism and psychology.
Author: Lorne Ladner, Ph.D.
Publisher/Date: HarperSanFrancisco, 2004

Book Summary: Author states that this book is "the first to focus on bringing Western psychology into dialogue with Tibetan Buddhist traditions for cultivating compassion". Points covered in the book include the following: living in the moment, becoming mindful (focused attention), understanding how we define compassion, self compassion (including healthy boundaries), dealing with compulsive desire, letting go, the illusion of permanence, seeing through projections, loving communication, gratitude, preparing for and practicing "taking and giving". The strength of the book is its discussion of preparing the "mind" for an improved practice of compassion.

Comments: The book is well written and well organized. It also presents the material using Western language with the author's own psychological interpretations. The author might have incorporated his own suggestion of understanding the nature of one's personal compassion definition and its limits in regards to his definitions. Although there is some discussion suggesting that compassion can be developed there is little about what that looks like in practice. The author's descriptions of empathy are satisfactory, and suggest that it can be developed, but again leave out what that advanced empathy development might look like. Both the phenomenon and the relational aspects of compassion are not addressed as much as the "mind" aspects. There is some discussion about compassion leading to compassion, but it is limited. This is a good book for beginners with some background in psychology.

Title: Violence and Compassion
Author: The Dalai Lama and Jean-Claude Carriere
Publisher/Date: Doubleday, 1994

Book Summary: The book looks at violence and suffering in the modern world and asks is compassion even possible. The conversational style makes it easy to read. Topics covered include: hate, war, fundamentalism, population growth, poverty, enviromental problems, fear of not knowing and concepts of self. A point well stated is that "compasssion is the object of careful study", for the Dalai Lama, but it is often not examined, and has no "voice" in Western literature, or community dialog.

Comments: This book is so free flowing, and not filled with Eastern religion terms, that I almost placed it in with "other books". But there is an underlying theme of Buddhist philosophy. The book states the the Dalai Lama talks about compassion as something requiring serious study and that are indications of "level, measure and adaptation" - supporting one of the basic assumptions. There is also the notion that compassion is basic to our nature, and can be focused on instead of violence. What is not clear is exactly how to "pass it on".

Comments below address the basic
assumptions of compassion -> -> -> ->

Reviewer: Dr. W. David Hoisington

Title: An Open Heart - Practicing compassion in everyday life.
Author: The Dalai Lama
Publisher/Date: Little, Brown, & Co.

Book Summary: This is the best Buddhist discussion, in Western language, that I have read on man's innate nature to be compassionate. There is also a discussion on building strong compassion, because a "kind and gentle person can easily be influenced by dubious friends". Very nice introduction to the links between meditation and compassion.

Comments: The discussions, and descriptions of compassion are excellent. Almost the entire book (up to the discussions of emptiness) could be read by a beginner, and used as a refresher by anyone else. When developing strong compassion the author states that "going about this in a haphazard way is of no real benefit." Like most Buddhist books the emphasis is on "the mind" and not on the "relationship" and its connections to the process of passing it on.

Reviewer: Dr. W. David Hoisington

Title: Ultimate Healing: The power of compassion
Author: Lamam Zopa Rinpoche
Publisher/Date: Wisdom Publications, 2001

Book Summary: "Compassion is the best healer. The most powerful healing comes from developing compassion for all beings... A compassionate person is the most powerful healer." This is the author's central message and testimonials are provided. The author than says that to do this, or to be a guide for others seeking this, we need to develop STRONG compassion. "Everyone agrees that compassion is needed, but not many people actually know how to develop it." The book offers some basic exercises to follow.

Comments: This book introduces the idea of compassion in realtionship to healing. This is something this reviewer has explored (see The Healing Relationship). I also agree that we, as a society, know that compassion is needed but mostly do not know how to develop it to advanced levels. The benefits of this book are that some important introductory ideas are made available to the public. They are ideas that should be part of what we "pass on".

Reviewer: Dr. W. David Hoisington

Title: Bodhisattva of Compasion: The mystical tradition of Kuan Yin.
Author: John Blofeld
Publisher/Date: Shambhala, 1988

Book Summary: This book has 59 Tibetan Buddhist slogans, with accompanying commentary by the author. The slogans are quite short - This book could be used as a weekly meditation tool. Spend a week thinking, meditating, on each slogan.

Comments:

Reviewer: Dr. W. David Hoisington

Title: Universal Compassion: Transforming your life through love and compassion
Author: Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Publisher/Date: Tharpa Publications 1998

Book Summary: This book presents a Buddhist orientation with a focus on the mind. The author "explains how to put into practice Lojong instructions" from his teacher using seven points: 1) the preliminary practices of training the mind, 2) the main practice - two levels, 3) transforming adverse condtionsinto the path of enlightenment, 4) how to integrate all of our daily practices, 5) the measurement of success, 6) commitment, and 7) the precepts of training the mind. The book has quotes from the original manuscript with the author's interpretations in modern language. The two levels of compassion understanding/practice (conventional and ultimate bodichitta) are well described and it is easy to see the distinction.

Comments: The best part of this book is the modern language it uses and the articulation of the difference between conventional and ultimate Bodhichitta. The difference points to the understanding of emptiness, its links to wisdom, and both of their links to compassion. These are advanced concepts but what is nice is to see how they are clearly different from earlier more novice forms of understanding compassion. It is mentioned briefly that compassion is part of our nature (Budda nature). "Taking and giving" is not well described and neither is the concept of "passing it on". The book is mostly easy to read, up to some of the more advanced concepts, but it is a good book for exploring the bridge to these more advanced concepts.

Reviewer: Dr. W. Daivd Hoisington

Title: Always Maintain a Joyful Mind: And other Lojong teachings on awakening compassion and fearlessness
Author: Pema Chodron
Publisher/Date: Shambala, 2007

Book Summary: The book is about this author's investigations into the folk lore surrounding the largely Asian "celestial" Bodhisattva - the "hearer of cries" and a sacred symbol for deep compassion. Much like the Virgin Mary, Kuan Yin has been seen by devotees. The author traces the possible history behind Kuan Kin, includes many interesting stories of folklore, and adds more by sharing his own mystical journey while seeking to "know her". The argument of Male versus female personage for a celestial Bodihistttva is show as controversial and counteres with an interesting observation: "Many saintly old lamas among Tibetans cease to be either distinctly male or female" (p. 60).

Comments: This book, with the term compassion woven throughout its pages, speaks little to the role of personal effort but rather more to the possibility of faith as an influencing factor in receiving compasion. The author suggests that icons, and folk lore, may be even necessary for some folks of simple means as a way of accessing the first steps toward knowing compassion. This is an interesting hypothesis that would need further clarification - perhaps across cultures. And it would need to be put against the historical evidence that religious dogma has often led men away from compasion. Several times he writes about encountering conflicting teachings about the path of divine compassion - which may be consistent with the idea that teachers are themselves at different points on the path, and that different culture have diferent descriptions.

Reviewer: Dr. W. David Hoisington

Book Summary:

Comments: The slogans seem to cover the basics needed for understanding the life of compassion. The book is extremely easy to read, short, and great for beginners. It is ok as a reminder for some more advanced students. This also could be used as an easy teaching tool provided students have access to more detailed information.

Reviewer:

Title:
Author:
Publisher/Date:

Comments: The book is not well organized into themes that could be well summarized. It is often tangential, difficult to follow, and sometimes even contradictory. The author uses critical (and possibly non-compassionate) language toward the "saints" and toward religion, yet in many places takes quotes from religious texts to support his arguments. The author's use of the word love dances around like the butterfly caught in a breeze while flower seeking. There are a few "gems" in this authors works, but I fear it would take a wise person to sort them out from all the confusion and apparent underlying anger. As for addressing the eight assumptions of compassion there is little more to relate then what is in the above summary.

Book Summary: This book is based on a series of talks given by the author who speaks highly of the Zen approach. But the author also states "compassion has no idealogy, compassion is just a climate" and "purity is a basic ingrediant in compassion, otherwise it is something else". He teaches that meditation is the flower and compassion is the fragrence. "Compassion is possible only with an understanding on awareness. Not only do you understand and respect the other person, but you have come to your deepest core of being... Now the other does not exist as a body, or a mind, the other exists as a soul. And souls are not seperate; when two souls meet, they are one. Compassion is the highest for of love".

Reviewer: Dr. W. David Hoisington

Title: Compassion: The ultimate flower of love.
Author: OSHO
Publisher/Date: St. Martin Griffin, 2006