The Lost Art of Compassion: Discovering the Practice of Happiness in the Meeting of Buddhism and Psychology

As the president of the Guhyasamaja Buddhist Center in Virginia, Ladner is a strong proponent of the Buddhist practice of compassion, which develops positive emotions through mental exercises.""Cultivating compassion is the single most effective way to make oneself psychologically healthy, happy and joyful,"" Ladner writes.""It is a direct antidote to prejudice and aggression."" The author, who also works as a clinical psychologist, bemoans the lack of attention compassion receives in the West, and argues that most psychotherapists do little to help their patients increase their feelings of happiness. Nonetheless, Ladner does draw upon both Eastern and Western examples in this book, referring to sources as diverse as Jesus, T.S. Eliot, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama, as well as including numerous anecdotes from his clinical practice. Though the exercises that Ladner recommends are sometime quite elaborate--one them involves identifying your""narcissistic patterns,"" personifying them as enemies and battling against them--he carefully walks readers through them one chapter at a time and then organizes them into a helpful""Summary of Compassion Practices"" at the end of the book. To inspire readers, Landner cites the many recent studies showing that aspects of practicing compassion can significantly improve people's stress levels and their communication and relationships with others. Readers eager to test those findings for themselves should appreciate this book's realistic, manageable approach to dispelling bitterness and anger and replacing it with empathy and patience.