Emotional Awareness, Dalai Lama
Emotional Awareness, Dalai Lama
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Emotional Awareness
Overcoming the Obstacles to Psychological Balance and Compassion

Author: Dalai Lama, Paul Ekman, Ph.D.

Narrator: Richard Gere, Paul Ekman, Ph.D.

Unabridged: 8 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/23/2008


Synopsis

Two leading thinkers engage in a landmark conversation about human emotions and the pursuit of psychological fulfillment

At their first meeting, a remarkable bond was sparked between His Holiness the Dalai Lama, one of the world's most revered spiritual leaders, and the psychologist Paul Ekman, whose groundbreaking work helped to define the science of emotions. Now these two luminaries share their thinking about science and spirituality, the bonds between East and West, and the nature and quality of our emotional lives.

In this unparalleled series of conversations, the Dalai Lama and Ekman prod and push toward answers to the central questions of emotional experience. What are the sources of hate and compassion? Should a person extend her compassion to a torturer—and would that even be biologically possible? What does science reveal about the benefits of Buddhist meditation, and can Buddhism improve through engagement with the scientific method? As they come to grips with these issues, they invite us to join them in an unfiltered view of two great traditions and two great minds.

Accompanied by commentaries on the findings of emotion research and the teachings of Buddhism, their interplay—amusing, challenging, eye-opening, and moving—guides us on a transformative journey in the understanding of emotions.

About Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatzo, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, is the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and is the temporal and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. The author of The Art of Happiness, among many other books, he is the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile and resides in Dharamsala, India.Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He lives in exile in Dharamsala, India.

About Paul Ekman, Ph.D.

Paul Ekman is the world’s foremost expert on facial expressions and a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California Medical School in San Francisco. He is the author of fourteen books, including Emotions Revealed and lives in northern California.

About Richard Gere

Humanitarian, actor, and Golden Globe winner, Richard Gere is known for his roles in films including Chicago, Unfaithful, An Officer and a Gentleman, American Gigolo, Pretty Woman, and Primal Fear. A student and friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Gere has made numerous journeys throughout India, Nepal, Zanskar and Tibet, Mongolia and China. He is an outspoken human rights advocate and the founder of the Gere Foundation, which contributes to numerous health education and human rights projects. Gere currently lives in New York with his wife and son.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Craig

This is one of the most important books I have read. All of the quibbling about the format by other reviewers is nothing more than snobbish drivel. The book features transcripts of the dialogue between Paul Ekman and His Holiness, and interwoven are also introductions, commentary and articles of int......more

Very good and down to earth conversation between a great spiritual teacher and a great scientist. The most memorable advise I got from reading this book is hate the evil act but have compassion against the person who carry out the act. There is a lot of reasoning on how compassion is to be applied pr......more

Goodreads review by Lizz

i had really high expectations but i found myself bored with really surface exchanges. i would have liked to hear more from the Dalai Lama but the other guy kept butting in and talked most of the book about defining terms. This book could have been a lot better.......more


Quotes

“A rich feast for the mind... This is a singular meeting of two intellectual traditions--and two remarkable minds and hearts.” —Daniel Goleman

“A fresh, unique exploration of many subtle issues... on psychology and Buddhism... Full of... unexpected humor and tender surprises... They gently probe each other's system of thought with striking intellectual rigor.” —Shambhala Sun

“Their conversations touch on questions of emotional balance, anger, and the range and limits of compassion, but a brief review can hardly do justice to the range and depth of this fine book.” —Library Journal