Feeling Wisdom: Working with Emotions Using Buddhist Teachings and Western Psychology

Description

A psychologist and longtime practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism shows how emotions relate to spiritual practice--that our feeling life is truly at the heart of our awakening. The realm of emotion is one of those areas where Buddhism and Western psychology are often thought to be at odds- Are emotions to be valued, examined, worked with as signs leading us to deeper self-knowledge? Or are they something to be ignored and avoided as soon as we recognize them? Rob Preece feels that neither of those extremes is correct. He charts a path through the emotions as they relate to Buddhist practice, showing that though emotions are indeed "skandhas" (elements that make up the illusory self) according to the Buddhist teaching, there is a good deal to be learned from these skandhas, and paying attention to their content contributes not only to psychological health but to deep insight into the nature of reality. He draws on his own experiences with emotions and meditation, through both his training in Tibetan Buddhism and psychotherapy, to show how working with emotions can be a complement to meditation practice.

ROB PREECE is a contemplative psychotherapist who's been practicing analysis for twenty years and Buddhism for around thirty. His work focuses on the interface between Buddhism and transpersonal psychology. A former faculty member of Sharpham College, he spent 1980 through 1985 on retreat in the Himalayas, and he's also an accomplished thangka painter. He leads meditation retreats and workshops that compare Jungian and Buddhist views of psychology. He has published four previous books with Snow Lion.

"Our emotional life can be a prison of suffering or a portal to profound heart-wisdom. In this brilliant synthesis of Tibetan Buddhist teachings and Western psychology, Rob Preece offers a rich guide for healing and spiritual awakening."-Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge "On the path to greater freedom and wisdom, psychotherapy typically encourages us to get to know our feelings, even to follow them into stories of meaning and action. Buddhism, on the other hand, tends to encourage us to temper or ignore our feelings as a means to liberation from suffering. Rob Preece guides us in a tremendously useful and practical dialogue between these two disciplines."-Polly Young-Eisendrath, PhD, author of The Resilient Spirit and The Present Heart: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Discovery "This book shows us very clearly how feelings can be a path to enlightenment and how wounds can turn into resources. I was especially touched by the way Rob writes directly to us as a wise, kindly, and compassionate teacher-friend."-David Richo, PhD, author of How to Be an Adult in Relationships and The Five Things We Cannot Change