I have been re-reading a book few people have heard of ...
It is called "Lost Art of Compassion" by Lorne Ladner.
Here's a little taste -
Modern culture has overlooked one of the most powerful inner resources for creating a life of happiness and contentment. With The Lost Art of Compassion, clinical psychologist and long time Tibetan Buddhist practioner Lorne Ladner rescues compassion from the margins and demonstrates its potential to transform our daily lives.
While interest in positive psychology is just dawning in the West, the cultivation of compassion has been a cornerstone of Tibetan Buddhism for over a thousand years. This is the first book to incorporate the Tibetan Buddhist teachings most suited to the demands of our busy lives and provides a crucial perspective lacking in Western psychology. Bringing together the best contributions of psychology and Buddhism, Dr. Ladner bridges the gap between East and West, theory and practice, offering ten methods for cultivating joy and contentment amidst the everyday challenges we face. The result is a highly practical, user-friendly guide to discovering the neglected path of happiness in this modern world.
"Dr. Ladner brings his own passion to the cause of compassion. He shows how revolutionary a lost art it really is. His book is inspiring for all of us, therapists and patients alike."
Here's a couple of quotes from the actual book -
"Often it is difficult people who are suffering the most and are therefore most in need of compassion."
"Perhaps some parts of ourselves that we see as normal and essential to who we are in fact block us from being more compassionate, creative, content and joyful than we've yet imagined we could be."
"His Holiness the Dalai Lama often notes that in order to avert war and bring about disarmament in the world we must begin by effecting an inner disarmament."
"By spending time regularly for months or years imagining how they received limitless love & kindness over infinite expanses of time, meditators gradually develop an inexhaustible sense of gratitude, love, affection & inner wealth."
"If you're sincerely interested in being a more loving, good-hearted person then it can be particularly helpful at the beginning to recognise that it's mainly through your practice with difficult people that you will become confident that your inner development is bearing fruit."
