Drawing on decades of experience, a psychotherapist and Zen practitioner makes the Abhidharma--the original psychological system of Buddhism--accessible to a general audience for the first time. The Abhidharma, one of the three major text collections of the original Buddhist canon, explores the critical juncture of Buddhist thought and the therapeutic aspects of the religion and meditation. It frames the psychological system of Buddhism, explaining the workings of reality and the nature of the human mind. Composed of detailed matrixes and lists that outline the interaction of consciousness and reality, The Abhidharma explores the essence of perception and experience, and the reasons and methods behind mindfulness and meditation. Because of its complexity, the Abhidharma has traditionally been reserved only for academic or monastic study; now, for the first time, clinical psychologist Beth Jacobs makes this dynamic, important text and its teachings available to general readers, using practical explanation, personal stories, and vivid examples to gently untangle the technical aspects of the Abhidharma. Jacobs’ work illuminates this classic of Buddhist thought, highlighting the ways it can broaden and deepen our experience of the human psyche and offering profound insights into spiritual practice.
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"I've listened to about 1/3 of the book so far, and realized that I have just enough background info for both Buddhist practices & Western therapy - so I find this to be very engaging, because I like how she approaches this topic with a welcoming sense of being curious, to simply explore, rather than look at this information statically - after all, Buddhism is best practiced through experiences. I did find some terms to be a bit difficult to understand esp. with listening (and not referring to reading the book) but then again, I also find it helpful that with an audio book, the listening can be quite compatible with the Buddhist practices (much of the time the Dharma/Buddhist Scriptures have been shared through teaching - listening to the teacher - rather than reading, certainly in the older days). "
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Sherry (5 out of 5 stars)