An Intelligent Life: Buddhist Psychology of Self-Transformation

by Koitsu Yokoyama, Varghese Puthuparampil (Translator)

Overview

A systematic approach to making intelligent use of our lives: forget the self, live more fully for others, and find happiness deep within.

The idea that our experiences in life are shaped by our own minds is fundamental to Buddhist philosophy. An Intelligent Life uses the principles of Buddhist philosophy to explore how best to make use of our lives in order to benefit ourselves and others. Building on the foundation of core Buddhist concepts like the ego, interdependence, and karma, Professor Yokoyama presents a uniquely practical application of Buddhist philosophy.
By understanding how intimately our own habits of mind are related to the world that we experience, we begin to see how many of our everyday actions are founded on ignorance rather than intelligence. If you steadily work to transform your everyday habits, through meditation and reflection on the true nature of your experiences, you will come to forget your ego, feel more closely related to others, and gain access to the inestimable well of happiness and health that rests within. Learning to see ourselves and the world for what they truly are, we learn how to live truly intelligent lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781614291961
Publisher:	Wisdom Publications MA
Publication date:	08/11/2015
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Koitsu Yokoyama devoted his career to the study of Buddhist “Consciousness Only” (vijñaptimatra) philosophy during the second period in the development of Mahayana Buddhism. A Buddhist Studies scholar, Yokoyama earned his doctorate in Indian Philosophy at the graduate school of Tokyo University, and is currently an Honorary Professor at Rikkyo University and Vice Chancellor of Shogen Junior College. He has published many works on Consciousness Only philosophy in Japanese, including A Consciousness-Only-Dictionary of Buddhism, published to commemorate the 1300th anniversary of the Kofukuji Temple in Nara, Japan.

Table of Contents

I What Is This Life?

1 The Search for Identity 3

2 Consider the Mind 17

3 Consider Karma 29

4 Ego 37

5 Things Outside the Mind 49

6 Nature 59

II How Do We Live This Life Intelligently?

7 Life Is Relationship with Others 67

8 The Theory of Interdependency 75

9 Love Comes from the Source 85

10 Forgetting the Self 95

11 The Three Great Aims in Life 101

12 Developing a Culture of Intelligence 109

13 Finding Health Deep within the Mind 121

Index 129

About the Author 137

Editorial Reviews

06/08/2015
Yokoyama, a Japanese scholar of Buddhist philosophies, has distilled a career’s worth of knowledge and personal wisdom into this concise inquiry. “When we come to know what reality is,” he writes, “we inevitably come to solve the problem of how to live—with love for others.” The skilled teacher uses questions and examples to lead the reader step-by-step through his core line of thought. Buddhist concepts of karma, ego, the nonexistence of the self, and the like are explored through the specific lens of the Representation Only school of philosophy, which posits that everyone’s experience exists only in their own mind; ideas from Western philosophers such as Descartes inform his discussion. Yokoyama’s wonder and gratitude shine throughout as he urges younger generations to live with generosity, compassion, and purpose. This welcome new voice in American publishing demonstrates with sparkling clarity how Buddhist wisdom can address life’s most pressing questions. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly