Customer Reviews

Abhidhamma in Daily Life

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Abhidhamma is sometimes thought to be a dry, technical subject; this book proves otherwise. The author lucidly relates the suttas and everyday life to the precise analysis of mental and physical phenomenon found in the Abhidhamma. A must for every Buddhist library. I've read it more than ten times and still find guidance and inspiration.

This book is about Cittas or types of consciousness in a Buddhist context. Ms Van Gorkhum has also written a recent book on Cetasika's or mental factors/flavours associated with consciousness and she has also written a book that may be out soon on the Pacchayas or conditional relations.

The first book is simply brilliant. It opens up the abhidhamm in a way the Abhidhamma Sangaha cannot to a complete beginner. The Sangaha is of course a primary, vital reference - but Van Gorkhum's treatment is more like a dictionary of some of the major types of consciousness as summarised in the A. Sangaha.

I can't put the book down and read it chapter by chapter - rereading. I'd really like to study her other books when I have the time and own them as this is the secret doctrine, the magical teaching on how the mind works.

I hope you get the opportunity to study this.