Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point Mind Training [Paperback]

Alan B. Wallace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2003

In this book the author explains a fundamental type of mental training called lojong, which can literally be translated as attitudinal training.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Yes, the title can be misleading. This isn't a book about hip Buddhism with some kind of bad-ass attitude. This is a training manual for learning Buddhist attitudes that will help readers find greater peace of mind and happiness in daily life. The premise here is mind control the Tibetan Buddhist way. Wallace (Boundless Heart) draws upon the traditional "root text" of the Seven-Point Mind Training and expertly translates the ancient teachings into a Western-flavored lesson. In fact, another possible title for this highly esteemed book might be, Buddhism Taught with a Western Attitude. Rather than rely solely on the traditional teaching methods of using stories and parables to ground Buddhist theory into daily living, Wallace sprinkles in large doses of intellectual and scientific analogies—definite crowd-pleasers in the West. For instance, when he delves into two Buddhist approaches for training the mind's attention—control and release—he uses the ancient metaphor of taming an elephant in the room to heel. But in the next breath he moves into a modern analogy of purifying a polluted river. This slip-sliding ease between the language and sensibilities of ancient and modern worlds is a marvel and delight for any Western student of Buddhism.

A few caveats: Wallace is not as cozy of a writer as other popular Buddhist teachers of the West, such as Pema Chodron, Jack Kornfield, or Sharon Salzburg. His is more of the Ken Wilbur and Robert Thurman variety—fascinated by the keen intelligence behind this ancient religion as well as its big heart and timeless relevance. Think of this as a mind-blowing, attitude-expanding book, rather than a comfy bedside companion. Gail Hudson

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Snow Lion Publications (July 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559392002
• ISBN-13: 978-1559392006
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #296,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Trained for ten years in Buddhist monasteries in India and Switzerland, Alan Wallace has taught Buddhist theory and practice in Europe and America since 1976; and he has served as interpreter for numerous Tibetan scholars and contemplatives, including H. H. the Dalai Lama. After graduating summa cum laude from Amherst College, where he studied physics and the philosophy of science, he earned a doctorate in religious studies at Stanford University.

He has edited, translated, authored, or contributed to more than thirty books on Tibetan Buddhism, medicine, language, and culture, as well as the interface between religion and science. He teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he is launching one program in Tibetan Buddhist studies and another in science and religion. His published works include The Bridge of Quiescence: Experiencing Buddhist Meditation), Choosing Reality: A Buddhist View of Physics and the Mind, and Tibetan Buddhism From the Ground Up.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So you noticed Wallace wrote two books on the Mind Training . . ., June 25, 2006

By 

NP - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point Mind Training (Paperback)

Realize they are two very different books! If you are looking for something to benefit your practice then "Buddhism with an Attitude" is the way to go. Although repetitive at times, this itself is helpful, and it is written in a more instructional tone. If you feel your practice has fully matured (lucky you) and you are simply interested in a concise, more academic exposition of the seven point mind training, then "The Seven-Point Mind Training" is the one for you. Also, for being more condensed, the "The Seven-Point Mind Training", will be the book you will want to carry around once you are familiar with Lojong practice.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Profound and Exceptional, July 23, 2001

By 

Lydia Kagen (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point Mind-Training (Hardcover)

As a book lover, I am one of those people who never, ever marks the pages of books. However, after the first few sentences I knew this is not a book you simply read, but one to study, digest, and absorb. It is now marked on every page, highlighted and underlined, and I know I will refer to it again and again. Since I am new to the subject, I have been seeking authentic instructions in a way my Western mind can grasp, without losing the richness of it's source. This is not "New Aged" Buddhism Lite, yet the author presents Lojong in a way that is completely accessable and easy to follow. This wonderful teacher is comforting, reassuring, yet challenging. He encourages an immediate and radical change of "attitude" and offers the tools to do it. We are not all fortunate enough to be able to sit at the feet of a master. Reading this book is the next best thing.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let the title fool you, May 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point Mind-Training (Hardcover)

Please don't be thrown off by- what some have considered to be- a less than engaging title. In this book, B. Alan Wallace draws upon his thirty years experience in Tibetan Buddhism and skillfully brings in his own knowledge of physics, cognitive sciences, and other fields of science and psychology to provide for a wonderfully clear, comprehensible, and inspiring elucidation of the Tibetan 7-Point Mind Training.