Customer Reviews

Finding a Joyful Life in the Heart of Pain

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A helpful, encouraging blueprint for enriching any life -from those tetter on physical or psychological problems, to those with "mundane" stresses and worries. Not a how-to-book; although there are specific tips and techniques for dealing with physical and/or emotional problems. Not a woe-is-me-book, although Cohen's odessey of illness, growth, nurturing a new perspective and way of being is inspirational and makes the reader feel better about peoplekind. Not a dry medical book, but a warm, human, witty personal book. Almost anyone with a functioning mind, open to new thoughts and feelings, will benefit from this.

Even if you do not have chronic physical pain, this book is a true gift from a wise and experienced teacher. The compassionate observations and suggestions serve as guidelines for any kind of pain -- mental, emotional or spiritual. Thank you, Ms. Cohen,for sharing the fruits of your life and suffering with us.

I read this book several years ago when I sustained a permanent injury to my SI joint. I also have nerve damage there, and in my foot. Some days it really sucks.

This book is an excellent approach to managing pain and health issues that seem unmanagable - that feel like they have stolen your life and taken all joy from you. The author's approach is very practical and doable... learn to focus on what is right in your life... on moments.

Life is not made up of big events. Life is made of the tiny joys in every day. But when you are buried in pain, you have to train yourself to find them.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. You owe it to yourself, and to your loved ones, to read it. It's very hard to suffer... it's also hard to watch someone suffer. Take a positive step in the middle of what seems impossible and read this book.

Really.

The foundational teaching of Darlene Cohen's "Finding a joyful life..." is Shakyamuni Buddha's Four Noble Truths. Through exposure to these specific teachings more than two decades ago, she became interested and dedicated to Zen Buddhism as a path to relieve her own suffering and help others relieve theirs. Her main thesis: life is bigger than our pain, notice pain [it's sort of hard not too], let it in, then turn your attention to that which does not pain you. With utter fearlessness, she expounds the particulars of how to work with pain whether it be physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual through direct comfort [maybe a soothing bath], experiencing bouts of ecstasy [a oneness with life], and diversion (an example she gave was watching "trash-TV"). The first two parts interested me more than the second two; the latter, a reiteration of the central thesis and greater development of the passages that came before. Sometimes Zen appears stoic and harsh, but Cohen made Zen, in practice more than in form, applicable to every day people like myself. The most simplest and profound practice is that which allows us to become more intimate with life as it is, and the people and things that inhabit our world.