Customer Reviews

Infinite Life: Seven Virtues for Living Well

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This book (recently released) redeemed my esteem for Thurman. Following his book "Essential Tibetan Buddhism" I thought perhaps his style of Buddhist thought was not up my alley. But this book is much more natural. Robert perhaps is America's most admired and appealing Buddhist writer/scholar. His first book, Inner Revolution, is an international hit and his lectures at places like Harvard sell out to thousands of participants. Infinite Life shows that all of our actions have countless consequences for ourselves and others, here and now, and after we are gone; in short, we are constantly creating some sort of karma. Here we are introduced to the "Seven Virtues" to reforming our body and mind wisely in order to diminish the more harmful karma created and nurture the more positive variety. In a skilled and practical style, he gives invigorating instructions on understanding human virtue and emotion. Thurman calls us to take on accountability for our actions and their consequences by remaining mindful that our lives are truly immeasurable. This book is one of the best guidebooks for understanding our place in the world and appreciating ways which we can universally thrive in serving other beings. This was a good book.

In this work author Robert Thurman takes the reader through steps to help rid themselves of negative effects in their lives and lead them to the positive. He talks on such subjects as, Wisdom, Generosity, Patience, and explains their meaning and the effect they have on your life, which runs much deeper than you imagine. He shows the importance of releasing such emotions as anger and the damage it does to us personally.
You will be surprised to find out how much your negative emotions are only hurting yourself.
I have to say that all the principals that he offers would certainly better mankind if they were followed and we would indeed live a much more peaceful existence with one another. He challenges the reader to do a self-examination of their life, and take a good hard look at where they are going and how they are getting there.
I do not agree with some of his beliefs such as reincarnation, however I do applaud his deep conviction of the same.
The work is very readable and easy to understand and would be a great work for any Buddhist to help them in their walk and for those wishing to understand this belief . It would also be a plus for those who want to overhaul their lives and come forth a better human being

There are so many facets of Buddhism -one compliments the others-, the true embodiment of emptiness at the very heart of Buddhist teachings that nothing has an inherent existence of its own. No one does a better job than Robert Thurman, one of the most prominent Buddhist scholars representing the Mahayana school of thoughts, in giving a cerebral erudition of the meanings and interpretations of old manuscripts and their relevance to our contemporary life. That is represented, again, in his latest craft. The Mahayana tradition puts a huge emphasis on infinite and universal compassion for all sentient beings, it is the basis of every effort toward self-transformation, that ultimately entails self-transcendence in the selfless spirit of the altruistic mind seeking for enlightenment for the benefits of all. His book works on that basis in a very forceful, dense, idealistic fashion but accessible at the same time.

This Bodhisatva ideal is so infinitely lofty to the point that many people might find it impractical and unrealistic. However, as Thurman point-blankly elaborates throughout the book, that ideal isn't an empty dream of a romantic fool, but it's based on the infinite outlook of life with infinite room for personal growth; infinity that stretches to the "past" and "future" through infinite numbers of past and future lives, intimately intertwined and interrelated.

In this infinite universe, that is supported by science needless to say, there are infinite possibilities. That is one thing. The other is the proclamation that we are all Buddha now, we just need to be awakened to that fact. So if we are all enlightened beings with built-in infinite capacity for altruism and infinite deadlines to fulfill our Bodhisatva ideal, aiming high isn't that crazily unrealistic. If anything, it jumpstarts and single mindedly focus our commitment to practice to get closer to that ideal in our own pace and time.

This notion leads to a troubling theory (at least to some) of reincarnation that in Buddhism is more aptly coined as rebirth. How are the two different? And is there any scientific basis for either theory? Or is it a mere belief as theists believe in heaven or hell as the final destination after one's death?

Buddhism goes far deeper than a mere belief system which is an end to itself that gives you a not so comforting alternative of eternal damnation for stubbornly resisting to "see the truth." Buddhism is a sophisticated, surprisingly modern, consistent and scientific system of psychology. Thurman calls it "joyous science of the heart.

Some people who belongs to the hardcore materialist camp (usually atheists, scientists and thus, Nihilists) may just lump the Buddhist doctrine of rebirth as superstition and as unfounded as the belief in God, angels, heaven and hell of the theists. Their prejudice and dogmatism assumes that just as theistic belief in heaven is solely founded by the inherent fear of death, then so is the Buddhist doctrine of rebirth, unaware of the point blank assertion of the Buddha that birth, sickness, death are unavoidable facts of life and the failing world is a samsara (a cycle of birth and death) reeked in sufferings, the cure of which is Nirvana (liberation from the cycle which shouldn't be construed as extinction into nothingness, by the way). The Theravada tradition, which in a sense provides a basic interpretation of the Buddha's teachings, stops at that, while the Mahayanese, driven by infinite compassion for all beings, vows to delay the attainment of Nirvana until every single being is liberated.

So why rebirth? It boils down to the Buddhist tenet of selflessness. The self according to the Buddha is a relative and subjective reality that is not independent to myriad factors that create it in the first place. There is no enduring, unchanging part of it than in itself makes what we call "the self." The body and mind work together to become self, each of which is breakable into different elements that have also causes for their existence. To the Buddhists both matter and mind exist separately, yet interdependently. And Thurman points out something can't become nothing, it is scientifically unsustainable. The center of the contention between the Nihilists and the Buddhists is whether consciousness resides in the brain, whether the former is a mere side effect of physical activities of the neuron cells which will cease one the brain stops functioning and decays. The Nihilist materialists obviously believe so. The Buddhists don't, hence consciousness (or mind) is a something, a form or energy, and the law of physics dictates that energy can't be created nor destroyed.

In that sense both camps part ways in the move that seemingly lumps the Buddhists in the same league with the monotheist eternalists. However, the Buddhists warn us that even though there is a continuation of the mind, this mind is much less personal than the fixed soul that the eternalists hold onto so tightly. The mind (or the Buddhist relative soul) is fluid and so much less identifiable -hence selflessness- and is a fluctuative process driven by karma (in this case can be translated into obsessions and fixations).

Hence, Buddhism is literally sandwiched between two extremes of the atheist Nihilists and theist Eternalists, giving a candid point in case that the Buddha didn't call his Dharma "the Middle Path" for no reason.

On that basis then the rest of the book goes on with Seven Virtues of wisdom, generosity, justice, patience, creativity, contemplation and the art of infinite living to live a happy bountiful life, a life with minimum ego frictions and aggravations. In the nutshell, we can only be happy if we loosen up our ego boundaries, if we focus less in our self-preoccupations, realize the relativity of our "self" and start to care more about others since self and others are interchangeable. It is mighty difficult, needless to say, but we can gradually get there through practices outlined in this book. This is a message of hope, let's embrace it.

For folks interested in meditation, or who might need just a little boost in self-confidence, I heartily recommend this book. I've been interested in meditation and Buddhism for six years and have read many, many books on these subjects, but I've found few as inspiring as this one.

Professor Thurman combines aspects of the Tibetan Buddhist Mentor Devotion meditation centered around his seven virtues, with a kind of selfless, secular approach to daily life and what you get is an energizing take on spiritual practice. He makes it clear one doesn't have to be a Buddhist to be able to do these meditations. So, no matter what your "beliefs" are, have a look at this one! This is a great book!

All I can say is that this book touched me in the most profound way, after the power of now, and the sedona method, I feel as if I've finally tuned into my true self, at every moment in constant change, no longer stuck in old habits or self imposed limits, although based on Mahayana buddhism, this truly is a bible for contemporary living, every sentence is to be read very carefully, and deeply pondered, for within this text lies the key for unlocking the door to your soul, and making your life fuller and richer.
Mind you buddhism has never been my thing, I'm not pushing any type of eastern dogma, or new age doctrine.This book and it's message have renewed my hope, and made me more aware of my inner psyche,this is our missing manual.
I hope that it's within your dharma to pick up this book,and ponder it , and share it with everyone around you.
Mr. Thurman thank you for this gift.

This is an excellent but somewhat controversial work which embellishes the Mahayana School of Buddhism. The author espouses the virtues inherent in selflessness and individual/collective
wisdom. He challenges the reader to embrace creativity and
generosity in interpersonal relationships. Most importantly,
the work demands that we do a critical self-examination to
determine what is within us. It is only by knowing ourselves
thoroughly that we can transcend our current condition.
This self-transformation is a condition precedent to achieving the creativity and generosity of spirit needed to help others.
The book challenges us to transcend ourselves and achieve
levels of learning and experience outside the normal everyday
patterns of life. It is an important contribution to
religion, philosophy and the psycho-social sciences.

Robert Thurmans book Infinite Life is a wonderful introduction to the Buddhist philosophy of enlightenment. It is filled with insightful criticisms of the modern world and spiritual insights for self liberation. He opens the door to awakening to your true reality as an infinite spiritual being interconnected with all other life. He presents wonderful meditative techniques to help you overcome selfishness and delusion and open yourself up as a great light to all other beings. The book is really about living your life for the happiness of others because others happiness is really your happiness due to the inter-connection of all life. As the Buddha said, to live morally you must live your life for others. The happiness of others and not ones own petty cravings and desires should be the ultimate goal of a human being. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. It's about concern for others and being mindful of how all your actions, thoughts, and deeds affect others. It's about being mindful of others suffering and working to alleviate this suffering through your love and compassion for all other beings. Most of all it's about opening up to the selfless nature of life and letting go of all attachments so as to live a life of unbounded infinite goodness.

What if everything you did actually had eternal and infinite repercussions? Of course there are some very negative possibilities, but there are infinite positive possibilities as well, and it's just a matter of training ourselves to develop the necessary virtues and characteristics (such as patience and generosity). If we are willing and able to do this, then we can cause our infinite lives to resonate with compassion for all beings.

For me, I was very encouraged by this book. It reassured me that working to develop such virtues as patience and generosity is not a vain, quixotic mission, but actually has a profound and eternal effect on our world and the larger universe. In essence, what we do actually matters. This is either horrifying or thrilling, depending on how much work you're willing to put into the outcome. Professor Thurman asks his readers to take a "leap of faith" early on in this book and imagine that our lives are not finite and limited in space and time, but that our lives and values resonate infinitely. If you're an old school "show me" materialist, this requested leap of faith may turn you off out of the gate. However, if you have experienced intimations of some value to your life beyond the weekly paycheck and the car payment, then this book may help you to frame a long-term perspective on the true value of your life.

Professor Thurman was one of the West's first Tibetan Buddhist monks, and is a prolific writer. He definitely has a political POV (so if you are an ardent advocate of gas-guzzling vehicles, for example, you may not take to his world-view), and assumes that his readers are in agreement with his "take" on modern Western consumerism as a vapid and unrewarding way of life. I happen to agree with this POV, so it wasn't hard for me to get behind his worldview. However, if you enjoy brawling and hunting woodland creatures for pleasure, you may find Professor Thurman's POV a bit too liberal for your taste.

I wanted to like this book, but Thurman made it hard for me. He's a knowledgeable and astute writer, but I found his message a bit, well, evangelical for my taste, which is ironic considering this is a book about Buddhism. His obvious and strident dislike of America and capitalism is a big turn off. I guess if you agree with this politics, or can ignore his constant, tiresome references to what's wrong with America, blah, blah, you can learn a great deal about Buddhism from this book.
It would have been nice to have a little less preaching, ego, and more teaching.

I love this book! I'm sleeping beauty and this book is a kiss bringing me back to life. I'm Frankenstein and this book is Gene Wilder shouting, "It's Alive!" I'm a sleepy rural town that hasn't entertained a new idea for generations and this book is a cosmic circus riding into town on a comet with new ideas of a wider view delighting the impressionable minds of young children.

Sobering up a bit, I feel immense gratitude to Robert Thurman for introducing me to his network of connections. His writing seems to me infused with inspiration and compassion. Practically, encountering the work has done much to effectively focus and direct my meditation practice in a way that has so far proven fruitful in bringing about experiences of a relatively open and flexible way of living in the world. I hope that in encountering this work you find yourself opening up in a sublimely beautiful way with all our relations.