Karma and Happiness: A Tibetan Odyssey in Ethics, Spirituality, and Healing [Paperback]

Miriam E. Cameron (Author), Dalai Lama (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2001

In this book, a nurse uses the story of her journey to Tibet as a framework for showing how we can apply this karmic principle in our daily lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

If storytelling is at the heart of human learning, then Cameron (Hello, I'm God and I'm Here to Help You) has opened a softly lit doorway to a greater understanding of the ethical complexities in the struggle between Tibet and China. Cameron is a Jew who converted from Christianity, and in her quest for a more complete spiritual and ethical framework she found rich, compatible resonances in yoga, the twelve-step program, bioethics and, lastly, Buddhism. A Ph.D. and R.N with a broad yen for wisdom stored across traditions, she and her beloved husband Mike have an apparently insatiable quest for philosophy that guides ethical behavior. This book describes the chapter in their lives wherein they doggedly pursued a just comprehension of the centuries-old relationship between the "neighboring" countries of Tibet and China, a conflict brought to the world's attention by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The gifts of this book are several. The guileless story of their travels, especially in Tibet, is vivid and engaging, engendering empathy a "must read" for anyone contemplating the trip. The thrust and quality of their search to understand the perspective of both nations is a forgotten art. Although Cameron frames the work as an ethical quest, which it is, her greatest gift is a historical and cultural overview of what has transpired between Tibet and China. This should be required reading, especially for American Buddhists.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Fairview Press (August 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157749105X
• ISBN-13: 978-1577491057
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,262,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tibetan journey through wisdom traditions, December 28, 2001

By 

Judith Ormond (Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Karma and Happiness: A Tibetan Odyssey in Ethics, Spirituality, and Healing (Paperback)

Karma and Happiness by Miriam Cameron is a gentle, yet deeply personal
journey through wisdom traditions. Yearning for how best to live an
ethical, caring life, Cameron incorporates Christianity, Judaism, the
Twelve Step Program, yoga, bioethics, and Buddhism into a spiritual
whole.

Cameron vividly describes her harrowing travel in Tibet during which
she, her husband, and fellow travelers come face to face with Tibetan
Buddhism and the Tibetan people's political struggle with China. The
arduous trip becomes a metaphor for her own difficult spiritual journey.
In powerful and compassionate story-telling, she describes her conflict
about how to follow the Buddhist doctrine of non attachment while at the
same time reaching out to help Tibetans.

Cameron has an unusual ability to inspire readers to question
their spiritual wisdom and to reach their own conclusions about what is
best suited for them.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Virtual Journey to Tibet, November 20, 2001

By 

denise jacob (franklin, mi USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Karma and Happiness: A Tibetan Odyssey in Ethics, Spirituality, and Healing (Paperback)

This book is a travelogue, guide to Buddhism, lesson on the China -Tibet conflict, and spiritual journal, all rolled into one. Cameron uses a unique blend of first and third person to describe her experiences, thoughts, and converstations as she travels with a group through China and Tibet. As a reader, I could feel the physical challenges she faced during this arduouous trip and I struggled along with her as she sought answers to spiritual and ethical questions. I found myself wrapped up in this journey and I was thoroughly engaged by her honest and rich descriptions.
I recommend this book to readers who are considering travelling to Tibet, to anyone wishing to develop a greater understanding of Chinese-Tibetan politics, or to those who want to explore Buddhism alongside an American Jewish woman.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OM Mani Padme Hum, April 30, 2004

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Karma and Happiness: A Tibetan Odyssey in Ethics, Spirituality, and Healing (Paperback)

A philosophy of life is a work in progress. ~Miriam E. Cameron

Miriam E. Cameron's work in "Karma and Happiness" is not only a direct result of her journey to Tibet, it is a summary of how to conduct our lives all while knowing we are going to die. This book will interest readers who have an interest in the relationship between the health of individuals and their ethical values. Can spiritual growth lead to emotional and physical healing?

Throughout her life, Miriam has found that no single wisdom tradition meets everyone's needs and that there is a universal desire to be happy. Good choices lead to a happier, healthier life and what goes around, comes around (karma). In this book, Miriam explores Tibet and also takes a journey into the internal world of our own happiness and suffering.

Contents:

The Relationship between Ethics, Spirituality, and Healing

Something Missing - Miriam's journey through Christianity, Judaism and Yoga

Buddhism - The Four Noble Truths, Karma and Ethics, The Sixth Wisdom Tradition

Ethical Problems - What is the right thing to do?

History of Tibet

Mindfulness - Hindu Roots and a Tibetan Refugee Camp

Suffering - Dreams, Pain, Anger, Disappointment, Anxiety, Fear

The Nature of Reality - Interdependence and mutual need

Impermanence - Equanimity and nonattachment

Personal Healing - Mind-Body Interconnectedness and Tibetan Bioethics

Buddha Nature - Nature of the mind and freedom

More Ethical Problems - Questions about Tibet

Compassion - How to Practice Universal Compassion

Healing the World - Diversity and Unity of Values

After reading Miriam's description of enlightenment (She recorded from the teachings of Dorje Rinpoche), I finally understand the concept in full. If you have any interest in Tibet or in Tibetan Buddhism this is an essential book. I have rarely found Buddhism explained quite so succinctly and illustrated quite so creatively. This is a journey into ethics, spirituality and healing with an added dose of humor. Miriam's writing is vivid and her creativity paints vivid recollections of a spiritual journey that becomes a test of physical endurance. Throughout the book I could visualize the journey like a movie.

Miriam's journey to Tibet took her to the limits of her own physical endurance all while taking her to the heights of her own spiritual journey. I loved the conversations she has recorded in detail, the insight gained from her personal experiences in Tibet and how she weaves her philosophy of life into a once-in-a-lifetime journey. She writes with authority and seeks to present a balanced view of Tibet's history. Not only does she explain the current conditions, she writes from the heart and is a seeker of truth.

I liked the concept of being like a beautiful lotus rising out of the mud. If you are looking for a collection of ideas to promote inner peace and settle outer conflicts, you will love this book. After reading this book once, I realized I wanted to read it again because it is a highly interesting story and there are so many concepts I'd love to apply to my own life.

Miriam E. Cameron, PhD, RN, is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing and is also the best-selling author of "Hello, I'm God, and I'm Here to Help You."

~The Rebecca Review