Pay Attention, for Goodness' Sake: Practicing the Perfections of the Heart--The Buddhist Path of Kindness [Hardcover]

Sylvia Boorstein Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 2002

According to the Buddha, the path of kindness is the path of happiness. Now Sylvia Boorstein, nationally bestselling author of It’s Easier Than You Think, has taken the 2500-year-old practice of developing the qualities of a compassionate heart—the core of the Buddha’s own practice—and made it accessible to all. Pay Attention for Goodness’ Sake is the first book ever to guide Western readers on the path of the Buddha’s Ten Paramitas, the Perfections of the Heart. Boorstein combines traditional Buddhist teachings and parables with stories from her own life, as well as easy-to-follow meditations, to show how the practice of Mindfulness—paying attention in everyday life—can lead to these perfections that all of us strive for, including Generosity, Morality, Wisdom, Energy, Patience, Determination, and Equanimity.

When we take on this practice, Boorstein notes, “our vision becomes transformed. We see, with increasing clarity, the confusion in our own minds and the suffering in our own hearts. . . . And we also see the extraordinariness of life, how amazing it is that life exists.” Boorstein’s lively and practical lessons about everyday generosity, morality, making and mending mistakes, the bliss of blamelessness, and other human concerns and frailties, help to clarify our distractions and connect us with our own goodness, “the part of ourselves that wishes it had done differently.”

For Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike, Pay Attention for Goodness’ Sake is a cheerful, inspiring book that offers the possibility of a transformed life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like that of fellow insight meditation teacher Jack Kornfield, Boorstein's teaching and writing style is like chocolate: what she has to say goes down easily and smoothly, and you want a whole lot more of it. The author of That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist and other books uses clear and simple terms, apt examples drawn from daily life and a liberal lacing of humor to sweeten the lessons. Through traditional Buddhist story and contemporary personal anecdote, practical meditation techniques and a nifty periodic table of virtue that links qualities and practices, she engagingly and clearly lays out the Buddha's teaching of the 10 Paramitas, or perfections of the heart. Her wonderfully self-deprecating teaching tales heighten her point that enlightenment and compassion are always conditions to be realized over and over rather than fixed states enjoyed by the advanced practitioner. Boorstein's fresh interpretations of the Buddha's teachings of renunciation, energy, patience and other heart-perfections make them desirable and, more importantly, highly doable. Showing that the Buddha's Four Noble Truths are a path of practice rather than a set of cognitions, this book of training in the everyday cultivation of virtue is a wonderful complement to books that train the mind through meditation. Even better than chocolate, this book can be savored again and again.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Excellent writing and a solid grasp of their subjects mark the efforts of these two authors. While both treat aspects of Buddhist thought, Boorstein's perspective derives from the Mahayana school, while Palmo's tradition is Tibetan. Boorstein (That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist) focuses on the ten paramitas (perfections of the heart), which include generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, determination, lovingkindness, and equanimity, and she devotes a chapter to each. (Of course, concepts like wisdom and equanimity are also a part of Tibetan Buddhism, but they operate differently in that tradition.) In each chapter, Boorstein follows the same format, first offering an explanation of what the particular paramita means within Buddhism, then instructing us on how to use the concept effectively in meditation, and finally illustrating the paramita with stories that grow out of her own experience and usefully show how that quality can be applied in life. By contrast, Palmo, a Buddhist nun, begins with a brief account of her life and training in Tibetan Buddhism. She then considers many of the major concepts of this school, including the six realms (e.g., hell, which she describes as a mind filled with anger; shamatha, or calm abiding; and vajrayana, or meditation that makes use of visualization). In addition, Palmo provides some wonderfully informative and useful chapters such as "Women and the Path" and "Difficult Points for Westerners." The latter includes an insightful discussion of karma and rebirth. Boorstein treats a more limited subject matter, while Palmo offers both greater breadth and depth. Both books are recommended, not only because they treat material from different schools of Buddhist thought but because both offer thorough explanations of their chosen subjects. Furthermore, the stories used to illustrate and clarify the various topics are effective and interesting, offering clear illustrations of how the teachings can be applied to life. David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (August 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345448103
• ISBN-13: 978-0345448101
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,076,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wisdom, serenity, insight, August 27, 2002

By 

Roger E. Herman (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pay Attention, for Goodness' Sake: Practicing the Perfections of the Heart--The Buddhist Path of Kindness (Hardcover)

In all fairness to my readers, I must begin this review by telling you that I typically review business books. This is not a business book. I'm not sure how I got it, but somehow this unusual (for me) book appeared on my shelf of books to review. I took it along on a business trip, more out of curiosity and whimsy than a particular interest in actually reading the book. On the airplane, for some reason, I decided to skim through "Pay Attention, for Goodness Sake" instead of reading a business book I'd also brought along.

This read was refreshing. Good word. It was a refreshing change of pace from my usual fare. But, it was also re-freshing, if I may hyphenate for emphasis. Sylvia Boorstein, both a Jew and a Bhuddist, has written a number of books. Thought I haven't read them, I suspect, like this one, they teach in a conversational, comfortable way. I learned and found some interesting comfort as I read through these pages, like having an interesting discussion with someone who knows more than you do. You want to listen. As I turned page to page, I found myself held to the book. I wanted to read a little more and a little more.

This is a thoughtful book, describing ten "paramitas" or perfections. The organization and flow of the book makes it easy to grasp the author's message and organize it in your own mind. The introduction explains the concepts and their application. Each "perfection" or practices is presented in its own chapter: Generosity, Morality, Renunciation, Wisdom, Energy, Patience, Truthfulness, Determination, Lovingkindness, and Equanimity. I would describe the work as an instructional guide that inspires the reader to think . . . no, to ponder.

This is not a business book in the customary classification of books, but I'd certainly recommend it for current and aspiring business leaders. We all need to pay attention more than we are; we miss so much in today's rush-rush world. Take time to reflect, to ponder. Refresh yourself with this book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Written by a true buddha, September 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Pay Attention, for Goodness' Sake: Practicing the Perfections of the Heart--The Buddhist Path of Kindness (Hardcover)

This is the first book I've ever read by Sylvia Boorstein, but I doubt it will be the last. In Pay Attention, Boorstein teaches us about the ten Paramitas, or the pefections of the heart. She uses parables and stories from her own life to teach us what the paramitas are about as well as how they are beneficial to us if we put them into practice. She's very open, honest, and kind and writes the book as if you're sitting right there next to her and she's having a conversation with you. She doesn't make anything confusing or get too wordy like many Buddhist authors of today do.. she just tells us what we need to know and offers a few short stories to help get the point across. I personally found this book to be one of the best additions to my spiritual library in quite a while. If you're looking for a good book on Buddhism, spirituality, or just something to lift you up and make you feel better as well as the people around you feel better, I would definitely recommend this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars amplifies the understandings of the human heart, March 19, 2003

By 

Jonni O'Connor (Vancouver, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pay Attention, for Goodness' Sake: Practicing the Perfections of the Heart--The Buddhist Path of Kindness (Hardcover)

In my opinion, we can never practice and sustain the loving energy of the heart enough. It needs to be an ongoing focus and commitment in order for us to reap its vast rewards. In the Buddhist practice of Mindfulness, this heart-focus is elegantly laid out as the Ten Paramitas or Perfections of the Heart - particular qualities that are "natural, built-in inclinations of the human heart". In her book, Sylvia Boorstein gives each one of these Paramitas its own chapter, and explores its meaning with humour and wise stories. As a psychologist and meditation teacher, she amplifies the understandings and practical application of these Perfections for everyone to appreciate. The list comprises Generosity, Morality, Renunciation, Wisdom, Energy, Patience, Truthfulness, Determination, Lovingkindness and Equanimity.