The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga : Paths to a Mature Happiness [Paperback]

Marvin Levine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2000

In a manner never before published, this book presents both Buddhism and Yoga and relates them to contemporary Western psychology. Although existing books begin with advanced concepts, such as emptiness or egolessness, The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga begins with very basic concepts and avoids the exotic and so called "mystical" notions. Levine emphasizes the goals of Buddhism and Yoga and the methods they employ to achieve those goals.

This book is divided into four sections. The first deals with Buddhism, the second with Yoga, and the third describes aims and practices in Western clinical psychology. The fourth section is a workshop on handling anger. The central lesson of the first three sections is that one can improve one's life by changing one's self. This fourth section applies this lesson and the methods of the three preceding sections to handling one's own anger. Overall the book is rich with Eastern tales and illustrative anecdotes. These concrete examples vividly illuminate the general conceptual presentation.

Levine shows not only the basic concerns of Buddhism and Yoga and how intensely practical their methods are but how these concerns and methods relate to those of modern Western psychology. Application to daily living is emphasized throughout.

The serious reader should start:
*to experience less anger, agitation, and stress;
*to improve relationships with coworkers, family, and friends; and
*to face life's challenges with greater wisdom and strength.

Editorial Reviews

Review

There are few books that can make a real difference in people's lives--this is one of them....Levine's The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga is an intellectual tour-de-force. It is a 'must read' for any psychologist interested in Eastern thought. Many hundreds of millions of people believe that Enlightenment is the ultimate goal in life. Levine's new book could be the best first step toward becoming Enlightened that any of us will take. This work has the potential to become THE book that people (like me) recommend to many readers as a way to understand Eastern perspectives.
—George Howard, Ph.D.
University of Notre Dame

Marvin Levine tells a profound story in a style that engages while it informs us of new ways to view the world within ourselves and without....This book teaches us vital lessons about how these Eastern philosophical traditions can be integrated with Western psychological methods of understanding the mind...I think it has as much value to novices as well as to professionals in these areas. As a psychologist, Marvin Levine is uniquely qualified to reveal the strands of overlap between these Eastern views of the human condition and those in Western psychological practice.
—Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D.
Stanford University

This remarkable text ought to be of great interest to many psychologists. It very clearly explains the basic tenets of Buddhism and Yoga as they relate to happiness and then shows how these tenets make sense within the context of traditional academic psychology.
—Xenia Coulter
SUNY Empire State College at Ithaca

[The book] is lucid in its explanation of the principles of Buddhism and Yoga. I have never seen a clearer exposition of this kind. It makes a good case that many of these principles are compatible with those of modern, empirically-grounded Western psychology.
—Donald Routh
University of Miami

This book has promise of becoming an instant classic.
—Suresh Srivastva
Case Western Reserve University

About the Author

Marvin Levine, a well-known researcher and theorist in cognitive-experimental psychology, received his M.A. at Harvard where he worked with B.F. Skinner and George Miller, and his Ph.D. with Harry Harlow at the University of Wisconsin. Since 1965 he has been a professor in the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook University.

His earliest work was on intellectual problem solving, research that served to counter the then popular conditioning view of human behavior. He later turned his attention to interpersonal problem solving, giving workshops on assertiveness training and anger management, and for several years helped resolve disputes as a volunteer mediator. He is also a published poet and a professional musician. As is revealed in this volume, all these activities have contributed to his understanding of human nature.

He also maintained a long-standing interest in Eastern philosophy. He gradually began to see similarities between the conceptions and methods of Buddhism and Yoga and those of Western psychotherapy. In this accessible book he discusses these three systems. The exotic and "mystical" trappings from Buddhism and Yoga are stripped away. The emphasis, instead, is on their aims and methods, and their relation to Western psychology. This approach provides a clear understanding of how to live a more useful, happier life. It is also an essential read for anyone interested in an enlarged framework for modern psychology.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Psychology Press (May 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805838333
• ISBN-13: 978-0805838336
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #226,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As a physcian...., July 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga : Paths to a Mature Happiness (Paperback)

As a physician who has treated clinical anxiety and depression for the past 15 years, Levines book caught my eye at our local library. For the past several years I`ve incorporated many buddhist and yogic principles into my own life. I've read multiple authors and as many different approaches to practicing these disciplines. After years of self-study and several retreats, I have a plethora of scattered info. and techniques that allow me to practice meditation and heighten my awareness to enrich my day and overall life. Throughout this time I have always been amazed at how buddhism and the hindu principles behind yoga overlap into the modern day Cognitive-Behavioral psychotherapy, of which I rely heavily in my clinical medical practice. So when I started to read Levine's book I soaked it up like a sponge. He takes all three disciplines and, with clever flare, shows how they do overlap and provides practical ways of application . His style and presentation is that you do not have to know anything about any of these three methods to have a working and usable understanding of all three at the end. Separate scholars in these three areas may find this approach too abbreviated, as Levine does hit the highpoints of each topic. He acknowledges this several times throughout the book. However, it depends on what your goals are with techniques such as these. My goal is not to know every "nook and cranny" about theses three topics. Nor is it to become a disciple of any of them [ although I have to understand Cognitive-Behavioral psychotherapy in my practice]. My goal-----is to better understand my day and life in order to draw deeper joy and dimension from both. And I don't care what method I use to do this [a hybrid of all three is fine with me].Finally,the real gem of this book is near the end when Levine pulls all three topics together with two schematic type diagrams[Figures 22.1 and 25.1]. In these he uses terminology[from all three] to construct the "mental tracking" that occurs of the Unenlightened and the Enlightened Mind. When I first saw these two diagrams I felt they were clever. When I started to use the diagrams in daily personal problem solving, I became aware of how ingenious they are. Up to this point Enlightenment was a lot of vague and "flowery" concepts from other authors. I sort of knew what it was and sort of thought I was heading in that direction. Levine's very practical diagrams made this much more concrete. It also drove home the idea of evolution. Another words, you develop a mindset and parameters for Enlightenment and apply these principles to issues throughout your day and life. Hence, Enlightenment is not something you reach, it is something you practice.Levine's way may not be exactly what the Buddha and Yogics had in mind, but it sure works. This book is a very "highlighted" and treasured part of my "personal growth" library. A true classic for me!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Promises to be a Classic, August 2, 2005

By 

M. Hill (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga : Paths to a Mature Happiness (Paperback)

This book is both a wonderful introduction to the psychological frameworks of Buddhism and Yoga (B&Y) and--most importantly--a practical guide to applying these systems to develop greater emotional maturity and overall wellbeing. According to Levine, the path to mature happiness developed in the ancient philosophies of B&Y requires calming one's conditioned beliefs and "passions" to allow greater control by the "anterior mind" (the "mind's eye" capable of observing, contemplating, and directing the mind). At the extreme, an "immature" individual is entirely conditioned by his or her culture, language, and biology--yielding the positive functions of anterior mind nonfunctional. Much like a little child, such a person's mental state is completely at the mercy of the external environment. He/she feels alright when a craving or ego desire is fed--but falls into tantrums and anguish whenever a craving or desire cannot be satisfied. Moreover, perception and interpretation of external events are distorted by the conditioned mind and its many unchecked passions (ego needs, cravings and attachments, fears and aversions, antipathies and resentments). The result is a life filled with suffering and illusion.

Fortunately, children typically do learn to moderate their most selfish behaviors as they grow to adulthood: "[P]art of growing up entails learning some self-transformation" (p. 54). Nevertheless, Levine points out that our American vision of "normal" allows for a mix of mature and immature behavior. "Normal" adults experience disquieting feelings (anger, pettiness, impatience, envy) quite regularly: e.g., when "stuck" in a traffic jam or when passed over for promotion at work. Because such unhappy events are common, many of us spend a great deal of time and energy feeling upset about one thing or another.

Levine points out that we don't have to live that way. Through the cultivation of positive attitudes (harmlessness, truthfulness, trustworthiness, sexual restraint, nonmaterialism) and practices (mindfulness, yoga poses, meditation), the anterior mind is freed more and more to reflect upon one's own mental processes and even transform them for the better. Thus the daily agitations diminish and we feel a greater sense of equanimity and happiness.

Viewing these ancient philosophies through the lens of American "positive psychology," Levine succeeds in developing a powerful "Yogic" model of cognitive processing that shares much with Albert Ellis (e.g., A Guide to Rational Living), Aaron Beck (Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders), David Burns (e.g., Feeling Good), and Martin Seligman (e.g., Authentic Happiness). As such, this highly readable book makes a major contribution to American "Cognitive Therapy." But while mainstream cognitive approaches are limited to diverse techniques for coping with irrational thoughts or troubling events, the Yogic approach described by Levine is comprehensive and holistic. I have began working with these ancient ideas and practices -- my early results suggest a potential to transform every aspect of one's life (mental, emotional, spiritual)!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars M.A.S.T.E.R.L.Y, January 18, 2006

By 

Stephane Smets (Belgium) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga : Paths to a Mature Happiness (Paperback)

Not so many books became instant "classics", this is one of them. As many people, I've read a lot of books on Buddhism, knowing intuitively that there is something interesting there.

I don't know for you, but for me, this gave me by moments an impression of a course in a complex and sometimes confusing jungle. A territory in which the sources are not always highly reliable or captivating. In such a context, the work of Marvin Levine is THE book which I hoped for years.

I am traditionally not a "fan" of the use of superlatives. But in this case,it would be particularly difficult to react differently: Marvin Levine book is truly an outstanding one.

The reasons are many. Among them,

- the text contain one of the clearest and straightforward explanation of the Core of Buddhism available. I've personally never found something like this and didn't knew it exists.

- the amazing relation between Buddhist approaches and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is remarkably explained. Moreover, Levine is a recognized expert in the field of CBT.

- the source is reliable, which is not always easy to find. No "pop-psychology" or "academic annoyances" will be founded here.

- the overall book style is attractive, in addition to its other qualities, this pure gem offer a real and intense reading pleasure.

- this is the kind of book that one preserves preciously in his/her library < in my opinion,the hard-bound edition, of excellent quality, is worth to be considered >

- I don't know excactly why, but,the reading generate an true impression of personal enrichment. Also, this is the kind of book you "feel good" when reading it. Very Positive.

- The uncommon presentation of the Buddhists and Yogic principles is done is such a way that you can DO something with the material, you can apply it if you wich.

- ...

In one word: Remarquable. I hope that this review will contribute to the share of a rare pleasure.