Customer Reviews

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

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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!

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)!

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.

This book introduces the beliefs and practices of Buddhism and Yoga, and finishes with some practical applications of Buddhist practices including empathic assertiveness, handling anger and taking a problem-solving stance to resolving conflict.

Levine is a researcher in experimental psychology. He follows a disciplined, analytic approach in his presentation of Buddhism and Yoga, and has written the book in a practical, teaching format. Divided into 36 short chapters each dealing with a discrete aspect of the teaching and each chapter ends with a set of thought provoking questions "For Reflection and Discussion". I found the writing to be unpretentious and clear. He does not revert to flaky arguments, nor ask the reader to accept too much on faith.

The book starts by briefly discussing the background and formation of Buddhism and moves on to explain the core of the Buddhist teachings. He includes a useful discussion and comparison of the Yogic doctrines, which have much in common with Buddhism. Levine draws on Buddhist mythology, Western psychology and his own experiences in practicing Buddhism and Yoga to portray a set of practices to develop wisdom and maturity within the individual.

I liked the fact that the book is written from an introductory point of view, and that it provides reasons for the Buddhist beliefs and practices with many practical examples of their application in everyday life. I have been able to apply much of what Levine discusses - from how I think about issues, to my motivation in doing things, to how I act towards others. The book includes a good subject index, and a list of bibliographic references and further readings.

The only thing I would criticize Levine for was his occasional brief wanderings into theoretical discussion of a point.

Though not a "motivational" book I found the content very inspirational, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an introduction to the practices and benefits of Buddhism and Yoga, and also to those seeking a comparison of the similarities and differences between Buddhism, Yoga and Western psychology.

This book is a neat introduction to Buddhism and Yoga. I knew practically nothing about these but received great understanding. The application of these ideas to handling anger is one of the most useful set of teachings I've ever read. And the writing is beautiful. I couldn't put it down. It reads like a page-turning thriller. I highly recommend it for enlightenment, enjoyment, and usefulness.

I recently started practising Yoga and I really enjoy doing it. So I decided to learn more about Yoga, and when I did a search online there was so much information about Buddhism and Yoga. I knew nothing about EITHER. This book was a great place to start out as a complete beginner.

On a side note, I have a lot of anger issues and this book has given me the information to take the steps for changing my life for the better.

pp. 213-4: "this book is a primer, an introduction to the most basic teachings of Buddhism and Yoga. It is introductory...My sense in presenting the teachings of Buddhism & Yoga was that the reader would be new to them, to their radical emphasis on self-transformation." It also has some comparisons with certain Western psychologies & concludes with a section on anger. Rather than a scholarly work, it is conversational & replete with stories, anecdotes, poems, etc. It is very basic & easy reading. The 1st section concerns Southern (often called Hinayana-which is derogatory) Buddhism (though the book includes some Zen stories). The 2nd section is on Hindu Yoga (e. g. Patanjali) & seems more detailed, including original drawings of mental processes. It's heavily Hatha Yoga, & ignores Raja Yoga entirely. The 3rd section is on cognitive & behavioral psychology-unlike many current works relating Eastern psychology to psychoanalysis, analytical psychology, etc.-even the bibliography ignores such works. The 4th section is on using these 3 to control anger. For a Buddhist view on anger, see Thubten Chodron's fine "Working with Anger." The most interesting items to me were: p. 77: Escher's poem "Transcending," yoga described as similar to mindfulness (& to me Zen), p. 132 table 24.1 & preceding pages mapping yoga angas to Buddha's 8-fold path, p. 151 "problem-solving therapy" though Deborah Tannen might categorize it as a masculine approach, & p. 177 the five stages of anger (most interestingly stage 4: "there is no anger" is lower than stage 5: "anger is the servant." I don't think these 2 are serial, but I agree with the order. Perhaps the most profound yet congruent observation was: p. 193: "The man who is angry at you or who yells at you, doesn't see you but sees his own conception of you." I think Mahayana Buddhists would even go farther & point out that we are all aggregates (which our author does indeed directly imply in his many examples) of innumerable influences. Still, there is the sticky issue of free will to consider. This is a fun book with some valuable insights, but as the author states, it is introductory. Nonetheless, it provides useful techniques (especially Hatha Yoga & anger control).

I have read many books involving Buddhism and Yoga, and this one is by far the best. Marvin Levine has written a concise but comprehensive analysis of Buddhism, and gives insight into the applications of Buddhism to everyday life. This book is impossible to put down, and is not at all difficult to read. If you are looking for an interesting, practical, and inspirational approach to Buddhism and Yoga, this book is certainly for you.

Dr. Marvin Levine has written a valuable guide for those seeking spiritual healing and contentment. Whether or not you have tried Yoga, been in counseling, or know anything about Buddism does not matter. This book pulls together these three disparate approaches so smoothly that we wonder why we haven't always considered them as inter-related. It is written without jargon, with a structure that makes it accessable as an occassional reference guide or a deep read.

This book will hold your interest in a subject that most people wish to know more about..It takes the mystery out of the average persons understanding of Buddhism and Yoga...It is well written and hard to put down once you start to read it.It is a must reading for any one interested in eastern traditions..I highly recommend this clearly written text..