The Sanity We Are Born With: A Buddhist Approach to Psychology [Paperback]

Chogyam Trungpa (Author), Daniel Goleman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2005

More and more mental health professionals are discovering the rich tradition of Buddhist psychology and integrating its insights into their work with clients. Buddhist tradition teaches that all of us are born with what Chögyam Trungpa terms "basic sanity," or inherent goodness, health, and clear perception. Helping ourselves and others to connect with this intrinsic ground of sanity and health is the subject of this collection of teachings, which the author gave to Western psychologists, psychotherapists, and students of Buddhist meditation over a number of years.

The Sanity We Are Born With describes how anyone can strengthen their mental health, and it also addresses the specific problems and needs of people in profound psychological distress. Additionally, the author speaks to the concerns of psychotherapists and any health care professionals who work with their patients' states of mind. The collection includes teachings on:

   •  Buddhist concepts of mind, ego, and intelligence, and how these ideas can be employed in working on oneself and with others
   •  meditation as a way of training the mind and cultivating mindfulness
   •  nurturing our intrinsic health and basic sanity
   •  guidance for psychotherapists and health professionals

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Chögyam Trungpa was the first Buddhist master to present Buddhism in a psychological language that spoke directly to the Western mind. This highly recommended volume, which brings together his penetrating views on Buddhist and Western psychology, will be of great interest to psychotherapists, students of Dharma, and anyone who is concerned with the relationship between the native sun of awakened wisdom within us and the psychological clouds that obscure its light."—John Welwood, author of Towards a Psychology of Awakening

About the Author

Chögyam Trungpa (1940–1987)—meditation master, teacher, and artist—founded Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, the first Buddhist-inspired university in North America; the Shambhala Training program; and an international association of meditation centers known as Shambhala International. He is the author of numerous books including Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, and Smile at Fear.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590300904
• ISBN-13: 978-1590300909
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Uneven postumous collection but with some fine quotes, December 16, 2005

By 

Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sanity We Are Born With: A Buddhist Approach to Psychology (Paperback)

This book is a posthumous collection of Trungpa's articles & talks on Buddhist psychology--one previously published in his fine "Shambhala" & another in Nathan Katz' anthology "Buddhist and Western Psychology" (0877737584). Thus, it is somewhat uneven. Much of it is very basic & not extremely engaging IMHO, but some chapters are extraordinarily interesting & educational. Of note, Trungpa Rinpoche established the Maitri therapeutic community, with Maitri Space Awareness technique, in 1972 (but found they were inadequately trained to treat serious mental illness), Naropa Institute in 1974 where "Contemplative Psychology" was taught, & Windhorse Community Services where people with severe mental problems were treated using "therapeutic households." Major topics of interest include similarities & differences to Western psychology: p. 8: "Coming from a tradition that stresses human goodness, it was something of a shock for me to encounter the Western tradition of original sin," p. 138: "There is not much difference, really. If you work in the Buddhist style, it is just common sense. If you work in the Western style, it is common sense, too" & p. 146: "According to the Buddhist teachings, although we acknowledge that people's problems may have been caused by their past upbringing, we feel that the way to undo problems is to cultivate that person's Maitri on the spot. This is done by working with the person's immediate environment rather than by delving into his or her past. Buddhism does not use the Western analytical approach of tracing back to the roots of neurosis in a person's past." He also explains why the ego is important (p. 77: "The only material we have is ego. There is no other way to spirituality), how meditation relates to therapy (pp. 176-7: "When you meditate properly, the notion of cure doesn't come into the picture. If it does, then meditation becomes psychotherapy), the relation of the 5 Buddha families & the 6 Realms to psychology (Buddhist Typology), & the relation between enlightenment & neuroses (p. 177: "When enlightenment is attained, the neuroses are still there, but they have become immense energy. Energy is the euphemism for neurosis from that point of view). Notably, he states that p. 143: "The interaction between Buddhism & Western psychology has provided fertile ground for the establishment of Buddhism in the West." Overall, this is a useful book, but it's not up to the high standards of his "Meditation in Action" (1570622027) or "Shambhala-The Sacred Path of the Warrior" (0877732647).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a very helpful assortment of writings, June 18, 2007

By 

Stalwart Kreinblaster "SK2008" (Xanadu) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sanity We Are Born With: A Buddhist Approach to Psychology (Paperback)

this is probably not the best introduction of Trungpa's writing, but it has wet my appetite for his ideas and style.. Other reviewers say the book is uneven.. which is probably true.. but that does not take away the significance of this collection which i found to show some aspects of buddhism that i have never considered..

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some shortcomings, but a nice cross section of work...., November 21, 2006

By 

Patrick D. Goonan "see profile for URL" (Livermore, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sanity We Are Born With: A Buddhist Approach to Psychology (Paperback)

Chogyam Trungpa is a controversial figure, however, he was certainly an excellent teacher and had a gift for explaining complex topics. His ability to explain the nature of mind and relate it to Western psychological thought comes across in lucid fashion. While this book does not represent a complete or comprehensive treatment, it certainly has a lot of value and it a good introduction to Buddhist psychology for anyone. It is like a buffet where you can sample and try on a lot of different ideas. If you develop an in-depth interest, there are other more detailed books by this author and many others.