The Heart of the Revolution: The Buddha's Radical Teachings on Forgiveness, Compassion, and Kindness [Paperback]

Noah Levine (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 5, 2011

“The Buddha’s teachings are not a philosophy or a religion; they are a call to action and invitation to revolution.”

Noah Levine, author of the national bestseller Dharma Punx and Against the Stream, is the leader of the youth movement for a new American Buddhism. In Heart of the Revolution, he offers a set of reflections, tools, and teachings to help readers unlock their own sense of empathy and compassion. Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within, declares Levins to be "in the fore among Young Buddhas of America, a rebel with both a good cause and the noble heart and spiritual awareness to prove it,” saying, “I highly recommend this book to those who want to join us on this joyful path of mindfulness and awakening."

Editorial Reviews

Review

“You can feel it in the very sentences - Levine’s earnest drive to share what he’s learned, to bring us along into the open heart of revolution. This is a terrific new take on the old teachings - and I believe him. I want to join.” (Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones)

“A passionate and timely appeal to overcome self-centredness through love and compassion, combined with eminently practical meditations to help you do so.” (Stephen Batchelor, author of Confession of a Buddhist Atheist)

“The Heart of the Revolution is refreshing, relevant and to the point. A great manual for developing love and compassion in these difficult times.” (Martine Batchelor, Author of Let Go and The Spirit of the Buddha)

“It offers a fresh look at mercy, a term not frequently used in Buddhism; includes an extensive commentary on the Metta Sutta; gives the lowdown on personal and romantic love; and explores cosmology and the three personality types according to traditional Buddhist thought.” (Shambhala Sun)

From the Back Cover

Noah Levine has become the voice of the next generation of American Buddhism. In The Heart of the Revolution, he invites us on a journey to discover the loving heart. Despite being an acclaimed Buddhist teacher, Levine doubted whether he could ever release the anger deep within. After many years he finally realized the truth of this essential Buddhist belief—compassion is a natural quality of the heart that is often lying dormant, waiting to be uncovered. Levine now reveals the tools that helped him embrace his true Buddha nature. The practices he describes in this book are not a quick fix but a map to a hidden treasure. Free yourself from the unnecessary suffering of life and join the rebellion fueled not by hatred but by forgiveness, compassion, and kindness.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; Original edition (April 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061711241
• ISBN-13: 978-0061711244
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Noah's most honest and heartfelt book so far April 26, 2011

By Ian Sherman

Format:Paperback

I just had the chance to see Noah Levine read from his third book, The Heart of the Revolution, here in Seattle tonight. As he started, he hesitated; he said, "Maybe I should choose a different section." I didn't know quite what he meant. And then he began: returning to his time as a seventeen-year-old screw-up, to the undifferentiated hate he felt, the hate that flowed in every direction, including recursively, swirling and coiling within himself. And as he read, he wept and wept. He'd stop every couple of minutes to compose himself. But I could tell that he was present with everything he was feeling as he read it: back in the moment of writing it, back further in the moment of feeling it, back into the years of work it took to forgive it.

I have trouble sometimes with the heart practices--lovingkindness, forgiveness, heartfelt appreciation, and equanimity. Sometimes I think, "oh, I just don't feel it the way that others do." But tonight I saw what it means to train the heart to feel compassion: the work it takes, and the wonderful gift it allows. I'm feeling renewed and rededicated in my own practice.

Noahs' first book, Dharma Punx, was his own story of coming out of hatred, greed and disillusionment; coming into mindfulness and compassion. His second, Against the Stream, was a guide to the Buddha's teachings in the language and style of his own Dharma Punx teaching. Both have been so transformative to so many people, and I loved both dearly. But I feel like this book allows Noah to come more fully into his own, to show his own real contribution to the dharma, besides the movement that has sprung up in his wake--for he leads with his heart, more strongly than most other teachers I know. He's raw and immediate and unflinching in his forgiveness and compassion.... Here he is as teacher, but here he is too as wounded body, showing us the history of his own healing.

Highly recommended for those new to Buddhist practice and for those searching for new insights on an established practice. Read it like Levine did tonight, with loving compassion for the emotion that went into its crafting. Read more ›

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Embracing the Dharma, defying the fluff... May 16, 2011

By Precious Metal: the blog

Format:Paperback

Appropriately, Noah Levine's third book is less of a memoir than the first two. His previous books, "Dharma Punx" and "Against The Stream" have become staples in the Gen X Buddhist library.

"Dharma Punx",his first book, was an in depth look at where Noah came from. From his childhood, teen years and into his adult life we see someone who not only blossoms into a beacon of compassion, but someone who bucks the typical idea of what you or I may have of what a Buddhist "should be". His tattoos and rough exterior are not every day indicators that we are witnessing a true revolutionary lead his troops into battle. That said, his second book "Against The Stream" is consequently subtitled "A Buddhist Manual for Spiritual Revolutionaries".

"Heart Of The Revolution" is less of a manual per say, but has a very similar tone to "Against The Stream". He does get into more of the nitty gritty teachings, and explains them in his own way. His line by line break down of the Metta Sutta defies the established meaning, and sheds a different, and less religious light on one of the most important Sutta's in Buddhism.

Having struggled recently with issues such as rebirth and karma, I appreciate Noah's vigor in explaining his view on them. In one section I really liked when he said, "But whether we believe in karma and reincarnation or not, that perspective should not change our relationship to the suffering in this world. We are still responsible to try to help each other. We are still responsible for our actions. Whether the abused child was a real jerk in his last lifetime or not, our heart's response to suffering should always be a compassionate willingness to protect and forgive.... Likewise in relation to the abuser or oppressor: even if she will eventually bear the consequences of her actions, that outcome should not be used as an excuse not to intervene. Ultimately, the trained heart would respond with equal compassion and understanding to both the abuser and the abused."

His unorthodox approach to the Dharma introduces a topic I've not read much about from a Buddhist perspective, and that is mercy. He speaks about it not from a "compassion toward someone that you have power over", but "to stop hurting, to cease causing harm, to end suffering." He also doesn't talk about mercy in a way where we are having mercy for other's, but having mercy for ourselves. To stop being harmful to ourselves, trying to alleviate the suffering we cause every single day. This doesn't mean we shouldn't have mercy for other's, but Noah stresses the idea that we need to involve ourselves in these practices.

I've always gone along with that idea, kind of like, we can't help other's with their own yard if our backyard is a disaster area. It is ok to work on your own stuff, we are in no shape to help others if not.

At the end of each chapter, there are meditation exercises that I am excited to try. Having read them over, I do not believe anyone would have an issue implementing them into a meditation practice. Having attended a talk Noah led, and meditated with his instruction, these are easy enough to understand and focus on.

Even if you have not read Noah's previous books, he does give a brief look into his life so you'll see where he is coming from. If you pick this book up before the other's, they are not written in succession and you will get just as much out of this as you would having read the other's first.

I always recommend Noah's books to folks I know would appreciate his outlook on things, and will continue to do so. If you are looking for a different perspective on the Dharma, but one that still invokes the same ideals and core teachings, than I highly recommend getting a copy of "Heart Of The Revolution". Read more ›

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars changed my life October 21, 2011

By outreached

Format:Paperback

I really needed this book. With every page I began to understand my own struggles and how to relate better to them. I have had a difficult upbringing and now am suffering from my midlife depression (41 years). This book was just what I was looking for! It demystifies meditation and Buddha and gets rid of the elitism that often comes with the enlighten teachers. With this book he invites you to the revolution of healing and detachment. His examples are achievable to the novice and understandable. He is the voice of my generation and has delivered a tangible way to heal and find peace. He honesty and transparency is key Congrats on this book and many thanks.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I bought this for my husband but I received the gift July 9, 2012

By Misty

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is the first book I've read by Noah. My husband often attends his Monday night meditation gatherings.
I bought all three books for him as a gift. I picked up, Heart of the Revolution and haven't been able to put it down. The first two pages, discussing our attachments to pleasure and avoidance of pain, could be daily reading. Obviously, these are not new thoughts in Buddhism, but they are reiterated in a simple and beautiful way.
I'm familiar with the concept of letting myself and others off the hook. This book has pushed my old ideas of compassion aside and encouraged me to delve deeper into ultra-forgiveness.
I love reading a book that challenges my old beliefs systems and raises the bar on spiritual concepts. In my experience, books that have that capability are few and far between. Grateful for the opportunity to grow and thankful for the material that inspires growth.