Unconditional Bliss: Finding Happiness in the Face of Hardship [Paperback]

Howard Cushnir (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

We can be happy in spite of hardship, heartbreak, or a job we hate. Pie-in-the-sky? This down-to-earth guy shows us how. When personal tragedy struck, Howard Cushnir already knew the Zen practice of staying in the moment. But he wasn't prepared for the gift of grace he received. One day, all but lost, he was suddenly suffused with a complete sense of well-being---not a passing experience, but one available from then on. Paying close attention to the changes in his own inner states, Howard soon realized that feeling blissful is a choice we can always make, regardless of our circumstances.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A wonderful distillation of the classical spiritual approach to life. It is practical, refreshing, and fun to read. -- Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and A Heart as Wide as the World

Both clear and practical, honest and wise. Cushnir can help us plumb life's mystery and joy. -- Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within

Simple, direct, and deeply joyful. This indispensable handbook for spiritual well-being will satisfy even the harshest critics. -- Mark Matousek, author of Sex Death Enlightenment and Dialogues with a Modern Mystic

About the Author

Raphael Cushnir's road to bliss has been circuitous. He grew up in a San Fernando Velley suberb, where as a teenager he taught American literature to other teens in the short-staffed school district. After a decade of teaching and storytelling, Cushnir became an activist for the environment and human rights. He devised innovative media campaigns that included such celebrities as Madonna, Pearl Jam, Demi Moore and Michael J. Fox.

His passion for filmmaking led to an ongoing stint in Hollywood. He wrote, directed, and produced the Showtime movie, Sexual Healing, staring Helen Hunt, Anthony Edwards, and Jason Alexander. The film was nominated for two Cable Ace awards and won Grand Prize at the Houston Film Festival. Designed by Cushnir as a not-for-profit venture, it raised over $30,000 for the Minority AIDS Project.

Cushnir has also written scripts for the Geffen Company, Warner Brothers, and Columbia Pictures. In addition, his articles have appeared in Mother Jones and the LA Weekly, and his children's book, The Secret Spinner, was published in 1985. With the advent of multimedia, Cushnir codesigned the $5 million techno-spiritual odyssey, Obsidian, which Gamezilla magazine called "the very best game in any genre."

The discovery that a state of bliss is always available came to Cushnir after a period of profound grief. He's not an "expert" in the traditional sense, nor does he claim the authority of any organized group or lineage. Instead, Cushnir's aim is simply to share the gift that was given to him. He's come to understand that bliss is possible for anyone, at any time, through the asking of two simple questions and a constant focus on direct experience. Cushnir is a student and practitioner of Vipassana and Taoist meditation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Quest Books; First Edition edition (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0835607925
• ISBN-13: 978-0835607926
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,006,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, November 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Unconditional Bliss: Finding Happiness in the Face of Hardship (Paperback)

Unconditional Bliss came into my hands during a devastating breakup. I needed what most self-help books, with their bright covers and promises, never gave me: specific strategies for handling moments of crisis. With great gentleness and humor, Howard Raphael Cushnir asks the reader to study the way he or she feels joy or grief, to see how breathing and self-talk affect that process. The way he does this showed me tools I had never before recognized, and what I learned from using them changed my life. I recommend this book with all my heart.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The How of Now, November 4, 2002

By 

Marian (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unconditional Bliss: Finding Happiness in the Face of Hardship (Paperback)

As a longtime seeker of enlightenment, I've read many a book that promised guidance. And I've received a fair share. But this book has come into my life at a crucial time and seems, more than others before it, equal to the task. It provides a simple and effective--I didn't say "easy"-- method for attaining bliss by teaching a two-question process. The first question brings one's present reality into focus; the second gives one a "leg up" on accepting that reality.

When I read a book that thoroughly meets my needs, as now, I don't pretend to be impartial or a careful critic. In fact, I want to say that the writing is exquisite, but don't know how much my pleasure in the book's content informs that opinion.

If timing is everything, and I believe it is, then my wish for you, reading this review, is to share my good fortune. May you meet this book with an open heart, letting the gift of its message march in.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two simple steps to Unconditional Bliss!, October 23, 2000

By 

John (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unconditional Bliss: Finding Happiness in the Face of Hardship (Paperback)

In his new book, author Howard Raphael Cushnir asserts that it's possible to experience radiant bliss no matter how bad life gets. "I invite you to experience this bliss," he writes, "when it's easy, when it's a challenge, and when it seems utterly impossible." Then, stunningly, he shows the reader exactly how. In this elegant, straightforward book, Cushnir shares a simple practice he calls Living the Questions that can help us to access "the bliss that lives within." A self-described skeptic, Cushnir describes how he discovered this bliss by paying close attention to his experience after his life fell apart. Candid self-revelations support his thesis that one needn't be an expert to find this deep and abiding inner bliss. The practice he distilled consists of two simple questions, to be asked and answered moment-by-moment. Examples throughout the book illustrate how the practice applies to daily situations, from the mundane (overeating, traffic) to the deep-seated (loneliness, loss, unresolved childhood issues). Highly accessible and practical, yet profound in its implications, it's a great read with a great message.