Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants: 108 Metaphors for Mindfulness [Paperback]

Arnold Kozak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2009

Not since Mindfulness in Plain English has there been
a more accessible and user friendly book on mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is a process of self-inquiry directed at what is happening in the moment, a focus on experience as it occurs without inner commentary or judgment. Metaphors are indispensable to mindfulness practice. They motivate us, help us bring mindfulness into daily life, and show us how to use mindfulness as a tool for self-improvement. Their imagery helps anchor understanding and provides a bridge from concept to experience. This book presents 108 metaphors for mindfulness, meditation practice, self-change, acceptance, and other related concepts. Compiled by the author over a 25-year period, they employ imagery as diverse as the inner mute button and Earl Gray tea. Many are original; others are selected from the classic literature on Buddhism and mindfulness. Each is a node in a network of interweaving concepts that enliven the experience of mindfulness while alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications; First Edition edition (April 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0861715764
• ISBN-13: 978-0861715763
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Outstanding April 10, 2009

By Eric Gross VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I have practiced some form of Buddhism (or nonduality) much of my adult life. Frankly, I have found the practice of "mindfulness" which is the purpose of this book, to be somewhat limiting since it often sustains a belief in a "me" that is independent of the field of awareness. This book straightened me out on the practice. It is extremely well written and its greatest power is its consistent pithiness. I very strongly recommend that you pick this book up - it will change your life. But, best of all, it will make meditation to be a part of every waking moment of your life. That is not overstating it.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Practice! Practice! Practice! March 22, 2009

By Katharine M. Hikel

Format:Paperback

Practice! Practice! Practice!

In this delightful book, Dr. Arnie Kozak welcomes readers with his practical approach to mindful living.

This is partly a `how to' book about mindfulness - an owner's manual for the workings of the conscious brain - the mental quirks and habits that are the source of all our grief and glory, that make us who we are; but it's more than that. The book is really a collection of stories - very short stories, which Arnie calls metaphors; he uses these mini-tales to show how we think (and feel); how to cultivate awareness of what we think and feel; and how to optimally manage our thoughts and feelings.

Arnie's guide to mindful living includes things we all know and love: literature, TV, psychiatry, movies, philosophy, poetry, rock'n'roll, and headlines from the news.
Along with stories from the writer's own life and practice, there's a fun and lively sampling from T.S. Eliot, Star Trek, The Dog Whisperer, Nietzsche, Rainer Maria Rilke, Henry David Thoreau, Pema Chodron, Charles Dickens, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and other wise, witty, and wonderful voices from the fray of civilization.

With this book, readers can start from the beginning - or dive in anywhere. Read section by section - or take one metaphor at bedtime. It's a welcome tonic for both mind and heart.

Katharine Hikel, MD
Author
Dr. Trixie's Prescriptions

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Indispensable Tool May 13, 2009

By Jaimal Yogis

Format:Paperback

I love this book. It's an indispensable tool for all who love language and all who want to live more mindfully, happily, humorously, and poetically.

Drowning in thought. Her ship has sailed. We'll all float on ok. I'm in the flow today. We literally can't speak without metaphors. It's the way we're wired. You may think you already know this, but reading Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants illuminates in a clear, simple way how the story-telling, metaphorical mind actually works, and how we can use it skillfully to promote contentment rather than letting the stories crash down on us from all directions (to use one of my favorite metaphors).

Kozac's 108 metaphors are often humorous, but they also go surprisingly deep. A longtime psychologist and meditation practitioner, Kozak manages to touch on the heart of mindfulness practice by noting how the mind can only be described in reference to other things - noting that "mindfulness" is itself a metaphor that views the mind as container - which, to me, is a lovely description of the Buddhist notion of dependent origination, interdependence.

I'm enjoying leaping around the book as I please, reading a few each day. One of my favorites Kozac blesses us with in the first pages. Citing psychologist Julian Jaynes, Kozak notes that the verb to be is derived from the Sanskrit bhu, which means "to grow" or " to make grow". "Thus," he continues, " to be has the same etymological root as another Sanskrit verb asmi, which means `to breathe'. And here, encapsulated in the language of an ancient metaphor, we see that living and breathing are one. And, in poignant connection to the themes in the rest of the book, we can also reflect on the fact that the process of breathing is the foundation of mindfulness meditation, and by extension mindfulness is itself a practice of being."

I would especially recommend this book to meditation and yoga teachers. It's an incredible source for stories and material.

By Jaimal Yogis, author of Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer's Quest to Find Zen on the Sea