Unlimiting Mind: The Radically Experiential Psychology of Buddhism

by Andrew Olendzki

Overview

Both broad and deep, this eye-opening book is one of the best available overviews of the radical psychological teachings underlying the Buddhist approach to freedom and peace. Sophisticated without being daunting, brilliantly clear without becoming simplistic, Andrew Olendzki's writing is filled with rich phrases, remarkable images, and the fruits of decades of careful thought. Grounded in profound scholarship, psychological sophistication, and many years of teaching and personal practice, this much-anticipated collection of essays will appeal to anyone looking to gain a richer understanding of Buddhism's experiential tools for exploring the inner world. In Unlimiting Mind, Olendzki provokes fresh and familiar reflections on core Buddhist teachings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780861719389
Publisher:	Wisdom Publications MA
Publication date:	04/10/2010
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
File size:	303 KB

About the Author

Andrew Olendzki, PhD, was trained in Buddhist Studies at Lancaster University in England, as well as at Harvard and the University of Sri Lanka. The former executive director of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) and of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS) in Barre, Massachusetts, and executive editor of the Insight Journal, he is now senior scholar at BCBS.

Editorial Reviews

Olendzki, executive director of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and editor of a Buddhist journal, has written a dense book on Buddhist psychology. The book consists of short essays grouped by themes; many of the essays first appeared elsewhere. This gives the book a bit of a sound-bite feel; no one idea is developed for very long, so the reader, given the difficulty of the material, must, like a good Buddhist, pay attention. Olendzki is himself a close reader of Buddhist texts and clearly grounds his reasoning in those texts. His academic prose—use of passive voice, Latinate words—unfortunately compounds the difficulty of comprehension (“If there is no regarding of phenomena as 'mine' then the self who suffers from attachment to phenomena is not constructed”). This is not for the nightstand Buddhist; readers will require some knowledge of the Buddhist understanding of how the mind works, and they will also need some patience with highly abstract prose. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"An excellent and very accessible introduction to Buddhist psychology. Olendzki's presentation of the Abhidhamma is particularly helpful and informative."

David R. Loy

"A wonderful collection. These thoughtful and insightful reflections on the Buddha's teachings will appeal to scholars and practitioners alike."

Stephen Batchelor

"This book has the power to change how you see yourself and the world. It's a remarkable read for teachers, counselors, psychologists, philosophers—anyone concerned with the human condition."

Christopher K. Germer

"Unlimiting Mind is a rare treat. Andrew Olendzki brings a unique and often brilliant perspective to core Buddhist teachings. He enlarges our understanding of basic principles and raises sometimes unsettling questions about familiar assumptions. This book is an excellent introduction to Buddhism as well as an enlightening jolt to experienced practitioners. Highly recommended."

Joseph Goldstein

"I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. Unlimiting Mind is one of the most intelligent collections of articles on Buddhism that I have read for a very long time. An impressive work that shows the Buddha to be not only the first 'psychologist' but an extremely radical thinker."

John Peacock

"An excellent and very accessible introduction to Buddhist psychology. Olendzki's presentation of the Abhidhamma is particularly helpful and informative."—David R. Loy, author of Money, Sex, War, Karma and The World is Made of Stories

"A wonderful collection. These thoughtful and insightful reflections on the Buddha's teachings will appeal to scholars and practitioners alike."—Stephen Batchelor, author of Buddhism without Beliefs

"This book has the power to change how you see yourself and the world. It's a remarkable read for teachers, counselors, psychologists, philosophers—anyone concerned with the human condition."—Christopher K. Germer, PhD author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion and Mindfulness and Psychotherepy

"Unlimiting Mind is a rare treat. Andrew Olendzki brings a unique and often brilliant perspective to core Buddhist teachings. He enlarges our understanding of basic principles and raises sometimes unsettling questions about familiar assumptions. This book is an excellent introduction to Buddhism as well as an enlightening jolt to experienced practitioners. Highly recommended."—Joseph Goldstein, author of One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism and A Heart Full of Peace

“I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. Unlimiting Mind is one of the most intelligent collections of articles on Buddhism that I have read for a very long time. An impressive work that shows the Buddha to be not only the first 'psychologist' but an extremely radical thinker.” —John Peacock, Oxford Mindfulness Centre

From the Publisher