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The Original Buddhist Psychology

What the Abhidharma Tells Us About How We Think, Feel, and Experience Life

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The Original Buddhist Psychology

By: Beth Jacobs, Matthew Wood - foreword
Narrated by: Margo Trueblood, Sam Scholl
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About this listen

Drawing on decades of experience, a psychotherapist and Zen practitioner makes the Abhidharma - the original psychological system of Buddhism - accessible to a general audience for the first time.

The Abhidharma, one of the three major text collections of the original Buddhist canon, explores the critical juncture of Buddhist thought and the therapeutic aspects of the religion and meditation. It frames the psychological system of Buddhism, explaining the workings of reality and the nature of the human mind. Composed of detailed matrices and lists that outline the interaction of consciousness and reality, The Abhidharma explores the essence of perception and experience, and the reasons and methods behind mindfulness and meditation.

Because of its complexity, the Abhidharma has traditionally been reserved only for academic or monastic study; now, for the first time, clinical psychologist Beth Jacobs makes this dynamic, important text and its teachings available to general audiences, using practical explanation, personal stories, and vivid examples to gently untangle the technical aspects of the Abhidharma.

Jacobs' work illuminates this classic of Buddhist thought, highlighting the ways it can broaden and deepen our experience of the human psyche and offering profound insights into spiritual practice.

©2017 Beth Jacobs (P)2018 North Atlantic Books
Biographies & Memoirs Buddhism Eastern Herbal Remedies Psychology Spirituality Buddhist Religion
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Critic reviews

"Beth Jacobs has the kind of mind that absorbs Abhidharma information and structure, combined with a lifetime of eloquent writing and clinical skills as a psychologist. The result is a unique treasure of a book and contribution to the study of Buddhism and mind." (Sojun Diane Martin, founding and guiding teacher, Udumbara Zen Center)

“Beth Jacobs not only reveals the essence of the complex and nuanced text of the Abhidharma but holds it lightly and turns it slowly so that we can see through it to a whole new view of ourselves and the world.” (Polly Young-Eisendrath, PhD, author of The Present Heart: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Discovery)

“A wonderfully unique, refreshing, and much-needed alternative to the seemingly dry, tedious, and endless lists that typify the vast Abhidharma literature. Beth Jacobs has given us a penetrating, thorough, and dynamically practical study, full of beautiful lived examples that clearly demonstrate everyday usefulness.” (Seiso Paul Cooper, author of The Zen Impulse and the Psychoanalytic Encounter)

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A truly masterful understanding

A truly masterful account of what, at first view, may seem profoundly complex. A brilliant minded author making clear a masterpiece of world literature and philosophy

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A very helpful explanation

This book has been a great help in explaining the Abhidamma to a beginner like myself.

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Beth Jacobs v Jack Cornfield?

Beth Jacobs is no Jack Cornfield, but she has done her homework: she knows her stuff. And I loved trying to hear the wisdom and years of academic research that clearly went into this book. However, my Buddhist inclinations went out the window with the narration. Whoever it was, was so annoying. I knew we were in trouble when she quoted "Renee Maria Rilkee" (yes, the German poet, Raine Maria Rilke), and, throughout the whole recording referred to "cheedah" (that's 'citta' to you and me). I've had to learn to let go of my annoyance regarding the American pronunciation "Boooda", for "Buddha", but this time, I'm afraid it's yet another case of Audible not vetting their narrators, and allowing in people who simply can't be bothered to learn how to read and pronounce (specialist) words correctly. This applies equally to English readings of texts containing European words.

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Confused?...you will be

Nonsense to the average layperson...in my opinion. More confusing than helpful. Better books out there on this subject.

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