Wait

January 4, 2021
Cuong (The Buddha in Jail), a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and former prison chaplain, urges readers to not give in to anger in this eloquent work. Suffering, he asserts, cannot be avoided, and he begs those in despair to “please choose to live” and recognize that self-harm or suicide are acts of violence against everyone because individuality is an illusion. Cuong convincingly locates the roots of suffering in the failure to appreciate constant flux, particularly when people attempt to judge new moments against similar previous events. He also enjoins readers to not feed anger by patiently listening when a loved one lashes out. He closes with a consideration of false versions of happiness (money, sex, power, food, and being asleep) and the suggestion that happiness is “a by-product of living honestly” rather than something to be sought on its own. Though most of Cuong’s encouragements attempt to only reframe thinking, he does provide two meditation and breathing exercises. Cuong’s clear explanations offer hard-won hope for anyone struggling to see the bright side.

January 1, 2021
Readers feeling as though empathy is lacking in our society should look no further than this book from Buddhist scholar Lu (The Buddha in Jail, 2019). Lu fled Vietnam with his family in the 1970s and witnessed a shooting as a child: he is no stranger to trauma or pain. Writing with authenticity, and without trite words or catchphrases, he explains how he was able to cope with trauma and become who he is today. He offers much sound advice. Allow yourself to feel all emotions; suffering is necessary to appreciate happy times. Rather than avoiding adversity, develop coping methods to become a stronger person. Only when you love yourself, flaws and all, can you truly be at peace. Lu offers realistic ways to combat emotional pain and anger, and does not shy from suggesting societal causes of these feelings. Despite the bleakness one may feel today, it's impossible not to feel some optimism after reading this book. Perhaps the most important lesson here is that we are all more connected than we realize.

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