The central thesis of Joy on Demand is that happiness is trainable through skillful meditation. I highly recommend the book because it delivers on the promise of its title by presenting a clear road map of a sequence of practical mind-training steps that help ease people into an introspective journey of discovery. Moreover, the author's trademark humor and humility belie the elegant logic as well as the textual and scientific underpinnings of his research-based findings and experiential observations.
I also appreciate the open-mindedness and pragmatism that permeate the book: "[T]he paths are not mutually exclusive . . . The thing about the different paths is that each has its own upsides and downsides, so they work much better for some people than others, depending on goals, inclinations, aptitudes, and life situations. For example, the ease and joy path is good at helping large numbers of ordinary people establish a solid practice." Few have the bandwidth to immerse in intensive studies of ancient texts and erudite treatises that are replete with linguistic and interpretive challenges or to attend lengthy meditation retreats. Because the format and content of this entertainingly engaging book are highly accessible (i.e. do not require elucidation by intermediaries) and the approaches conducive to immediate experimentation (e.g. I tried many of the exercises as I read the book), the author's compassionate intention to "benefit the maximum number of people" is bound to bear fruit.
As a novice to Buddhist texts and commentaries who has a keen interest in understanding the role of spiritual practices in technology and innovation driven contemporary society, I found this acknowledgment particularly insightful: "The wisdom and training methods that afforded me this dramatic change in my life trajectory come from the Buddha. In fact, all that is good in me comes from the Buddha and his teachings. I was lost, but now I'm home." The nuggets of wisdom generously sprinkled throughout the book encourage both reflective respite and the exploration of spiritual sanctuaries.
Last but not least, I found great resonance with one of the conclusions: "In any kind of difficult situation, especially one that appears prolonged, I must aspire to have the determination to not give up, and also to cultivate the inner peace, inner joy, and compassion to be at ease as much as possible." The straightforward tips in this primer on mindfulness meditation provided me with not only instructive value but also expanded my positive thought-action repertoire. Treat yourself to Joy on Demand and rejoice!
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From the Publisher
Four Ways to Replace Suffering With Joy
by Chade-Meng Tan, author of Joy On Demand and Search Inside Yourself.
Our perception of reality is often seriously flawed. First, the information we gather is necessarily incomplete because there is a severe limit to how many things we can perceive and pay attention to at any one time. To make things worse, we often unconsciously fill in the missing information with our imagination, and then our brains don't take the trouble to distinguish between imagination and facts. In other words, our brains often make crap up and then pretend the crap is real.
One major consequence of our seriously flawed perception of reality is that it creates a lot of unnecessary suffering, and it does so in at least three ways. First, it damages our relationships. We often judge others by jumping to conclusions about their intentions based on the effects their actions have on us, which are often more negative than their actual intentions.
Second, the way we judge ourselves tends to be far more negative than the facts can justify.
Third, our seriously flawed perception of reality leads us to be far less happy than our life circumstances justify because we tend to downplay the positives and overplay the negatives in our lives.
Given all that, it is skillful to cognitively reappraise every situation that causes us suffering, because it is very likely that at least some large percentage of our suffering originates from some amount of imperfection in perception. I suggest reappraising in six ways:
1. With Kindness And Compassion To Others: If your emotional pain in caused by the actions of another person, it is best to treat them with loving-kindness. Remind yourself that this person is like you in three ways: they are human, they want to be happy, and they want to be free from suffering. Keep that in mind and give them the benefit of the doubt.
2. With Kindness And Compassion To Yourself: See yourself in the eyes of your caring best friend. They are likely to tell you things are not as bad as you think—and objectively, they are likely to be more accurate than you. Keep that in mind and give yourself the benefit of the doubt.
3. Don't Believe Everything You Think: Remember that the brain doesn't usually differentiate between imagination and fact. Keep that in mind and always be willing to be wrong.
4. See The Long Term And The Big Picture: In the long term, every mistake is an opportunity for learning and growth.
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Top reviews from other countries
MN
This is a beautiful book. A gentle introduction to mindfulness meditation
Reviewed in India on August 15, 2017Maria Kanter
Great read and accessible writing style and tone!
Reviewed in Canada on January 28, 2017