The best and most fascinating spiritual books reviewed by Katinka Hesselink

If it were possible, I would love to see this book made a required reading of all adults. Anger is the root of so much of what is wrong in this world. Anger drives us humans to do awful things to each other and it is difficult to be a loving person to others if there is anger in our hearts. Anger and hatred become obstacles in our lives that are sometimes difficult to overcome. His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches how to use patience and tolerance in order to have a better life for ourselves. We learn that one does not have to be meek and passive in order to deal with our anger but instead we need to practice self-discipline in ways that help us to have more patience, better tolerance and compassion.

As humans we can read and even hear the messages of our faith and tell ourselves that we are going to follow the teachings and be a better person and we mean it. The problem arises when we go to work the following day and are exposed to toxic situations and people. The teachings go out the window and we become a part of the problem. Most of us can not give up our daily jobs in order to live a more peaceful life. I love the simple explanations that Thich Nhat Hanh uses to show us a way to become aware of the nature of Buddha that resides in all of us so that we can become a blossom of hope in the quagmire of nastiness that surrounds us.

I think most of us have people in our lives that are able to “hook” us into feeling negative about ourselves, our jobs or our families. They seem to know how to push the right buttons to call up our fears and disappoints and cause us to fall into the habits of reacting badly. Pema Chodron writes to us in her warm and encouraging style with recommendations of using the four “R”s to overcome these habits. By recognizing, refraining, relaxing and resolving we can free ourselves to a more peaceful existence.

I was drawn to this book from the title, The Wise Heart. I was pleasantly surprised with the gentleness in the stories and anecdotes and the humor of the author. The concepts are new but are told in a modern way and should resonate with the masses. I was reminded of a wise Grandfather sharing his insights of life and how to embrace the love and joy that resides in all of us but is often times stifled and kept pushed down. Kornfield shows us in story and application how to let the love and joy rise to the top.

Sometimes you don’t need to read a tome to get good information. This book is really short, 30 pages but it gives some great advice on a practice that is so beneficial to all humans. People of any faith or culture can benefit from the act of sitting quietly and reflecting on life situations. A good little book with practical application.