new book – ‘The Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom’
Written on October 17, 2009
Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom by Rick Hanson with Richard Mendius (New Harbinger, 2009)
Product description from the publisher:
Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi, and the Buddha all had brains built essentially like anyone else’s, yet they were able to harness their thoughts and shape their patterns of thinking in ways that changed history. With new breakthroughs in modern neuroscience and the wisdom of thousands of years of contemplative practice, it is possible for us to shape our own thoughts in a similar way for greater happiness, love, compassion, and wisdom.
Buddha’s Brain joins the forces of modern neuroscience with ancient contemplative teachings to show readers how they can work toward greater emotional well-being, healthier relationships, more effective actions, and deepened religious and spiritual understanding. This book will explain how the core elements of both psychological well-being and religious or spiritual life-virtue, mindfulness, and wisdom-are based in the core functions of the brain: regulating, learning, and valuing. Readers will also learn practical ways to apply this information, as the book offers many exercises they can do to tap the unused potential of the brain and rewire it over time for greater peace and well-being.
Filed in: consciousness,happiness,meditation,new books.
I disagree that “Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi, and the Buddha all had brains built essentially like anyone else’s.”
I feel they had extraordinarily finely-formed and sensitive brains, which were due to favorable circumstances of their early formative and developmental years. Which the vast majority of people unfortunately do not have, and therefore will never, under any circumstances, attain to having a ‘Buddha’s Brain’.
Bob M.
I agree with Bob that their brains may have been different (we’ll never know because we can’t check!) Certainly the brainwave patterns of experienced meditators have been measured to show significant differences than an average brain, and they also have the capacity to access different areas of their brains at will.
Although structurally the brains all appear alike, which would indicate we have the same potential, although maybe we lack experience in accessing higher states of consciousness. Like having a bicycle is no indication of ones ability to ride it!
Buddhists say that our present body is created in past lives, so I disagree that “the vast majority of people unfortunately do not have, and therefore will never, under any circumstances, attain to having a ‘Buddha’s Brain’.” If we learn how to use it in this lifetime, we certainly could have a Buddhas brain in future lifetimes.