The Zen Guide to Opening Your Heart (9784805319437)

Let go of your worries, overcome wanting and learn to cultivate a stable, peaceful heart.

Zen Buddhist monk Gensho Taigu holds that the heart—what is inside of us—is the true key to our happiness. In this uplifting and life-changing book, you'll find simple solutions to the problems and anxieties we all face at some time or another:

• My love life is a disaster
• My family doesn't understand me
• I don't get along with my boss
• I want to make lots of money and have a better life

Taigu sees our own expectations and emotions as the main barriers to our happiness. He explains how a few simple Buddhist teachings can help us break down these walls, allow us to let go of our worries and our anger, and change our habits. The practical solutions he offers in this book include:

• How to overcome the habit of "wanting"
• How to stop yourself from worrying about things you cannot change
• How to create the habit of filling your heart with "good things"
• Simple and achievable meditation and visualization techniques

By following these practices, you can shake off negative emotions and increase your happiness. This book is written in a simple, straightforward style and illustrated throughout with cute cat drawings.


About the Author:
Gensho Taigu is chief priest at Fukugonji Temple in Komaki City near Nagoya. His Buddhist name "Taigu" expresses a state of boundless freedom. He embodies the phrase "neither monk nor layman" with six different professions: as a monk, businessman, writer, lecturer, therapist and karate practitioner. A YouTube channel which he started in response to a consultation with the mother of a suicidal girl has over 57,000 subscribers. In 2019, he established the Fushin sect of Buddhism which is based on the principles of "nurturing compassion, wisdom, and Buddha‑nature." His website has English-language information: https://taigu-gensho.com