How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers2011 Nautilus Book Award — Gold Medal in Personal Growth/Self-Help/Psychology 2011 Nautilus Book Award — Silver Medal in Memoir/Personal Journey This life-affirming, instructive, and thoroughly inspiring book is a must-read for anyone who is - or who might one day be - sick. It can also be the perfect gift of guidance, encouragement, and uplifting inspiration to family, friends, and loved ones struggling with the many terrifying or disheartening life changes that come so close on the heels of a diagnosis of a chronic condition or life-threatening illness. Authentic and graceful, How to be Sick reminds us of our limitless inner freedom, even under high degrees of suffering and pain. The author - who became ill while a university law professor in the prime of her career - tells the reader how she got sick and, to her and her partner's bewilderment, stayed that way. Toni had been a longtime meditator, going on long meditation retreats and spending many hours rigorously practicing, but soon discovered that she simply could no longer engage in those difficult and taxing forms. She had to learn ways to make "being sick" the heart of her spiritual practice - and through truly learning how to be sick, she learned how, even with many physical and energetic limitations, to live a life of equanimity, compassion, and joy. And whether we ourselves are ill or not, we can learn these vital arts from Bernhard's generous wisdom in How to Be Sick. |
Contents
A Romantic Trip to Paris | 1 |
This Cant Be Happening to | 9 |
The Buddha Tells It Like It Is | 21 |
The Universal Law of Impermanence | 27 |
Who Is Sick? | 37 |
Finding joy and Love | 45 |
with Equanimity | 73 |
Turnarounds and Transformations | 89 |
I4 What to Do When It Seems You Cant | 121 |
From Isolation to Solitude | 139 |
I7 The Struggle to Find Community in Isolation | 145 |
And in the End | 159 |
A Guide to Using the Practices | 165 |
With Gratitude | 179 |
| 185 | |
About the Author | 192 |
Other editions - View all
How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their ... Toni Bernhard No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
able Ajahn Chah anicca arise asked aversion Ayya Khema began body breathe Buddha Buddhist Byron Katie’s inquiry caregivers chapter chronic fatigue syndrome chronically ill compassion practice cultivate difficult doctor Don’t-Know Mind dukkha end of dukkha end of suffering envy equanimity experience fatigue feel felt find finding fine first noble truth five fixed flight four sublime getting sick happened heart Katie khanti kind koan let go lives loving-kindness Mara mental suffering metta mudita Neem Karoli Baba never office pain patient endurance person phrases physical react reflect retreat S.N. Goenka sangha Sarah Palin sensation serenity share someone source of suffering specific Spirit Rock stressful thoughts Susan Saint James symptoms talk tanha teachers Thich Nhat Hanh things told tonglen Toni Bernhard Tony’s treatment unpleasant what’s wheel of suffering wise speech woman words Zen master