A Spiritual Approach to Making Sense of a Senseless Tragedy

The author, a teacher of Buddhist principles and meditation methods, describes how sadness affects the human psyche. He begins by pointing out the relationship between happiness and sorrow, and suggests beneficial ways of coping with loss. A subsequent chapter deals with anger and the desire for vengeance and includes advice on ways to reverse these feelings, transforming them into positive emotions and acts. He presents ideas designed to help readers make sense of aging, illness, pain, and death, and he discusses ways in which we can rid ourselves of the preconception that people who are unlike ourselves are evil. Readers are instructed on methods of meditation, presented with resources to correct faulty perceptions of the outside world, and advised on ways to transcend tragic events and renew their lives with new directions and fresh priorities. The text includes brief, inspiring stories that tell how men and women from many walks of life have dealt with personal tragedy and enriched their lives and future.