6 Myths We Live by - by Karuna Cayton (Paperback)

About the Book

"The truth is you probably believe all sorts of myths, but you don't even know it. To escape any hardship, any suffering or discomfort, we all believe myths about how the world works and how we live in that world. In The Six Myths We Live By, therapist and long-time Buddhist practitioner Karuna Cayton guides us through six common myths that may give us comfort, but actually only perpetuate our problems: the myth of reality the myth of identity the myth of permanence the myth of randomness the myth of happiness the myth of only living once Cayton takes us through each of these myths using real-world examples and draws upon Buddhist principles, psychology, and meditation practices to show how we can wake up to reality. By planting a seed of doubt about the beliefs that we've always thought were true, we can open our eyes and deepen our relationship with the way we see our life, our potential, and the nature of our struggles and achievements"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Buddhist wisdom for everyday problems rooted in Buddhist philosophy and meditation, 6 Myths We Live By shows us how to uncover our misperceptions and leads us on a path to self-development.

The truth is you probably believe all sorts of myths, but you don't even know it. To escape any hardship, any suffering or discomfort, we all believe myths about how the world works and how we live in that world. In 6 Myths We Live By, therapist and longtime Buddhist practitioner Karuna Cayton guides us through six common myths that may give us comfort, but actually only perpetuate our problems:

the myth of reality; the myth of identity; the myth of permanence; the myth of randomness; the myth of happiness; the myth of only living once.

Cayton takes us through each of these myths using real-world examples and draws upon Buddhist principles, philosophy, psychology, and meditation practices to show how we can wake up to reality. By planting a seed of doubt about the beliefs that we've always thought were true, we can open our eyes and deepen our relationship with the way we see our life, our potential, and the nature of our struggles and achievements.

Review Quotes

"In Six Myths We Live By, Karuna Cayton calls upon both the inspiration he received from the extraordinary Lamas he lived with in Nepal and his more-than-thirty years of practical experience as a psychotherapist in the West, producing something our conflicted environment truly needs. His breadth of learning and depth of experience enable him to assist his readers in identifying and then cutting through the fundamentally mistaken notions--the so-called "six myths"--responsible for the range of problems and conflicts so evident in our fractured world today. And because Cayton also possesses the admirable ability to share his insights in a warmly conversational style with clarity, sympathy and humor, this work--for all its psychological profundity--never lacks the true human touch. I strongly recommend it."--Jonathan Landaw, compiler and editor of Lama Yeshe's Introduction to Tantra

"Karuna tells us in his down-to-earth way what the Buddha found from his own direct experience--not from revelation, not from on high, nothing mysterious: that we're not in touch in reality and that this is why we suffer. And he shows us that it's not a question of believing what the Buddha says but instead learning to look freshly at his findings and prove them for ourselves, one step at a time."--Robina Courtin, Buddhist nun

About the Author

For over thirty years Karuna Cayton worked as a psychotherapist, business psychologist, and coach to help people achieve a more balanced life. He lived in Nepal for twelve years, where he studied Tibetan Buddhism with Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, founders of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Karuna is the author of The Misleading Mind: How We Create Our Own Problems and How Buddhist Psychology Can Help Us Solve Them.