SPIRITUALITY & RELIGION

Don’t Worry: 48 Lessons on Relieving Anxiety from a Zen Buddhist Monk

by Shunmyo Masuno
Penguin Life. Apr. 2022. 224p. ISBN 9780143136705. $22. REL
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Masuno (The Art of Simple Living), who leads a 450-year-old Zen Buddhist temple in Japan, brings wisdom and experience to his new book of pragmatic advice for simplifying life and reducing anxiety by employing Buddhist thought. Masuno’s 48 lessons are broken into five parts, good for quick reference, and ask readers to consider whether aspects of their thinking are making them dissatisfied with themselves and others. He discusses thought habits that can create fear about concerns that don’t really exist; this mentality is particularly fueled by overconsumption of negative information (like sensationalist news). Masuno also tells readers to remind themselves that suffering, in various forms, is ultimately a common, regular experience for all people, one that can’t necessarily be ended or avoided.
VERDICT Highly recommended for general readers interested in Eastern philosophy and open to learning practical approaches to dealing with anxiety. Masuno’s useful advice is particularly needed in recent times.
Reviewed by Gary Medina, El Camino Coll., Torrance, CA , Feb 01, 2022
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