In her national bestseller That’s Funny, You Don’t Look Buddhist, Sylvia Boorstein explored the Jewish-Buddhist phenomenon, helping to make sense out of this rich confluence of traditions like no other writer before her. Now Boorstein returns with a further inquiry into what it means to be a "faithful Jew and passionate Buddhist," consolidating the wisdom of both traditions into a substantial – and delightful – guide to living joyfully, with The Courage to Be Happy.Where does happiness come from? How is it possible, in the face of the suffering and loss that life inevitably brings, to remain responsive and compassionate towards all people? Looking into core teachings of Buddhism and Judaism, Boorstein emerges with complementary truths about the happiness that is always available to us, no matter who you are or what circumstances you are in.
Boorstein uses her "two vocabularies – one Buddhist, the other Jewish" – to look at the Torah through a meditator’s eyes; to reveal insights from rebbes and roshis she has known; to tell how, after years of meditation and prayer, she came to know why the Buddha was known in his time as "The Happy One"; and to show the full pleasure of the simple Jewish prayer, "Serve God with Joy." Fearless and challenging, from a voice that speaks to the spiritual concerns of Buddhists and Jews with equal clarity, The Courage to Be Happy is the work of a lifetime, about the real meaning of this moment.