Buddhism for Couples

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       September 22, 2014

 

Author  Sarah Napthali

Distributor:     
ISBN:                 9781743318102
Publisher:         Allen & Unwin
Release Date:    

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In her usual understated manner Sarah Napthali has bought us another gem in this latest offering to couples. Her trademark sense of humour and innate sense of honesty shines through as she tackles the tricky subject of couples and in particular marriage.

She says from the first she had to trouble beginning this book as it made her take a good and in-depth look into her own marriage of twenty years and face some of the more unpalatable truths first hand. She felt this was only fair as if she truly believed in the Buddhist way of life this was the responsible and best thing to do.

As she wrote each chapter and related it to the Buddhist teaching for couples relationships, she discovered that not only was she solving many of her own issues, she was also able to offer the teachings of the Buddha to all, using the philosophy of the Four Noble Truths  and the Eightfold Path.

For those of you who are followers of the Buddha, you will understand this: for those of you who are not accept that these are some of the fundamentals that guide skilful interaction through speech and mindfulness, to name just two and underpin the Buddhist philosophy.

Each chapter addresses one of the many issues that can make living and working in a relationship difficult: she uses her personal knowledge as a basis for the chapter and then goes about looking for solutions to improve the situation.

Each chapter has a ‘Things to Contemplate’ and a ‘Things to Do’ end piece, all of which are incredibly insightful and do help to clarify the situation for which you are seeking guidance.

The final chapter, as final chapters often do, sums the entire question or rather questions up in a simple manner by using the Noble Eightfold Path as a tool to reflect, not just on your marriage or long term relationship, but more fundamentally on life and how you can make a difference at home, to your loved one, as well as yourself and by doing so improve your marriage, personal relationships and ultimately enjoy the happiness returned to you eightfold.

For all couples young and old, or contemplating sharing your life with another, this is one book you should read and take note of the many helpful suggestions available to broaden and enrich your relationship with the one you love.