Beyond Zen (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780960004768)

The mind is one of the most subtle and influential mechanisms in human experience. In many ways, it is shaped before we have a sense of our true self, before we have language, and before we have any kind of ability to understand what is being imprinted upon us. It shapes our beliefs, likes, dislikes, our ideas of right and wrong, and how we feel about ourselves. Through it we learn to imitate, compete, and compare. It relies on the past to interpret the present and anticipate the future, and because of this, it struggles with the unknown and change. It imprisons us in the past, robbing us of the freshness each moment offers. Every experience and every sensation is processed through the mind, is judged by its belief systems. The mind works so fast and so subtly, we don't see how it impacts our ability to see reality and because we were so young and vulnerable when it was imprinted on us, we rarely question it.

In Beyond Zen, Sharam introduces us to the skills necessary to recognize the mind, to watch it and question its validity in this moment. He explains the randomness of our belief systems and the unhappiness these systems can create. More importantly he encourages us to choose love over the mind every time.