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Peaceful Heart: The Buddhist Practice of Patience
A leading Buddhist teacher revisits Shantideva’s The Way of the Bodhisattva to offer an introductory guide on cultivating patience and opening your heart to difficult circumstancesIn the Buddhist tradition, “patience” is our mind’s ability to work positively with anything that bothers us—a vast spectrum of particulars that all boil down to not getting what we want or getting what we don’t want. Those who have mastered patience have learned to welcome all challenging situations, people, and emotions as opportunities to open their hearts rather than close them.In fluid, accessible language, Dzigar Kongtrul expands on teachings by the ancient sage Shantideva that contain numerous powerful and surprising methods for preventing our minds from becoming consumed by what bothers us—especially in anger. The result of practicing patience is a state of mind where we can feel at home in every situation and be fully available to love and care for others. Patience is the lifeblood of a peaceful heart.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 22, 2020
91 people are currently reading
1135 people want to read
About the author
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
5 books3 followersLibrarian Note: For the current (3rd) Dzigar Tulku, see Dzigar Kongtrül III
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 9, 2020
I wrestled mightily throughout my week-long reading of Dzigar Kongtrul's "Peaceful Heart: The Buddhist Practice of Patience," one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences I've had with a Buddhist writing in quite some time.
I believe, perhaps, that it is Kongtrul's long history of weaving together creativity and inner awareness that fostered my deeper connection to his writings. Kongtrul has noted that creativity is the "essence of everything," yet prior works such as "Uncommon Happiness: The Path of the Compassionate Warrior" and "It's Up to You : The Practice of Self-Reflection on the Buddhist Path" reveal a teacher willing and able to explore the inner workings of himself and humanity while doing so in a way that is honest, concise, humble, and accessible.
These qualities are very much evident in "Peaceful Heart," a work to be released by Shambhala Publications in December, 2020. "Peaceful Heart" explores, as you might guess, the Buddhist practice of patience in a way that serves as a sort of introductory guide to cultivating our lives to being patient with our difficult circumstances.
You can feel Kongtrul's own patience throughout his writings. You can simply feel that he's an impactful teacher whose actions match his writings, though he allows his writings to be transparent about his own journey.
"Peaceful Heart" begins with the premise that patience, within the Buddhist tradition, is our mind's ability to work positively with anything that bothers us. The book is centered upon Kongtrul's understanding and expansion of Shantideva's methods for preventing our minds from being consumed by what bothers us. The book especially emphasizes anger, noting how anger can so easily impact our karma and learning how not to be consumed by it is an essential Buddhist practice.
"Peaceful Heart," indeed, teaches that patience is the lifeblood of a peaceful heart, a place where we can feel at home and at peace in every situation which allows us to be available to love and care for others absent of anger and other obstacles.
Kongtrul writes from a place of compassion, a deep understanding of the frailties of the spiritual journey yet also an absolute belief in our potential. He also writes from a place of discipline, a knowledge that incremental growth is still growth yet a knowledge that also challenges and seems to believe in the accountability we must hold to and for one another. "Peaceful Heart" is both accessible in its writing and uncompromising in each teaching, a rather beautiful balance that feels less softened and less Americanized than some writings I've read from Buddhist teachers whose writings, either via intentional choice or editorial choice, seemed to turn Buddhism into a mass-consumption practice rather than a spiritual discipline.
It was interesting to me just how often in "Peaceful Heart" I would find myself resisting a word or a phrase or a teaching, but then Kongtrul would follow up this particular point with an explanation or illustration and suddenly a spark would light inside and I would understand the teaching more fully.
I struggled, and in some ways am still struggling, with Kongtrul's use of the word "merit," a word he uses often to illustrate the karmic journey and how our actions can either work for us or against us in samsara. I believe, perhaps, the way the word is used reminds me of my days in fundamentalist Christianity and it feels inherently punitive. Yet, this is not how Kongtrul is teaching it. I'm still working on integrating these particular teachings through my decades of life and old, unhealthy spiritual teachings.
Yet, so many times Kongtrul would so vividly and wonderfully bring Shantideva's words and illuminations to life and would explain them in language that deeply resonated within my spirit and I've found myself already incorporating these teachings into my daily work, my own daily writings, and my supervision of other people professionally.
I reflected, for example, on my own experiences with learning to cook. This is something I've been teaching myself during this health pandemic and time of quarantine. In November 2019, I lost my left leg to illness and spent 3+ months at home. This period was followed by one week in my office before we were sent home due to the pandemic. Thus, I've spent almost one year in my home, mostly alone, and learning how to live differently as a person with a disability. I'd never taught myself to cook - I always ate outside the home, which is no longer possible to do regularly. I embraced this learning to cook as a spiritual journey that has taught me patience with myself, partly because I'm not a very good cook, but also patience with others as when I go to restaurants now I'm patient with cooks and servers and those who are on their own life journeys.
There is much to love about "Peaceful Heart: The Buddhist Practice of Patience," a book I will no doubt refer to time and again. It is also a book that makes me eager to read Kongtrul's other writings as it is clear the way he teaches is a way that connects with me personally and spiritually.
Written with much insight and compassion, "Peaceful Heart: The Buddhist Practice of Patience" is a book I'd enthusiastically recommend to those seeking to deepen their spiritual practice and to add depth and daily discipline to living a more compassionate, loving, and serving life.
I believe, perhaps, that it is Kongtrul's long history of weaving together creativity and inner awareness that fostered my deeper connection to his writings. Kongtrul has noted that creativity is the "essence of everything," yet prior works such as "Uncommon Happiness: The Path of the Compassionate Warrior" and "It's Up to You : The Practice of Self-Reflection on the Buddhist Path" reveal a teacher willing and able to explore the inner workings of himself and humanity while doing so in a way that is honest, concise, humble, and accessible.
These qualities are very much evident in "Peaceful Heart," a work to be released by Shambhala Publications in December, 2020. "Peaceful Heart" explores, as you might guess, the Buddhist practice of patience in a way that serves as a sort of introductory guide to cultivating our lives to being patient with our difficult circumstances.
You can feel Kongtrul's own patience throughout his writings. You can simply feel that he's an impactful teacher whose actions match his writings, though he allows his writings to be transparent about his own journey.
"Peaceful Heart" begins with the premise that patience, within the Buddhist tradition, is our mind's ability to work positively with anything that bothers us. The book is centered upon Kongtrul's understanding and expansion of Shantideva's methods for preventing our minds from being consumed by what bothers us. The book especially emphasizes anger, noting how anger can so easily impact our karma and learning how not to be consumed by it is an essential Buddhist practice.
"Peaceful Heart," indeed, teaches that patience is the lifeblood of a peaceful heart, a place where we can feel at home and at peace in every situation which allows us to be available to love and care for others absent of anger and other obstacles.
Kongtrul writes from a place of compassion, a deep understanding of the frailties of the spiritual journey yet also an absolute belief in our potential. He also writes from a place of discipline, a knowledge that incremental growth is still growth yet a knowledge that also challenges and seems to believe in the accountability we must hold to and for one another. "Peaceful Heart" is both accessible in its writing and uncompromising in each teaching, a rather beautiful balance that feels less softened and less Americanized than some writings I've read from Buddhist teachers whose writings, either via intentional choice or editorial choice, seemed to turn Buddhism into a mass-consumption practice rather than a spiritual discipline.
It was interesting to me just how often in "Peaceful Heart" I would find myself resisting a word or a phrase or a teaching, but then Kongtrul would follow up this particular point with an explanation or illustration and suddenly a spark would light inside and I would understand the teaching more fully.
I struggled, and in some ways am still struggling, with Kongtrul's use of the word "merit," a word he uses often to illustrate the karmic journey and how our actions can either work for us or against us in samsara. I believe, perhaps, the way the word is used reminds me of my days in fundamentalist Christianity and it feels inherently punitive. Yet, this is not how Kongtrul is teaching it. I'm still working on integrating these particular teachings through my decades of life and old, unhealthy spiritual teachings.
Yet, so many times Kongtrul would so vividly and wonderfully bring Shantideva's words and illuminations to life and would explain them in language that deeply resonated within my spirit and I've found myself already incorporating these teachings into my daily work, my own daily writings, and my supervision of other people professionally.
I reflected, for example, on my own experiences with learning to cook. This is something I've been teaching myself during this health pandemic and time of quarantine. In November 2019, I lost my left leg to illness and spent 3+ months at home. This period was followed by one week in my office before we were sent home due to the pandemic. Thus, I've spent almost one year in my home, mostly alone, and learning how to live differently as a person with a disability. I'd never taught myself to cook - I always ate outside the home, which is no longer possible to do regularly. I embraced this learning to cook as a spiritual journey that has taught me patience with myself, partly because I'm not a very good cook, but also patience with others as when I go to restaurants now I'm patient with cooks and servers and those who are on their own life journeys.
There is much to love about "Peaceful Heart: The Buddhist Practice of Patience," a book I will no doubt refer to time and again. It is also a book that makes me eager to read Kongtrul's other writings as it is clear the way he teaches is a way that connects with me personally and spiritually.
Written with much insight and compassion, "Peaceful Heart: The Buddhist Practice of Patience" is a book I'd enthusiastically recommend to those seeking to deepen their spiritual practice and to add depth and daily discipline to living a more compassionate, loving, and serving life.
November 26, 2020
It is extremely rare I give a 5-star review. Dzigar Kongtrul in "Peaceful Heart" called to my soul and challenged my inner values that few books do. It's also extremely rare I will buy a book after it has been publishes when I've already read it, but I'm going to immediately purchase a copy to have my shelf to return to again and again. The wisdom here on lessons of patience is profound and you will learn so much about yourself.
Expertly written in such a clear, concise manner; readers will love everything presented in this book.
Expertly written in such a clear, concise manner; readers will love everything presented in this book.
November 12, 2020
This is simply excellent. I read the only existing review (so far) before posting this one, and that review is so well written, I cannot add anything helpful. The fact that Pema Chödrön wrote the intro says a lot about the book, too. Highly recommended for its insights, wisdom, and down-to-earth style.
Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!
Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!
March 15, 2025
Useful read with practical tips for dealing with difficult moments. We can all do better for each other.
January 18, 2021
Essential reading for anyone who regards themselves as a Mahayana practitioner. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche is an enlightened master of meditation and scholarship, manifesting in this world to show us how to develop a loving, peaceful heart that cannot be perturbed by outer circumstances.
Patience is one of the most important practices for a Bodhisattva, and nowhere is it better explained than in Shantideva's The Bodhisattva's Way of Life--itself perhaps the most indispensable text of the Great Vehicle of Buddhism. Pulled from many years of teachings that Rinpoche has given on this profound topic, this book gives us instructions that can revolutionize our way of relating to the world. Every page is full of priceless wisdom.
If they were charging $10,000 for this book, it would be worth every penny. Do yourself a huge kindness by reading it!
May all who read Peaceful Heart realize the wisdom of emptiness imbued with love and compassion that Kongrul Rinpoche is offering us!
Patience is one of the most important practices for a Bodhisattva, and nowhere is it better explained than in Shantideva's The Bodhisattva's Way of Life--itself perhaps the most indispensable text of the Great Vehicle of Buddhism. Pulled from many years of teachings that Rinpoche has given on this profound topic, this book gives us instructions that can revolutionize our way of relating to the world. Every page is full of priceless wisdom.
If they were charging $10,000 for this book, it would be worth every penny. Do yourself a huge kindness by reading it!
May all who read Peaceful Heart realize the wisdom of emptiness imbued with love and compassion that Kongrul Rinpoche is offering us!
dnf
June 25, 2022Dnf - about 40%
March 20, 2024
So clear and inspiring, rereading
August 6, 2021
Heal yourself, heal the world.
This useful manual is a walkthrough of what's called "The Patience Chapter" in Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva. If you're not hip to what that means exactly, fret not: Kongtrul explains that some people decide to stick around in earthly incarnations until all beings have achieved liberation / enlightenment. That's a hefty order, but if you're Buddhist and you want to take a crack at it, Shantideva is your guy.
The Patience Chapter focuses specifically on, as you might expect, patience. Kongtrul explains that there are 72 ways to be disturbed, and while that might seem low at first, don't worry: it's a taxonomy of 72 categories into which all disturbances fit). Kongtrul walks readers through the taxonomy via Shantideva's text, beginning each section with a translated quote, then explaining it further and exploring its practical applications.
Even if you don't want to be a bodhisattva, we could all use a little more patience; Kongtrul's text is accessible to all levels of Buddhist practitioners, as well as other interested parties. Two appendices provide an extended meditation on patience and a list of the 72 ways to be disturbed. All in all, it's a nice little book, appropriate for libraries of all sizes. I mention this specifically because the publishing industry still skews so heavily toward Christianity that smaller libraries should jump on every opportunity they have to buy a book outside that faith that's appropriate for their library.
I'll be buying myself a personal copy, too, because I found it very soothing and helpful. I am not always a patient person, particularly when I see something illogical or immoral going on, so this book landed for me like a breath of fresh air. Highly recommended for anyone who could stand to be more patient.
This useful manual is a walkthrough of what's called "The Patience Chapter" in Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva. If you're not hip to what that means exactly, fret not: Kongtrul explains that some people decide to stick around in earthly incarnations until all beings have achieved liberation / enlightenment. That's a hefty order, but if you're Buddhist and you want to take a crack at it, Shantideva is your guy.
The Patience Chapter focuses specifically on, as you might expect, patience. Kongtrul explains that there are 72 ways to be disturbed, and while that might seem low at first, don't worry: it's a taxonomy of 72 categories into which all disturbances fit). Kongtrul walks readers through the taxonomy via Shantideva's text, beginning each section with a translated quote, then explaining it further and exploring its practical applications.
Even if you don't want to be a bodhisattva, we could all use a little more patience; Kongtrul's text is accessible to all levels of Buddhist practitioners, as well as other interested parties. Two appendices provide an extended meditation on patience and a list of the 72 ways to be disturbed. All in all, it's a nice little book, appropriate for libraries of all sizes. I mention this specifically because the publishing industry still skews so heavily toward Christianity that smaller libraries should jump on every opportunity they have to buy a book outside that faith that's appropriate for their library.
I'll be buying myself a personal copy, too, because I found it very soothing and helpful. I am not always a patient person, particularly when I see something illogical or immoral going on, so this book landed for me like a breath of fresh air. Highly recommended for anyone who could stand to be more patient.
November 8, 2021
This book came into my life when my patience hormones were precipitously dwindling. I read it very slowly trying to absorb as much of it as I could. I will need to read it again.
My favorite chapter is “The 72 Ways We Get Disturbed.” Let’s just say that we can get worked up around hope for positive circumstances and fear of negative circumstances. These ideas not only present the seed to disturbance in the present moment but also as we review our past and project into our futures. Also, the ideas around hope and fear relate to our person as well as to our hopes and fears for families and friends and even foes. With all this to think about, you can see how you can get to 72 Ways to Get Disturbed. The author gives practices to work with all this disturbance!
I loved this book.
My favorite chapter is “The 72 Ways We Get Disturbed.” Let’s just say that we can get worked up around hope for positive circumstances and fear of negative circumstances. These ideas not only present the seed to disturbance in the present moment but also as we review our past and project into our futures. Also, the ideas around hope and fear relate to our person as well as to our hopes and fears for families and friends and even foes. With all this to think about, you can see how you can get to 72 Ways to Get Disturbed. The author gives practices to work with all this disturbance!
I loved this book.
May 16, 2021
"Peaceful Heart: The Buddhist Practice of Patience" is a study on Shantideva's book "The Way of the Bodhisattva" with specific focus on the chapter that deals with patience. The book centers on our recognizing anger and working with it. This is a guide for cultivating patience under difficult circumstances and is a method for preventing our minds from being consumed by negative emotions. The author states that patience is one of the most profound and important practices in Mahayana Buddhism and is the ultimate skill in dealing with anger. To the non Buddhists, these concepts may be very difficult to relate and for the practicing Buddhist a real challenge to master.
September 21, 2024
Thank you Dzigar Kongtrul for conveying your teaching, and the teaching of Shantideva to elegantly introduce me to The Way of the Bodhisattva as a foundational way to experience a Peaceful Heart [and] The Buddhist Practice of Patience. This is not a book intended to elicit shame, guilt or remorse in the reader, and it did not do so for me, because I continue to focus on “changing my mind , and not the outer world” (Kongtrul, 2020, p. 5). It is a book that continues to support me in a journey towards action-oriented values and enriched living to thoughtfully address actions that lead from a repetitive cycle of samsara, or cycle of life and death, to tsewa, or my open heartedness. It is a book that requires us to Name how we are becoming disturbed, irritated, or aggressive; Claim the feeling and how it might relate to our yi midewe ze, or reactions that feed negative or poisonous food to the mind and that upset or cause us to feel irritated when we do not get what we want, or when we get what we do not want (Kongtrul, 2020, pp. 25-27), for ourselves and those we love and those who we do not love across a continuum of our past, present, and future; and to really Tame discontent by continuing to reflect on Chapter 2 pages 25-33 and Appendix B pages 213-218. I am, with all humility, still carrying and will always carry my shield of patience and reflect on ways to practice good will and tsewa so that I might continue my exploration of ways to free my mind from its chains and ensure that my “mind is flexible, healthy, and resilient” (Kongtrul, 2020, p. 3). To Tame disturbances and “go from joy to joy” (Kongtrul, 2020, p. 7) is work that is worthy of my effort, patience, and persistence. My GoodReads friends and fellow readers, this is not an easy book to read, yet “Peaceful heart: The Buddhist practice of patience” by Dzigar Kongtrul is an excellent read!
May 23, 2025
A Lot of Good Things and Well Meaning if Not my favorite Feminist Manifesto
There are good things here if you look and translate for yourself from the patriarchal perspective. It is a meditation on phrases by Shantideva(as so many of these things are: riffs off other writings:) It feels a bit old-fashioned today if one is not a man, I think! But I enjoyed reading it for book group.
There are good things here if you look and translate for yourself from the patriarchal perspective. It is a meditation on phrases by Shantideva(as so many of these things are: riffs off other writings:) It feels a bit old-fashioned today if one is not a man, I think! But I enjoyed reading it for book group.
January 3, 2022
I bought this book after hearing the author on a podcast. I was surprised to hear that the opposite emotion to anger is patience. Once I heard that, it made all the sense in the world. Kongtrul persuasively explains this idea and offers exercises to help. We live in such an angry culture, and I struggle sometimes with anger, so this book has been truly helpful.
June 10, 2021
This is a great expostulation on Shantideva's chapter on patience. Dzigar explains and elaborates on the practice of patience in Buddhism. Sometimes his prose is a bit unwieldy - this book could use more editing.
January 20, 2024
a wonderful commentary on patience and how buddhism looks at it. Teaches about all of our bad emotions and what happens to us when we act on them.
highly recommend if you are already a buddhist or taking your first step into the teachings
highly recommend if you are already a buddhist or taking your first step into the teachings
January 29, 2021
Great reading
An excellent book teaching us about Shantideva’s work. An easy read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I’ll want to read more of his work
An excellent book teaching us about Shantideva’s work. An easy read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I’ll want to read more of his work
April 28, 2021
A study on Shantideva's "The Way of the Boddhisattva" Patience Chapter (chp 7), my favorite. Some good insights on recognizing one's anger and working with it.
November 22, 2021
Helpful reasons to deal with anger and methods to proceed.
February 19, 2024
One of the best books I’ve ever read!! This book changed my life and I recommend this for anyone looking to develop the art of patience. 10/10
June 29, 2025
Loved reading the dharma itself. The "source." Worth the effort. And Dzigar Kongtrul's interpretation of it is quite helpful. Lots of good examples to help us understand difficult concepts.
February 1, 2024
Excellent primer on Buddhist concepts and practices related to the poison that is aggression, as well as an exposition of the illogic that allows 'sentient beings,' as opposed to Buddhas or the bodhisattva, to indulge in such behavior. The book has many helpful examples of how to pursue bohdicitta (the path of the bodhisattva) and cultivate the tsewa (innate tender heart).
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews