Click Cover to Buy at Amazon.com Prepublication Reviews:
“Not just another
book about alternative healing, this is also a very well-written textbook about how and why the alternative process Ellis
chose actually worked. A professor of mathematics and Judaic studies, he does talk about things like conceptual lenses being
a tenet of cognitive science,but always in understandable terms., with examples. He also makes it clear that the path to overcoming
suffering lies in the right brain, not the left brain. The power of the book is Ellis’ honesty about his struggle with
the concept of turning enemies into teachers. An additional selling point is Ellis’ use of Buddhist teachings to search
for new insight into the Hebrew Bible. Consider displaying it with books by Thich Nhat Hanh, Jack Kornfeld, Rabbi David
A. Cooper, and Pema Chödrön.”
—Anna
Jedrziewski, New Age Retailer (May 2011)
Prepublication Endorsements:
“Blinding Pain, Simple Truth is an intriguing blend of Buddhist insight
meditation and a fascinating interpretation of key Hebrew Bible passages. In this engaging work, Dr. Richard Ellis shares
his own journey of life-changing transformation through these liberating practices and studies. The pairing of these two ancient
traditions helps to illuminate our own explorations of healing and awakening.”
—Joseph Goldstein, author of A Heart Full of Peace and One Dharma:
The Emerging Western Buddhism
“Physical pain
is sometimes unavoidable, but suffering is a choice. Sounds nice, but is it true? And if it is true, what choices does a person
have to make to find freedom and perhaps even fulfillment in the midst of severe and persistent pain? The book you have in
your hand is a rich, informative, and empowering narrative of one person’s quest for happiness, independent of conditions.
It is informative and empowering because it details step-by-step the sequence of challenges and breakthroughs that the author
went through over a period of many years. It is rich because it brings together three deep human endeavors: Buddhist mindfulness
practice, higher mathematics, and traditional Jewish text study.
“Delicious
for the intellect, nourishing for the soul.”
—Shinzen
Young, author of The Science of Enlightenment and Break Through Pain
“Professor Richard Ellis invites us, as fellow human beings, to join him on his intimate personal journey to
discover the heart of reality: when we experience pain and our lives are afflicted by suffering, we can experience healing
and transformation. Personal pain, which can challenge our notions of self and our conventional view of the world, can also
become our teacher. . . .
“Richard enriches his journey
of self-discovery and transformation by celebrating Hebrew Scripture and ancient Buddhist wisdom. Archetypal Biblical ancestors
come alive as Richard explores their struggles, which are our own. . . . Buddhist wisdom complements the wisdom of Hebrew
Scripture by offering us the gift of meditation, which allows us to experience the fullness of reality itself.
“I am profoundly grateful to Richard for sharing his book with me
at a time of personal transition. As a former hospital chaplain, I engaged human suffering on many levels. I humbly bow to
Richard’s embrace of pain, reality, and God’s mystery. All who read this book will be enriched by Richard’s
witness.”
—Father Bruce Teague, Our Lady of the
Valley Church, Sheffield, MA
“Richard Ellis’s close
account of his struggle with physical pain opens up very useful insights into the nature of suffering and the role of the
ego in prolonging it. For him, pain has become a kind of teacher, and the story of his journey to understand the teaching
of his pain brings into one book his knowledge as a mathematician, as a close reader of the Hebrew Bible, and as a practitioner
of Buddhist meditation.”
—Rodger Kamenetz,
author of The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet’s Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India
“I encourage both laypersons and professionals to read this unique
integration of Buddhism, the Bible, and behavioral science. The author uses Buddhist teachings, meditation, the wisdom of
the Bible, and his own experiences to explore issues of pain and suffering, healing and happiness, ego and enlightenment.
The book describes a path of transformation: how people focused on achievement and control can discover a new way of being,
based on insight and love. Such a transformation is exactly what we are striving for in biofeedback, cognitive behavior therapy,
and modern psychoanalysis.”
—Dr. Arnon Rolnick,
Clinical Psychologist and Senior Research Fellow, Unit for Applied Neuroscience, Interdisciplinary Center, and Psychotherapy
School, Ben Gurion University, Israel
“This is a rich
and rewarding book that shares deep insights about life, human suffering and ways to cope with it, meditation, and texts from
the Jewish Bible. They are delivered compellingly, poetically, and often with an element of humor. The author’s wisdom
and clarity of thought comes shining through, whether his mode is story-telling memoirist, scholarly analyst, spiritual guide,
or self-help coach. I recommend this book highly to anyone seeking help with intractable physical, emotional, or spiritual
pain.”
—Kenneth Talan, M.D., author of the
award-winning book, Help Your Child or Teen Get Back on Track: What Parents and Professionals Can Do for Childhood Emotional
and Behavioral Problems
“This book is a mindful
and wholehearted exploration of the nature of pain, suffering, and healing that reveals surprising discoveries of simple,
yet challenging pathways to equanimity. It also presents imaginative and evocative interpretations of Biblical narratives
and their relationship to Buddha Dharma, meditative practice, and wisdom.”
—Ted Slovin, Ph.D., former member of the board of directors of the Insight Meditation Society, Barre, MA; Psychologist
