Jim Berg

Pointing Jim Berg

An abhidharma points to the way to be maximally free from dissatisfaction and most effectively fulfilled. The ancient ones wrote their Abhidharma to transmit their insights into the Dharma of Buddha, who so brilliantly initially pointed the Way. In the book Pointing, A Modern Abhidharma, Jim Berg brings the ancient vision into modern times. We've come a long way over a couple thousand years in our understanding of psychology, neurology, biology, sociology and just about every other area. Yet the insights of the Buddha about the way to relieve our dissatisfaction remains as pertinent and wise as ever. The human mind has its characteristic ways, ways that lead to happiness and sadness, wisdom and foolishness. These ways haven't seemed to have changed much since the days of old. Our modern ways to conceptualize the ways of the mind have become more sophisticated. In this modern abhidharma, Pointing systematically leads the mind of the reader to grasp the extent and solution to the problem of human unhappiness: the types of dissatisfaction; the causes and remedy to dissatisfaction; the way to cultivate the deepest insights and satisfaction. This is not a book to be skimmed over. It is meant to be a steppingstone to wisdom. What is wisdom? What are the details of the path to enlightenment? What is the original mind? Samadhi? The Jhanas? These questions are answered by pointing, using words designed to lead the mind towards awakening the insight into the answer. Not all questions are meant to be fully answered in words. Wisdom needs to mature and evolve into keener insight. Words can only point out possible places to look and cultivate. Pointing, A Modern Abhidharma doesn't hold back, mapping the cultivation of the Dharma in the conceptual detail it deserves.