How to live your life genuinely, honestly, and happily in the face of the inevitable difficulties that arise--more wonderfully accessible Zen teachings for living from the author of Being Zen.Ever feel like your efforts to live a life of wisdom, honesty, and compassion are hijacked by, well, life? Take heart. Ezra Bayda has good news: life's challenges aren't obstacles to our path-they are the path. Understanding that liberates us to use every aspect of what life presents us with as a way to live with integrity and authenticity-and joy. In this, as in all his books, Ezra's teaching is Zen made wonderfully practical, in a way that can apply to anyone's life. Meditation is the foundation, but it doesn't stop there. It's about learning to take the practice of presence we cultivate in meditation to all the rest of our complicated lives. Doing that empowers us to navigate our journey with the integrity and authenticity that are what a satisfying life is all about.

Part I   The Territory and The Map 1.              Skeletons At the Feast 2.              The Rocky Road 3.              The Eternal Recurrence 4.              Doorways Into Reality 5.              Transforming Energy    Part II   Awakening the Mind 6.              What About Happiness? 7.              No One Special To Be  8.              Who’s Who in the Zoo? 9.              The Misguided Quest 10.             Shades of Grey   Part III   Emotional Awakening 11.            The Dilemma of Anger 12.             Saying Yes to Fear 13.           The Great Teaching 14.           What We Really Want  15.           Sound Bites That Matter   Part IV   Awakening the Heart 16.            The Bigger Picture 17.            The Song of Meditation 18.            The Most Important Thing 19.            Enjoy the Ride