Al borde del abismo

For decades Joan Halifax has collaborated with neuroscientists, physicians, and psychologists to understand how contemplative practice can be a vehicle for social transformation. Halifax has identified five psychological experiences he calls "borderline states" - altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, and commitment - that embody the strength of our character and in which our true potential resides. Only when we find ourselves at these limits do we open ourselves to all the possibilities of human experience and discover who we really are. However, each of these states can also be the cause of personal and social suffering: altruism can become pathological, empathy can turn into anguish, integrity into moral suffering, respect into irreverence and commitment can result in overwork and exhaustion. How can we avoid falling into these traps and find a balance between these opposing forces? The author offers a practical guide to walk the threshold of change and overcome fear. Multiple experiences from caregivers, humanitarian activists, politicians and teachers, combined with the wisdom of the traditions of Zen, mindfulness, and Halifax's groundbreaking research on compassion, make Brink of the Abyss a book destined to become a contemporary classic. A powerful guide on how to find the freedom we seek for others and for ourselves.