Edited by John Briggs

Preface by Robert A. F. Thurman

Compassion and creativity are discussed in a series of accessible and conversational essays based on a conference at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) in which five panels of scholars, Buddhist monks, writers, musicians, artists, health professionals, and students focused on understanding how these two powerful concepts are related, with special relevance to life in the 21st century.

Topics include the following: What do the words compassion and creativity mean? How are creativity and compassion interrelated? Is compassion a creative process? How is compassion present in both the experience of art and the creative process of making art? Are creativity and compassion both present in the highest achievements of diverse fields—from medicine to poetry? Are there ways in which creativity and compassion may be applied in daily life, professional activities, and collective action?

These essays are being published in conjunction with a public talk by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in October of 2012 on the same subjects. This event also marks the start of the effort to establish the Center for the Advanced Study of Creativity and Compassion, which is a joint initiative between WCSU and Do Ngak Kunphen Ling (DNKL) Tibetan Buddhist Center for Universal Peace in Redding, Connecticut. The center's goals are to inspire, enrich, and assist the local and global communities in the ongoing creation of a more compassionate society by engaging a wide range of disciplines, including the arts, philosophy, religion, business, and contemporary culture.

This book includes essays by Geshe Tashi Tsering, Buddhist monk; Robert K. C. Forman, founding executive director of the Forge Institute for Spirituality and Social Change; Paul Hackett, Buddhist scholar; Norman Carey, director of the D.M.A. program in music performance at the CUNY Graduate Center; Peter Elbow, professor of English emeritus at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst; Tenzin Bhuchung, a Buddhist scholar highly specialized in translating for Tibetan Buddhist lamas; John Z. Amoroso, an established transpersonal psychotherapist and educator; and many others.

ISBN 978-1-937114-05-3, 296 pages, 6" x 9", paperback, © 2012
U.S. $19.99

Available at Amazon.com