acknowledgments                                    xv
preface                                            xvii
    perfection and guilt
      two bad bricks                               3   (4)
      the temple garden                            7   (3)
      what's done is finished                      10  (1)
      the idiot's guide to peace of mind           11  (3)
      guilt and absolution                         14  (2)
      criminal guilt                               16  (2)
      the class b kids                             18  (2)
      the child in the supermarket                 20  (2)
      we are all crims                             22  (1)
      letting go of guilt, forever                 23  (4)
    love and commitment
      unconditional love                           27  (2)
      opening the door of your heart               29  (4)
      marriage                                     33  (1)
      commitment                                   34  (1)
      the chicken and the duck                     35  (2)
      gratitude                                    37  (1)
      romance                                      38  (2)
      true love                                    40  (5)
    fear and pain
      freedom from fear                            45  (2)
      predicting the future                        47  (2)
      gambling                                     49  (2)
      what is fear?                                51  (2)
      fear of public speaking                      53  (4)
      fear of pain                                 57  (3)
      letting go of pain                           60  (2)
      TM, or how to transcend-dental medication    62  (2)
      no worries                                   64  (7)
    anger and forgiveness
      anger                                        71  (2)
      the trial                                    73  (2)
      the retreat                                  75  (4)
      the anger-eating demon                       79  (3)
      right! that's it! i'm leaving!               82  (2)
      how to stop an insurgency                    84  (4)
      cooling off with forgiveness                 88  (2)
      positive forgiveness                         90  (5)
    creating happiness
      flattery gets you everywhere                 95  (2)
      how to be a VIP                              97  (2)
      the two-finger smile                         99  (2)
      priceless teachings                          101 (2)
      this too will pass                           103 (2)
      the heroic sacrifice                         105 (1)
      a truckload of dung                          106 (4)
      it's too much to hope for                    110 (2)
      being a dustbin                              112 (1)
      maybe it is fair!                            113 (4)
    critical problems and their compassionate
    solutions
      the law of karma                             117 (2)
      drinking tea when there's no way out         119 (2)
      going with the flow                          121 (2)
      caught between a tiger and a snake           123 (2)
      give it everything you've got                125 (2)
      is there a problem?                          127 (1)
      making decisions                             128 (1)
      blaming others                               129 (2)
      the emperor's three questions                131 (4)
      the cow that cried                           135 (4)
      the little girl and her friend               139 (2)
      the snake, the mayor, and the monk           141 (3)
      the bad snake                                144 (5)
    wisdom and inner silence
      the wings of compassion                      149 (2)
      caring for a son                             151 (1)
      what is wisdom?                              152 (2)
      eating wisely                                154 (2)
      solving the problem                          156 (2)
      unwise listening                             158 (1)
      what wisdom is not                           159 (2)
      the danger of an open mouth                  161 (3)
      the talkative tortoise                       164 (3)
      free speech                                  167 (4)
    the mind and reality
      the exorcist                                 171 (2)
      the biggest thing in the world               173 (2)
      searching for the mind                       175 (2)
      science                                      177 (1)
      the science of silence                       178 (1)
      blind faith                                  179 (6)
    values and the spiritual life
      the most beautiful sound                     185 (2)
      what's in a name?                            187 (1)
      pyramid power                                188 (2)
      precious stones                              190 (2)
      then i'll be happy                           192 (3)
      the mexican fisherman                        195 (2)
      when all my wishes were fulfilled            197 (4)
    freedom and humility
      two kinds of freedom                         201 (1)
      which type of freedom would you like?        202 (3)
      the free world                               205 (2)
      a dinner with amnesty international          207 (2)
      the dress code of a monk                     209 (2)
      laughing at yourself                         211 (1)
      the dog that had the last laugh              212 (2)
      abuse and enlightenment                      214 (3)
      when i became enlightened                    217 (3)
      the road hog                                 220 (1)
      hare krishna                                 221 (2)
      the hammer                                   223 (2)
      enjoying a joke at no one's expense          225 (1)
      the idiot                                    226 (3)
    suffering and letting go
      thinking about washing                       229 (2)
      a moving experience                          231 (2)
      poor me, lucky them                          233 (2)
      advice for when you are sick                 235 (2)
      what's wrong with being sick?                237 (2)
      visiting the sick                            239 (2)
      the lighter side of death                    241 (4)
      grief, loss, and celebrating a life          245 (3)
      falling leaves                               248 (3)
      the ups and downs of death                   251 (2)
      the man with four wives                      253 (2)
      cracking up                                  255 (2)
      the worm and his lovely pile of dung         257 (4)
notes                                              261 (2)
index                                              263 (5)
about the author                                   268