Synopses & Reviews
A beautifully written guide to developing one thing many of us could use a great deal more of. To survive the roller coaster ride of life-the seemingly endless shifts from pleasure to pain, gain to loss, and praise to blame- requires a substantial depth of patience. And yet patience is one thing many feel they have precious little of. In this life-changing book, Allan Lokos sheds new light on this much sought-after state of being and provides a road map for cultivating more patience in one's life.
According to Lokos, anger and patience are two sides of the same coin and, therefore, if we hope to develop our ability to be patient we must first learn to recognize and tame anger's many manifestations-from annoyance, rage, and bitterness, to ill will, hostility, and indignation. In this revelatory book, Lokos draws on years of Buddhist practice, as well as interviews with a wide range of people who have had their patience tested-and often sorely so-in order to discover where the heart of patience lies.
A step-by-step guide to weathering life's storms from an inspiring spiritual teacher, Patience will help readers discover greater peace and contentment in their lives.
Review
"Along with suggesting exercises and meditation practices for cultivating mindfulness and patience, Lokos offers testimonials from individuals who have enhanced their lives by learning patience. His laugh-out-loud chapter on raising children is a treasure. A great deal of the world's problems could be solved by taking Lokos's advice." -Susan DeGrane, Booklist
Review
"This book, both practical and profound, is a wonderful demonstration of just how to bring patience and a new way of being right into our daily lives. It is filled with insight, warmth, and compassion." -Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness and Lovingkindness
Review
"Allan Lokos has a depth of experience that is woven throughout this fine book. He reaches with both mind and heart into the nature of patience. As Lewis and Clark mapped our way into the timeless beauty of the Northwest, Lokos is a very wise and human guide who breaks trail into the country of patience, marking all the sacred sites along the way and honoring all the sacred guides who have come before." -Mark Nepo, author of The Book of Awakening
Review
"Down-to-earth, full of ways to become more patient in challenging situations at home and at work, this book helps you develop one of the most important of all virtues for fast-paced, stressful, and often frustrating life today." -Rick Hanson, Ph.D., author of Buddha's Brain
Review
"In this gem of a book Allan Lokos invites us to attend to and practice what is perhaps the most overlooked of all spiritual qualities. Patience is an important read for everyone." -Andrew Olendzki, Ph.D., Senior Scholar, Barre Center
Review
"Allan Lokos has written an essential and profound book that can change your life. Spiritual growth is not like fast food. It takes time for its roots to grow and that requires us to be receptive and patient. Patience delves into its vital subject with wisdom and compassion and offers us a path to our own higher self. Understanding the challenges of our hurried and harried world, Lokos has written a remarkable and practical guide to becoming a truly patient and spiritually effective person." -Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, author of Jewish with Feeling
Review
"Drawing on Buddhist teachings and his own deep wisdom, Allan Lokos reminds us of the peace and freedom that is possible when we cultivate genuine patience. The stories and exercises give practical guidance in coming home to an openhearted presence in the midst of difficulty. This book is a compelling and beautiful invitation to pause and arrive fully in our life." -Tara Brach, Ph.D., author of Radical Acceptance
Review
“There is a statue of Buddha from a thousand years ago that has no eyes and no hands, and yet the truth and love of the Universe seem to glow where its eyes and hands once were, as if the statue had endured and weathered time solely to reveal that truth and love. Allan Lokos has suffered and been worn like this, and truth and love glow from his person and his words.
Through the Flames will make you feel what is tender and listen to what is lasting, and make you want to carry what matters through everything.”
—Mark Nepo, author of The Book of Awakening, The Endless Practice and Reduced to Joy
“Through the Flames is the story of the incredible resilience of the human spirit, and the fact that we can each learn how to access it and to trust it.”
—from the foreword by Sharon Salzberg, New York Times bestselling author of Real Happiness and Lovingkindness
“Through the Flames illustrates how we can awaken our hearts through whatever events unfold through our lives. With deep wisdom, honesty and humanity, author and Buddhist teacher Allan Lokos shares the inside story of not just surviving a deadly plane crash, but being profoundly spiritually transformed through the harrowing aftermath. Whether your crash is a divorce, death of a dear one, loss of financial security or serious illness, this beautifully written story will guide you in finding the blessings of love, peace and freedom in the midst.”
—Tara Brach, Ph.D., author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge
"As founder and guiding teacher of the Community Meditation Center in New York, Allan Lokos has an arsenal of tools for coping with stressful situations."
—Rachel Lee Harris, New York Times
Synopsis
"As founder and guiding teacher of the Community Meditation Center in New York, Allan Lokos has an arsenal of tools for coping with stressful situations." - Rachel Lee Harris, New York Times
To survive the roller-coaster ride of life, with its ever-changing shifts from pleasure to pain, gain to loss, and praise to blame, requires a substantial depth of patience. In this life-changing book, Allan Lokos sheds new light on this much-sought-after state of mind, and provides a road map for cultivating greater patience in one's life.
According to Lokos, to develop a depth of patience we must first acknowledge the unhappiness caused by our impatience and anger in its many manifestations-from mild annoyance to rage. In this revelatory book, Lokos draws on his many years as a Buddhist practitioner and spiritual teacher, as well as interviews with a wide range of individuals who have had their patience tested-often dramatically so-and lays out a compelling path to the heart of patience."
Synopsis
After miraculously surviving a plane crash in Myanmar, Allan Lokos shares what his long and painful recovery process is teaching him about humanitys ability to surviveand even thrivein the face of suffering.
In Through the Flames, Allan Lokos tells the terrifying story of being on board a plane on Christmas Day with his wife, Susanna, when it crashed and exploded in flames. Lokos was severely burned in the accident, and in the days and weeks following the crash, Susanna was told by the many doctors who examined Lokos that he would not survive.
As founder and guiding teacher of the Community Meditation Center in New York City, Lokos had spent decades cultivating compassion and non-attachment. Since the plane crash, his Buddhist practice has been mightily tested. In this inspiring account of his against-all-odds recovery, Lokos uses his experience as a window through which to examine the challenge of human suffering in general and addresses the question of how we can thrive in the midst of pain and uncertainty.
About the Author
Allan Lokos, founder and guiding teacher of the Community Meditation Center in New York City, is the author of Pocket Peace: Effective Practices for Enlightened Living. His writing has appeared in Tricycle magazine and he has taught at New York Insight Meditation Center, Open Center, Marymount College, One Spirit Learning Alliance, and The New Seminary. Earlier in this life Allan was a professional singer appearing in the original Broadway productions of Oliver! and Pickwick. He lives in New York City.