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by David R. Loy (Author)
David R. Loy draws from giants of psychotherapy and existentialism, from Nietzsche to Kierkegaard to Sartre, to explore the fundamental issues of life, death, and what motivates us.
Psychotherapy, existentialism, and Buddhism are all concerned with the same fundamental issues of life and death--and death-in-life. David R. Loy's groundbreaking claim is that the unifying feature connecting these perspectives is a sense of pervasive sense of dissatisfaction--or, in a word, lack. In Lack & Transcendence, he brings all three traditions together in a way that casts new light on each, as he draws from giants of psychotherapy, particularly Freud, Ernest Becker, Rollo May, Irvin Yalom, and Otto Rank; great existentialist thinkers, like Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre; and the teachings of Buddhism, especially as interpreted by Nagarjuna, Huineng, and Dogen. Written in accessible style that does not assume prior familiarity with any of its subjects, this book will appeal to readers of all backgrounds, including psychotherapists and psychoanalysts, religious scholars, Continental philosophers, and anyone seeking clarity on the Great Matter itself. The reader will come away with fresh perspectives on ancient questions and deeper insights into the human predilection to be unhappy--and what the liberating alternative may be.Author Biography
David R. Loy began Zen practice in Hawaii in 1971 with Yamada Koun and Robert Aitken, and continued with Koun Roshi in Japan, where he lived for almost twenty years. He was authorized to teach in 1988 and has led retreats and workshops at Mountain Cloud Zen Center, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, Omega Institute, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Centro Kushi Ling in Italy, Ecodharma Centre in Spain, Terre d'Eveil in Paris, Gaia House Retreat Center in the UK, Dharma Gate Buddhist College in Budapest, and various Centro de Estudos Budistas Bodisatva Centers in Brazil, among others.
In 2014 David received an honorary PhD from his alma mater, Carleton College, for his years of work on socially engaged Buddhism. In 2016 he returned the degree, to protest the decision of the board of trustees not to divest from fossil fuel companies. David's books and articles have been translated into many languages. Recent books include A New Buddhist Path and Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis. He is one of the founders of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center in Colorado. David's writings, podcasts, and videos are available at www.davidloy.org.
