The Trauma of Everyday Life

While every situation and event affects everyone differently, it's also true that most every person has gone through some form of trauma... even the Buddha. Psychotherapist and religious scholar Mark Epstein retells Buddha's life story through the lens of the loss of his mother when he was an infant. It's basically the tale of how a privileged young man raised in complete ignorance of life's harsh reality screwed it all up, gave up everything he had and almost died from neglecting himself, and finally found a "middle way" where his own experiences and the problems of humanity provided meaning rather than limits. It's a fascinating perspective and it's readable and relatable even if you aren't already familiar with the story or religion. And it convincingly shows how the traumas of our daily lives shape not just our struggles but the best parts of ourselves.