The Practice of Not Reacting: Zen Wisdom for a Happy Life

Now available in English for the first time, the groundbreaking Japanese bestseller that teaches you how to improve your relationships, calm your emotions, and shape a life that’s in your control.

“The Practice of Not Reacting is one of the best books on Zen, meditation, and life I have ever read. This book changed my life, which is not something that happens often.”— Steven Kotler, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of the Impossible

A stressful day at work. An argument with a loved one. A post on social media that ruins your mood. Our minds react strongly to failures, frustrations, and comparisons, destroying our confidence and making us feel helpless against feelings of anger, stress, and anxiety.

But it’s not external events that cause us to lose our happiness—it’s our internal reactions to them. The Practice of Not Reacting offers the key to a drama-free life: stop reacting unnecessarily. When we stop reacting, the mind settles and we find peace. Ryushun Kusanagi’s approach relies on the ancient Buddhist idea that one should seek to understand worries and respond to them logically, rather than try to eliminate or suppress them. In a few simple steps, you will learn how to:

Stop pointlessly judging your circumstances as “good” and “bad”
Free yourself from the pain of stress, worry, and negative emotions
Live authentically, without being influenced by what others think of you
Let go of the habit of measuring yourself against others’ successes and failures

Loved by hundreds of thousands of readers across Japan, this concise book is for anyone seeking the vital freedom that comes with the practice of non-reaction.