The Undefeated Mind

When Alex Lickerman failed to pass Part 1 of his medical boards because of a disruption in his personal life, he felt his life spin emotionally out of control. He didn’t have a chance to take it again until his third year in medical school, but with focused determination and the practice of Nichiren Buddhism, a form of Buddhism generally known for chanting the mantra Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, he passed his boards and became a doctor. In doing so, he realized that his medical practice actually benefited from having to retake that first board exam. Twenty-three years later, as a practicing Buddhist AND physician and former director of primary care at the University of Chicago, Dr. Lickerman gives us THE UNDEFEATED MIND: On the Science of Constructing an Indestructible Self (HCI Books--$15.95). In doing so, he gives us tools to achieve what everyone needs in this challenging world--resilience.Drawing on the tenets of both Nichiren Buddhism and new scientific research, THE UNDEFEATED MIND distills ancient wisdom into nine principles--principles anyone can incorporate into their thinking and behavior, whether they have any interest in chanting mantras or not. His nine principles are supported by stories of nine patients, each of whom used one of the principles to overcome suffering caused variously by unemployment, weight gain, addiction, rejection, chronic pain, retirement, illness, loss, and even death. He believes that although our ability to control what happens to us in life may be limited, our ability to establish a life state strong enough to surmount the suffering life brings us is attainable.In Chapter 1, Lickerman says: “An undefeated mind isn’t one that never feels discouraged or despairing; it’s one that continues on in spite of it…Everyone--absolutely everyone--has the capacity to construct an undefeated mind, not just to withstand personal traumas, economic crises, or armed conflicts, but to triumph over them all.” And, further, he says, “Extraordinary people may be born, but they can also be made.”Nichiren Buddhism holds that everyone’s function, or purpose in life, is to be happy. We must first find our mission, make a vow to ourselves, expect obstacles, learn to stand alone, accept pain, let go, appreciate the good, and be sure to encourage others. Easy enough to say, but more challenging to accomplish, and Alex Lickerman leads the way toward teaching us how to achieve the resilience we need to attain indestructible happiness. THE UNDEFEATED MIND is a must read for both the scientific and spiritually minded.