The Practice of Not Reacting

Zen Wisdom for a Happy Life

De: Ryushun Kusanagi

From Buddhist monk Ryushun Kusanagi, the Japanese bestseller (300,000+ units) with a radically simple framework for a better life.

A bad first date. An argument with a loved one. A job interview that doesn’t go your way. Our minds react to failures and frustrations with anger and anxiety, destroying our confidence and making us feel as if we’re not in control.

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 lasting inner peace: stop reacting unnecessarily. 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 negative emotions such as stress and worry
• Live authentically, without being influenced by what others think of you
• Let go of the habit of measuring yourself against others’ successes and failures

The roots of our negative reactions can always be traced back to our own desires and insecurities. Once we gain this self-awareness, we start to see life for what it is–and in that acceptance, there’s ultimate inner peace. The Practice of Not Reacting shows you the way.

©2026 Ryushun Kusanagi (P)2026 Penguin Audio