Includes bibliographical references and index.

Foreword / by Daniel Goleman -- Introduction / by Paul Ekman -- East and west -- Traditions * science, religion, and truth * the filter of moods * when emotions are destructive * attachment and control * the poverty of emotional language -- Emotional experience -- What are emotions * obstacles to constructive emotional experiences * calming difficult people * mindfulness * the refractory period * emotional scripts -- Emotional balance -- Meditative practice * how high the bar * the startle and the buffer * forgiveness and responsibility -- Anger, resentment, and hatred -- Preparing for anger * expressing anger * the varieties of anger * the actor and the act * the relatives of anger * motivating anger -- The nature of compassion -- Defining compassion * compassion from an evolutionary perspective * animal intelligence * unbiased compassion * cultivating connectedness * cultivating consciousness * the balance of wisdom and compassion * empathy, intelligence, and wisdom -- Global compassion -- Extending the limits of compassion * releasing resentments * learning altruism * achieving emotional balance * gratitude and rejoicing * mental training gymnasiums -- Personal transformation -- Changing the experience of emotion * the mystery of goodness * the path of reason.