Buddhist Belief Blog

Those of us who are devoting some time and energy to learning more about Buddhist Belief are, I would bet, discovering some interesting factors about how we live our lives – at least I am. One of the primary teachings of Buddha is how the reason we’re dissatisfied so much of the time is because we’re not willing to let go of our craving and clinging to things, people and other “stuff”, as well as our reluctance to accept the Buddhist teaching – nothing is permanent.

Obviously, one of the reasons why we have so much trouble with this “letting go” process, is because of our persistent resistance to change. Sure, there are going to be times when we would happily welcome change. Times when we don’t feel good – or – times when something has entered our lives we don’t like – those, and similar circumstances, are the times we’d love some change and as soon as possible, please!

However, the most interesting thing about this resistance to change is we know change is going to happen, no matter what we do, yet we continue to fight it. We fight it with vigor, even though we know, deep down, whatever it is won’t last. We know nothing is permanent, yet we refuse to accept this as fact. We see it proven to us over and over, yet we continue to cling to the myth of permanence. We’ve been thoroughly indoctrinated for many centuries to believe this way – it has become an ingrained habit, and habits are, as we know, extremely difficult to break. Change is always happening in every moment. It never stops – it never gives up – it never slows down, and still, we don’t cease our wanting more permanency in our lives.

We can’t make change slow down or stop, but we can stop and slow down ourselves a bit and pay closer attention to what we’re doing. Of course, in order to slow down and become more aware, we need to know it’s a step we have available to us. Here’s where the study of Buddhist Belief comes in. Buddha taught how being more mindful of what we’re doing would reveal ways to ease the suffering of our lives.

What’s interesting about the process of slowing ourselves down and paying more attention to the change happening around us, is we begin to see how all our actions to try and stop it are exercises in futility. We begin to see how striving for permanence in an impermanent world is like banging our heads against a really hard brick wall. This is when we begin saying to ourselves, “Whoa, what am I doing? This isn’t working for me!” Once we reach this point of being more aware, we begin to see how the way we’ve been dealing with our life isn’t working, and new thoughts and ideas surface — showing us new and different paths to follow. We begin to realize we’ve been following the wrong leader – our ego-centered master – instead of going to the place within us where true knowledge is ready and willing to take over, if only we’ll allow it to happen.

As usual, and as those of you who have been reading this blog for any time know, I often write about what’s on my mind – and what the lessons are I need to reinforce for my own life – and hoping what I have to say will be helpful to you as well as to me. We all know how the study of Buddhist teachings will lead to revealing ways to learn to let go and quit fighting change. But when you get to a point later in your life where terminal illness has entered your reality, the teaching about impermanence becomes truly vivid. We begin to see the utter futility of trying to hold onto things. So much of the acceptance of change seems to happen rather naturally. Learning to accept “what is” makes more sense because we can see how there really aren’t a lot of other choices, anyway — or, as the young people would say, “Like none, dude!”

This whole concept of the impermanence of things and people is now seen with more clarity. It’s no longer a struggle to force something to happen – you don’t have to work at letting go or holding on – you just “go with the flow”. You discover how letting go of our resistance to change is always happening when we stay in the moment. It’s interesting too, when we live more in the present, the letting go just sort of happens – and when we are accepting of “what is” it’s so much easier to stay in the present.

As I say nearly every time I write another article for this blog – meditation – daily meditation – is vital. Meditation is the way to discover what it means to be in the moment. It is the way to train your mind to see truth more readily. If practicing meditation isn’t a part of your daily life, why not block out a few minutes each day in your schedule to meditate. It can be a short time to begin with – perhaps 15 minutes. Some of you may have had parents who said to you when you were a child, “Eat this, it’s good for you!”

Well, I’m saying, “Meditate, it’s good for you!”

Metta ….May I be well and happy. My I live in safety. May I be healthy and strong. May I live with ease. May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

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Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Stephanie Kaza — Hooked!: Buddhist Writings on Greed, Desire, and the Urge to Consume

Stephanie Kaza, an amazing writer and Buddhist teacher I knew from my 36 years living in Vermont, gathers key Buddhist thinkers to reflect upon aspects of consumerism, greed and economics. Certainly, many other authors have examined consumerism from the lens of their religious traditions, but this book’s Buddhist perspective is unusual, and its pairing of consumerist critiques with core Buddhist concepts is generally fruitful. Check this one out! Hooked!

Stephanie Kaza — Mindfully Green: A Personal and Spiritual Guide to Whole Earth Thinking

Another one from my Vermont friend — Stephanie Kaza, a biologist and professor of Environmental Studies at University of Vermont, combines Zen Buddhist practices and teachings with her 40 years as an environmentalist for this guide to enlightened environmentalism, proposing a belief in the interdependence of people and nature as the genuine way to “go green”: “When we come to see ourselves as part of the green web of life… we are naturally drawn to respond with compassion.” A good read for Buddhists or anyone from any religion. Mindfully Green

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook