Buddhist Belief Blog

One of the questions I often ask myself as I’m proceeding with my study of Buddhist Belief, is this, Is there an eternal soul, or an unchanging, substantial self? Is there anything like this anywhere – in anyone? I can’t truly explain why I still want to write about this – I thought I had wrapped it up last time. **smile** Apparently not. There are still some more thoughts floating through this old mind I would like to share. I also discovered a great 12 minute talk given by Bob Thurman over at the TED Talks which I’ll share with you at the end of this post.

Perhaps one of the reasons why I’m not ready to leave this be, is because when I look at the subject of “No_Self” from outside myself, I find it to be a bit threatening. If I’m not what I carry around inside my skin, then what am I? Who am I? Obviously, since I still have these questions, I still don’t have a decent enough grasp of what this all means. As Bob Thurman is going to explain in the video, it’s not until we come to the actual realization of “No-Self”, will it then become self-evident. Then it will be the most obvious thing in the world.

I’ll bet everyone reading this blog has experienced being totally burnt out or stressed out about something at some point in their life, right? If we’re like most people, if we’re in a situation like that, we try to offset it some way. Maybe it’s work we’re stressed out about, so we might call in sick, (even if we’re not) – or schedule a vacation – something to get us away from the stress. Oh, it feels so good not to be in the stress, doesn’t it? But what happens after a few days of this? We get a little bored and we start looking for something else to do. We’re not happy with all this quiet – we’re getting anxious – maybe a bit stressed again.

Think about it – isn’t that how life goes? We’re constantly swinging from one thing to another. We’re up – and then we’re down – so we need to do something to get up again. This is what Buddha was talking about in the First Noble Truth. This is the suffering – the samsara or the dukkha – we’re never satisfied. We’re always looking for something new so we can feel happy. We say to ourselves, “If only I could find a good balance in my life – not too much stress – and not too much boredom.” Have you ever really found such a balance? Is it even possible? It seems no matter how we may strive for “no stress/no boredom”, something always seems to come along to knock us off balance.

Once we come to a place where we realize what we’re experiencing is the dukkha, the suffering Buddha talks about, this should open some new doorways for our steps to break this cycle of ups and downs. There is no way this “self” we call “me” will ever find rest within itself. Is the reason for this because we’re so used to living with the ups and downs we don’t even consider the possibility of another way to live? It’s when we do understand how the lack of true balance is the result of dukkha, our addiction to suffering, we can begin our new journey towards true happiness and inner peace.

I’m going to wrap this up for this time, because I really would like you to take a few minutes to watch and listen to this video by Bob Thurman. I’ll pick this up again next time.

Robert Thurman was the first American to be ordained a Tibetan Monk by the Dalai Lama. He is a scholar, author and tireless proponent of peace. Thurman’s focus is on the balance between inner insight and cultural harmony. In interpreting the teachings of Buddha, he argues that happiness can be reliable and satisfying in an enduring way without depriving others. This video, where Bob Thurman says, “We can all be Buddhas“, was recorded as part of the TED Talks series in June of 2007. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

(If, for some reason, the embedded video doesn’t work for you, here’s a direct link:)

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/130

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