Why Buddhism Is True

Now that I'm not in school anymore (a blog posting for another time) I have lots of free time to pursue interests and loves I haven't had the time for. One love is reading. I got my love for reading at an early age. My dad was a voracious and fast reader (I'm quite a slow reader.) He could easily read two books or more in a day! My mother was the town librarian for many years, so I was surrounded by readers and reading.  I'm a voracious reader, as well, but I haven't had time for leisure reading in over two years. Now that the holidaze (note the spelling on that. LOL!) I have ample time to dive back in. I will read anything and everything from comic books and biographies to history (Revolutionary War history is one of my favorite history topics!) and science fiction. 

I'm an inherently curious person, and my interest in the self runs deep. Buddhism, mindfulness, nonattachment, meditation, metaphysics mixed with anatomy, chemistry, and even mind-altering/mind-expanding drugs; these are topics that fascinate me to no end. Exploring the depths of the mind-body connection/experience is a source of endless fascination and curiosity. I truly believe there is “more going on” than we can see, or allow ourselves to see. 

That said, my first book to relaunch my “reading career” is Why Buddhism Is True by Robert Wright. My friend of almost 40 years, Dan, sent me the book knowing it would something I would enjoy. Thank you so much, Dan. Now, let the reading begin!

Inner Storms

Ego

Recently I had an incident that I recoiled from. Someone had offered to help me with a situation. I had to stop and think about it for a bit. Why did I get defensive at the offer of assistance. This morning at the gym it became clear to me. What I found was that my ego was getting in the way. It wouldn't let me admit that this was something that I could use advice and assistance with. It was too proud, which led to deeper stubbornness. 

Realizing this was another giant leap in my path of mindfulness and nonattachment. I became aware of, and fascinated, by the process of recognizing ego and its clever ways of keeping me stagnant in old thinking and behavior. Once I stripped away the hard outer shell ego had constructed I was able to see the truth of things. The situation then became immediately understood.
Some lessons come with time, patience, and hard work/attention. And more times than not, they come in eye-opening flashes of revelation and understanding. It made me grasp more fully the workings of the ego and its defensiveness and insecurity.

In This Time of Uncertainty

In this chaotic and unsure moment of presidential power versus constitutionality and the guarantee that the United States is a nation of laws and not men I've thought a good deal about mindfulness and nonattachment. How do they fit in? Where is their place? How do we use them to make sense of, and employ them as a protest of the current situation? In my thinking I realized I've been operating under the notion that mindfulness and nonattachment equate passivity. They are not a surrender to events or a retreat into the self as protection against the elements. Much to the contrary. Mindfulness is not appeasement. Nonattachment is not indifference. They are weapons against fear that cannot be crippled by executive order. They cannot be barred at airport entry gates. They cannot be taken in the night be jack-booted thugs. They cannot be legislated away by a woefully ignorant, chickenhearted political party. Mindfulness and nonattachment are larger and more powerful than the pettiness of ego and narcissism. For these reasons they must be employed to their fullest potential now more than ever.

Trust What Is

My friend Argenis Vegas has written a wonderful book based on his personal experience with mindfulness, nonattachment and being present. From the book's back cover:

"Suffering can be the greatest catalyst for transformation. It can help you discover your own essence and connect with the field of all possibilities. You have the opportunity to navigate the flow of life and be with “what is” at that moment. Rather than fight against the natural current, be present in it. Those who oppose us are not our enemies, but our teachers. Offer them no resistance. This story attempts to point to that which is beyond words, and cannot be grasped by the mind——the unified nature of existence, which lies beyond the conditioning and the dualistic perception of life. My wish is that it will encourage you to welcome differences, thus creating a more peaceful, loving world, and to inspire you to see and go beyond the circumstances in your life."

For anyone on the path of mindfulness and self-awareness, I encourage them to read this book. It is full of wonderful nuggets of insight, inspiration, and enthusiasm for learning to trust what is. Visit the link below for ordering information. 

https://www.amazon.com/Trust-What-Argenis-Vegas/dp/0692270701