Dr. Epstein's book titles say good things to me: Thoughts without a Thinker, Going to Pieces without Falling Apart, Open to Desire and his newest: Advice Not Given.
It is very interesting how an adult can go from having no idea of practicing meditation to do so. A guy could label himself lazy, or fearful, or ignorant or create some more complicated explanation for not learning how, or not doing it. So, when I hear about anyone who makes the change, such as Dan Harris, the newscaster, I am interested in the story of how and why he was moved to learn and meditate. His book "10% Happier" is a basic overview of that change. When I read the book, I found that Harris spent some time talking to Epstein. Then, I knew that Harris was on the right track and would learn some useful information.
When I think of Epstein's books and what I remember from them, I also think of Dr. Harvey B. Aronson and his book "Buddhist Practice on Western Ground". That book, its title, as well as Epstein's books, warn me that I am not Chinese, or Japanese, or Korean. I am confident that there are many differences between the way I grew up and what I believe compared to what would be in my head and history had I grown up in the Eastern cultures. So, as an adult interested in learning who Buddha was and what he taught, his teachings would probably need a little modification or translation or both to help me. I have found that Americans who know this country and its culture have been a bigger help to me that natives of cultures with stronger Buddhist traditions and histories.
Reading "Open to Desire" by Epstein, I read about a group of young adult men sitting together in New York City who were getting hungry and were ready to go somewhere to eat. But they had learned that Buddhists don't yearn, they don't strive, they don't crave. It seemed to them all that expressing a preference for one restaurant or another was engaging desires, wants, in just the way that Buddha had advised against. So, they all sat in hunger.
I am confident that they didn't allow themselves to starve and eventually found a way to get to food and eat.
The picture of that group has stuck with me. It means to me that any idea or habit or conviction may be better if modified a bit. The best, most graceful approach to something may require a little loosening. It is very true that a good idea can be ruined by too much loosening. It's hard to know what to loosen and how much but careful watching what is happening and some thought may do what is needed.
It is very interesting how an adult can go from having no idea of practicing meditation to do so. A guy could label himself lazy, or fearful, or ignorant or create some more complicated explanation for not learning how, or not doing it. So, when I hear about anyone who makes the change, such as Dan Harris, the newscaster, I am interested in the story of how and why he was moved to learn and meditate. His book "10% Happier" is a basic overview of that change. When I read the book, I found that Harris spent some time talking to Epstein. Then, I knew that Harris was on the right track and would learn some useful information.
When I think of Epstein's books and what I remember from them, I also think of Dr. Harvey B. Aronson and his book "Buddhist Practice on Western Ground". That book, its title, as well as Epstein's books, warn me that I am not Chinese, or Japanese, or Korean. I am confident that there are many differences between the way I grew up and what I believe compared to what would be in my head and history had I grown up in the Eastern cultures. So, as an adult interested in learning who Buddha was and what he taught, his teachings would probably need a little modification or translation or both to help me. I have found that Americans who know this country and its culture have been a bigger help to me that natives of cultures with stronger Buddhist traditions and histories.
Reading "Open to Desire" by Epstein, I read about a group of young adult men sitting together in New York City who were getting hungry and were ready to go somewhere to eat. But they had learned that Buddhists don't yearn, they don't strive, they don't crave. It seemed to them all that expressing a preference for one restaurant or another was engaging desires, wants, in just the way that Buddha had advised against. So, they all sat in hunger.
I am confident that they didn't allow themselves to starve and eventually found a way to get to food and eat.
The picture of that group has stuck with me. It means to me that any idea or habit or conviction may be better if modified a bit. The best, most graceful approach to something may require a little loosening. It is very true that a good idea can be ruined by too much loosening. It's hard to know what to loosen and how much but careful watching what is happening and some thought may do what is needed.
