Emotional Chaos to Clarity - Exercise One

I've been reading the book Emotional Chaos to Clarity by Philip Moffitt with the Buddha Book Club run by my dear friend @DharmaApple.  Since I haven't been posting here much, and I have stuff that is too lengthy to post for twitter, I figured this might be a great place to post my process of working through the book.  This way, it will help me get back to writing here and - with any luck - perhaps it will help someone else discover some things that could help them on their own path from Emotional Chaos to Clarity.

Before I go any further, I should say a couple of things about my mindset going in to this book.  I like Phillip Moffitt a lot.  I discovered him one day while researching something and have followed him since.  I was very excited about his new book.  Once I saw what it was about, however, I admit to having a little trepidation.

I've read just about every self-help book & business productivity book on the market, I think!  When I started looking in to this book, it really seemed a lot like a business productivity book with a Buddhist slant (which makes sense given Mr. Moffitt's background.  He was a hugely successful business magazine editor before leaving that life and devoting himself to the dharma).  I thought a lot about this before beginning.  I had a lot of feelings of this book being too "self-helpy" for me.  I'm kind of done with those books.  Anyhow, after a great amount of consideration, I ultimately decided a few things:

• If I think I don't need clarity, that's probably a sure sign that I do.
• My thinking it is too self-helpy for me is probably me being judgmental.
• What do I have to lose? It's always good to refresh with a little "Don't Know" mind!

So, with that out of the way, I dug in to the book.  I am reading the eBook, and listening to the audio (only after reading it because a certain someone that rhymes with @SharmaFlapple says just listening to the audio is cheating!).  I'm actually really enjoying it this way, as it's a lot to soak in.  I'm reading it, and using that method for highlighting and study.  I'm going back to the previous chapters and listening to the audio after reading them, mostly just to soak in the info a little more, maybe pick up on some bits I didn't catch on my read.  I'm also doing the exercises in the book along the way.  

Often when I read books that have exercises in them, I either don't do them, or I do them randomly or maybe after reading.  This time, because it's part of the club and because we have plenty of time allotted for it, I'm doing them as I go.  Also, I heard early on that if you want to truly get the most out of the book, you needed to do the exercises.  So here goes....

Chapter 1 - Beginning Your Journey To Clarity - Exercise

After opening the exercise section with the above paragraph, Phillip Moffitt goes on to describe how he wants you to perform this basic, daily, mindfulness meditation.  Since I started my practice with basic mindfulness meditation, and return to it always as my primary practice, I am very familiar with how to do it.  Because of that, when I first read this exercise I blew it off as basic instruction that I already know how to do.  I posited that since I do this routinely already, there is no need for me to do this first exercise.  After reading several chapters, I started seeing the wisdom in approaching the book with the proverbial "beginners mind".  I went back and spent a couple of weeks of practice on this one.

Instead of just repeating the basic mindfulness meditation instructions here verbatim, I will just summarize.  But I highly recommend reading it, paying close attention to it, and spending a couple of weeks at least with just this practice - regardless of your current level of practice.

The author says (in a nutshell) to:

• Start by finding a comfortable place and position.
• Feel your body and recall your intention to be mindful.
• Notice tension in the body and relax with a few breaths.
• Turn your full attention on your breath and let it be your anchor throughout.
• Spend some time noticing all of the places in the body you feel the breath and find the easiest to stick with.
• When you mind wanders - and it will - return to the breath.  Do Not Judge!
• While following the breath, note the characteristics: Short, long, deep, shallow, etc.
• If your mind really gets stuck in planning - comment to yourself on what it is doing "Planning, planning" or "remembering, remembering"
• Be patient, be kind to yourself and start over.
• Start over.
• Start over.
• You get the idea.

He ends the first exercise instruction with this deeply important and (seemingly) mundane paragraph.  Read it several times and consider its importance:

I don't have anything remarkable to report with this exercise.  As I said, I do this all the time and it's a standard part of my practice.  If you have been reading my blog for a couple of years, you already know the profound impact this kind of basic meditation had on me.  It continues to do so.  The only important message I have for you on this first exercise is to DO IT!

If I were to boil it down even further than I did here, it would be like so:

• Sit
• Breathe
• Notice
• Start over, if you need to.
• Don't judge.

Sounds SO very simple, and it totally is.  But you have to do it long term, daily - even if only briefly - to realize the full benefit.  But you will, if you do.

I hope this helps.  It gets on to other much more (seemingly) interesting stuff, so stay tuned!

Warm regards,
MS

BOOK REVIEW: Against The Stream by Noah Levine

I read a LOT.  I also used to work for a band.  So when I saw Noah Levine's first book "Dharma Punx", shortly after having re-read Kerouac's "On The Road" and "Dharma Bums", the book really appealed to me.  You can read my review of that book, here.  While DP was Levine's memoir of his descent in to drug and alcohol abuse (and his subsequent discovery of the Dharma to regain his life), his second book "Against The Stream" was more of a users manual for Buddhism that was targeted to appeal to a certain audience.

I have read, and enjoyed, all of Noah's books.  In "Against The Stream" Levine's take on Buddhism, is - rightly - that it's a radical approach to life.  He views, and teaches, Buddhism from the perspective of the Buddha being a radical, Buddhism being a "Revolution" and the practitioner a "revolutionary". 

While I don't personally need Buddhism described in this sort of framework to make it appealing to me, I can certainly see where it would appeal to a younger audience who is looking for a more accessible read.  Luckily, I like his writing enough that this approach doesn't bother me.

He does a great job of stripping Buddhism down, particularly in this book, to it's simple concepts and ways to execute them in your life.  It's very clear and simple, with none of the usual dramatic flare of the books that quote the Buddha so heavily.  Some people prefer that dramatic flare, and might find this book a touch dry.  But for it's intended audience, I think it's a benefit.

One example I LOVED (due to the weight loss theme of this blog) is the part where he talks about Dependent Origination.  He lists out the steps and uses the idea of how much he loves Ice Cream and how he prevents himself from being overwhelmed by a craving for it.  I have cited this example many times to others, since I first read it, because it does a really great job of showing how these steps can help us control any craving in our lives by stopping it between Step 7 (Feelings) and Step 8 (Cravings).

So, the bottom line is that if you are a young person taking an interest in Buddhism and trying to find a brief, simple and clear guide to some of it's core information, this book is perfect.  If you're just in to reading about Buddhism and looking for something a little different from the norm, this book is great.  If you're looking for a scholarly text, this might not be your best choice.  But it's good solid information for anyone interested in Buddhism, and I recommend it.

As a side note, if you're not already familiar with Noah Levine, I highly recommend you check out his audio "Against The Stream Buddhist Meditation Society Podcasts" on iTunes.  The podcasts he offers are numerous and great.  Some of the podcasts are by other speakers.  His are particularly entertaining and informative.  Noah is, in my humble opinion, far more engaging as a speaker than he is as a writer, and that's saying a lot as he's done a great job with his books.  But do yourself a favor and check him out on audio.  You won't likely regret it.  Warning - He's NSFW in pretty much every talk though, so keep the headphones on! 

Enjoy!
MS

Brad Warner in Atlanta

Sad as I am that I am not able to attend any of the meditation stuff that Brad Warner is doing at the Atlanta Soto Zen Center this week, I was very happy to have spent a couple of hours at Aurora Coffee in Little Five Points Friday night at the Acapella Books Sponsored event hosting Brad Warner (author of Hardcore Zen, Sit Down and Shut Up, Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate and Sex, Sin & Zen) and Jeffrey Small (author of Breath of God).

I didn't really know what to expect, and frankly wasn't expecting much, since it was in a coffee shop.  As it turned out the event was pretty darned cool.  It was the kind of thing where you're really glad you went because what you thought would be a large crowd turns out to be small and intimate.  When I walked in to the Aurora Coffee Shop, it was small and seemingly an impossible place to host what I thought would at least be a moderately large event.  I took a seat, and had a badly needed cup of coffee as other people started showing up.  I met a couple of like minded, interesting folks from the area.  A guy from Kennesaw who made quite a drive to make it to the event.  I invited him to sit at the table, as space was at a premium.  Another person from Macon sat down on the steps to the exit beside me and we chatted.  Eventually, she joined us as well.

Brad Warner on "stage" at Aurora Coffee in Atlanta

When the "show" started, they introduced the authors and used the stair landing as a stage.  The author of Breath of God, Jeffrey Small, got up and introduced himself.  He is an Atlanta native (very rare in Atlanta) and a World Religions graduate of Oxford University.  His book is a sort of Dan Brown-esque book about Jesus' lost years.  Or as he put it, "Da Vinci Code Goes To India".  It is a novel based on a real "legend" of sorts that Jesus spent a number of years in India and what he did and learned while there.  It is, in the authors hopes, a novel to start a dialogue about the intersection of the various world religions.  Small was an interesting guy, who seemed very interested in his subject matter and was clearly knowledgeable, so he made for good discussion.  I chatted with him after the event about the Axial Age and he pointed to sections in the book that are influenced by that idea.

After he stepped down from the stage, Brad Warner took over and did a great job of giving a sort of brief talk about his books, particularly the most recent one, and sort of tied a little Dharma Talk type of stuff in with it.  It was interesting and entertaining.  He's an interesting guy who is very unassuming, and sort of seems painfully shy but yet is a very engaging and interesting speaker.   The very shyness that he seems to have when hanging out is kind of what makes him so engaging.  Also, if you've read any of his books you already know, he has a great sarcastic sort of humor about him that is fun to listen to.

He spoke about sex and sin and the difference of how the two are viewed in America as opposed to Japan, with the central idea being that idea that when you contrast the two cultures you realize that the acts themselves aren't inherently bad or good...they are just viewed as such by society.  I'm doing some really big paraphrasing here, but if you want better, then get out there and see him live!  He opened the floor to questions and the small crowd seemed a little shy.  There was a couple of questions I can't recall, as well as one about Polyamory which he delved in to in depth and quite interestingly.  I asked a couple of questions as well about The Axial Age and so forth.  He and the other author both gave their take on it and it was very interesting.

When it was over, I was surprised by how quickly the place emptied out.  While I was chatting with Small, the shop mostly emptied and the merchandise was packed away.  I had to wrap up my conversation with one of the kind folks from the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and make my way to Brad in order to catch him before he left.  I told him how glad I was to get to hear him talk and how I have really enjoyed his books and have found them helpful.  I'm NOT an autograph kind of guy, myself, having worked for a band for years, I kind of find it a little weird.  I usually opt for letting people know I appreciate their work and shaking their hand.  I bought a copy of Sit Down and Shut Up because I only have a digital copy and it's the only one I don't have the physical copy of, and he offered to sign it, so I accepted as it would have been kind of weird for me to explain at that point.  I'm really glad I did too because he drew a quick Godzilla and autographed it.

As we were chatting I let him know that I was as much a fan of the fact that he worked with UltraMan as I was his books!  He was surprised by this and we talked about the weird regional showing of the UltraMan show in America and about the DVD series.   I won't print the details of that here, but ask him about it if you are interested.  Anyhow, he added a drawing of UltraMan to his autograph which really pleased me and made me glad to have gotten it!

Brad's autograph in Sit Down and Shut Up
(Never imagined I would get - much less
show off - an autograph, but I love this!)

All told, I went in to the event with a sort of "take what I can get" attitude, a little disappointed that I wouldn't get to visit one of the Zen Center appearances, and I left incredibly pleased that I met so many great folks and got to chat a bit with Brad.  Best of all, was the interesting talk the authors gave.

If Brad Warner is coming to your town, I highly recommend that you make it out for an appearance!  You can check his schedule here!

MS

Savor: Mindul Eating, Mindful Living is Now In Paperback!

I saw a post on the SavorTheBook blog that they have released the paperback version of the book and they are celebrating by giving it away for *FREE*!

Anyone who reads here regularly probably knows that, while I use a variety of technology (iPhone, iPad, various apps, books and more) to assist with my weight loss and lifestyle changes, "Savor" is the foundation of my entire plan.  I aslo credit "Savor" as being the root of my success.  All the other tools are great and incredibly useful in their own ways, but without the day-to-day mindfulness techniques I learned in "Savor" I would not have been able to lose the weight.  I am thoroughly convinced of this.

Anyhow, if you want to check it out and give it a try for yourself click on the links in this post to go to their page and enter to win your *FREE* copy!  They are entering everyone who joins the Savor Community today, to win a free copy.  You can also "like" their post on FaceBook for a chance to win.

You can find them on FaceBook (SavorTheBook) or Twitter ( @SAVOR_the_book ).

I hope you'll check them out.  It's great stuff!
Regards,
MS

WANT: Thich Nhat Hanh's new book "Peace Is Every Breath"

I'm very excited today, because I just bought the book - released today - "Peace Is Every Breath" by Thich Nhat Hanh!

It was just released and is the followup book to "Peace Is Every Step" which is one of my very favorites by the good master!

I just wanted to let you know it was out, give you some links to get your copy and let you know that I'll have a review of it in due time!

Breathing In, I can't wait to read it!
Breathing Out, I will start it tonight! ;-)

MondoSamu

BOOK REVIEW: Buddha or Bust by Perry Garfinkel

I've been on a bit of a reading-rampage lately.  I read a couple of good Buddhist related books and got really in to the topic.  Next thing I knew, I've read a dozen or so.  All of them have been good, but "Buddha or Bust" by Perry Garfinkel has been one of the most enjoyable, entertaining and well rounded that I've laid eyes on.

I tend to gravitate toward the slightly off-beat books about Buddhism, and prefer a very "real-life" (for lack of a better way to say it) style of writing about Buddhism.  The books that have a little comedy, or at least the ones that try a little less to convince me that they hold the key to everlasting peace are the ones that catch my eye the most (though I have read plenty of both!).

So, while perusing the shelves after a mindful walk to the bookstore recently, I found the intriguingly titled "Buddha or Bust: In Search Of Truth, Meaning, Happiness and The Man Who Found Them All" by Perry Garfinkel and between the title and the cover art, I was immediately hooked.

I snagged the book, and read it all the way through in record time for me.  I tend to get through books slowly because I have very little time to read, but I simply couldn't put this one down!  I read it every single moment I could, and was glad I had some travel time while reading it, which allowed me more time than normal to devote to it.

What made this book such a great read for me (besides Garfinkel's excellent style which is sort of a more tame version of Bill Bryson's humor mixed with some solid journalism and a down to earth sprinkle of the "everyman") was the overall birds' eye view he gives of Buddhism.  It's very easy, when you are new to all of this stuff (as I am) to be confused by all the variations of Buddhism and even easier to find an author you like and find yourself following them down whatever path they themselves follow.  There's nothing wrong with any of that, it's just that you don't necessarily get a "big-picture" view of Buddhism, what it's about and how it got that way.

Perry Garfinkel takes you with him on his journey to trace Buddhism from it's beginnings up to today's Socially Engaged Buddhism ethics, and he does so in a very entertaining, yet educational way.  When you finish off this book, you'll find yourself a little tired from your travels, but all the wiser for it!  The best thing I took from this book is the overall sense that Buddhism has evolved in an organic way that has allowed it to survive and thrive, and that regardless of what tradition you follow, it's all really the same thing adapted to suit the needs of the people practicing it.  He does a great job of driving home the fact that the core messages of Buddhism are the same, whether you are following a strict Japanese Zen path or a western Socially Engaged Buddhism path or anywhere in between.

In a great example of his fun and relatable style, he is talking about a view of Buddhism he received from someone, and his understanding of what they told him and he says:

"Clinging to anything - hopes and dreams as well as a craving for a mocha frappuccino - causes suffering." ~ Perry Garfinkel from "Buddha or Bust"

As someone who drank 1-2 Venti Mocha Fraps per day for YEARS, up until I started this blog, I can definitely agree and empathize with this point!

Another of my favorite quotes was when he had a profound realization that all of the external things such as where he performed his meditations, the setting, his clothing, etc...none of these matter and that just doing it is all that matters!

"What came up for me was this slowly growing sense that by sitting in this manner with any group, anywhere, of any origin, there was my Sangha." ~ Perry Garfinkel from "Buddha or Bust"

This last bit, about the practice being more important than anything else, is a common theme I am running in to in my learning.  It's advice that I think is perhaps the most important to beginners.  There is a tendency to either feel you don't have the right *Insert whatever it is you don't have here* to "DO Buddhism" or meditation practice, or to feel that it's some mystical thing you can't be a part of because you don't live on another continent.  Neither of these things matters at all.  When I first started sitting in meditation, I did so for 10 minutes, and in my LaZBoy!  I increased the time but was still using the LaZBoy until a couple of months ago.  When I travel for work, I either do walking meditation only, or I meditate in a chair or sometimes I even just choose to do lying meditation in my hotel room bed!  Guess what?  It works JUST as well in all these situations!  As Perry says..."Any group, anywhere, of any origin, THERE was my Sangha!"

I truly loved "Buddha or Bust", and if you are new to Buddhism, or just exploring it's concepts, or if you're already a Buddhist and you want a fun overview of it's history, this book will not let you down.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
MondoSamu