Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Essence of the Heart Sutra


Reflection and deep-thinking is a core component of finding sanity ad peace in one’s life.  In the Dalai Lama’s Essence of the Heart Sutra, one learns about the history of the Heart Sutra and also how applicable it can be for anyone from any religious faith tradition.  For anyone who is religious, what couldn’t one learn and apply to their daily lives that make them a better person?  All I know is it makes so much sense to live a life that is grounded in the beliefs, and more importantly the approach that is conveyed through Buddhism. Finding true fulfillment… and living a life that one should lead, what is more important than that?  The Dalai Lama encourages people to maintain their own faith tradition and how he has worked with the Pope, Protestant, and Jewish leaders and is convinced that this is an approach that is fitting to all religious sects.  In fact, Buddhism can learn from other faith traditions as well.   Another aspect of the book is the history of the four Buddhist subgroups which provides a good context as to why their interpretations are different from each group.  Learn about the Buddha, the wheel of dharma, and the four foundations of mindfulness.  Some of the foundations include: being present to your body, mind, feelings, and phenomena.  Remove the negative, prevent negative acts, enhance yourself through your actions, enhance positive qualities, and lay foundation for future wholesome acts.  The supernatural feats, the five faculties, five powers, eight noble paths, and seven branches of enlightenment all lead to the path of enlightenment.  Wisdom comes from an inner place of hearing the world and surrounding elements of nature.  I think the Dalai Lama gives great advice that each person would benefit from listening to, applying in life, and reflecting after putting into practice.  Very good read, but do it slowly to really absorb it all!  Add to the list for personal growth!

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