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| Book Review: "Why Is the Buddha Smiling?: Finding Calm and Insight on the Mindful Path" | ||
| 作者 | Seto, Paul |
|---|---|
| 出處題名 | The Middle Way: Journal of the Buddhist Society |
| 卷期 | v.78 n.4 |
| 出版日期 | 2004.02 |
| 頁次 | 248 |
| 出版者 | The Buddhist Society |
| 出版者網址 | http://www.thebuddhistsociety.org/ |
| 出版地 | London, England, UK [倫敦, 英格蘭, 英國] |
| 資料類型 | 期刊論文=Journal Article; 書評=Book Review |
| 使用語言 | 英文=English |
| 附註項 | WHY IS THE BUDDHA SMILING? Finding Calm and insight on the Mindful Path, by Mark Magill, Godsfield Press, Hampshire, UK, 2003, ISBN 1 84181 196 3, pp. 160, ￡9.99. |
| 摘要 | Mark Magill uses the habits of bees and deer to illustrate how we should approach our practice. Bees are constantly active, doing a little bit by a little bit until the whole hive is filled with honey. Wild deer always remain extremely vigilant and sensitive to whatever might jump out and do them harm. Another analogy could come from Magill himself. He is a volunteer firefighter in the Catskill Mountains, where prevention is infinitely better than cure, particularly if a fire has plenty of fuel and is raging out of control. This book is well structured, beginning with mindfulness of this lifetime's brief and unpredictable span, continuing through the various stages of discovering, developing and practising mindfulness, and concluding with a framework for daily practice within the context of the Four Noble Truths and the Buddha's last words -- to strive on with diligence. Magill is very skilful in using the graduated path teachings as a trellis and then crafting the 21 readings sequentially in and around this dependable framework. He employs language that is easily accessible and deeply relevant to the issues being explored but that also encourages a slower examination revealing the more subtle colours and fragrances. As he says, 'we inhabit a world where it is very difficult to create and very easy to destroy', so devoting ourselves to developing the three levels of listening, of learning and of analysis and experiencing the truth will require some effort. However, we can develop all the qualities we require and become 'heavy with good qualities', the original meaning of the Sanskrit word 'guru'. And, in a wonderful paradox, the heavier we become in this way, the lighter our burdens will become. All our activities will become free with effortless effort. Here is a book with a proven structure that could, if steady effort is applied, lead to a world where the right amount of time for spiritual practice is always available. |
| ISSN | 00263214 (P) |
| 點閱次數 | 555 |
| 建檔日期 | 2009.09.30 |
| 更新日期 | 2020.11.04 |
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