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WELCOMING BEGINNER’S MIND: Zen and Tibetan Buddhist Knowledge on Experiencing Our True Nature
Gaylon Ferguson
[Shambhala, 248 pages]
As I’ve explored Buddhist philosophy over the previous few years, I’ve discovered richness in studying books by skilled practitioners as a result of every one gives their very own interpretation of primary teachings.
Diving into Gaylon Ferguson’s latest ebook, Welcoming Newbie’s Thoughts: Zen and Tibetan Buddhist Knowledge on Experiencing Our True Nature, has been a rewarding studying expertise.
Ferguson is a longtime Buddhist practitioner and has been a instructor for the reason that Nineteen Seventies at Karme Choling and varied Shambhala centres. He has a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Stanford College, and taught spiritual research for 15 years at Naropa College in Colorado.
3 key Buddhist ideas
Just a few key ideas are basic to what Ferguson’s ebook will supply the Buddhist practitioner. First, the ebook takes the “ten oxherding footage” as its construction, with a bit devoted to every. Rising in Eleventh-century China, there have been a number of variations of those photos that illustrate the trail to enlightenment. Ferguson makes use of a conventional Zen 10-image model, which is a incredible solution to set up a ebook. These photos have endured over the centuries for a motive: They’re easy, however they illustrate the Buddhist path superbly.
One other idea that’s highlighted is consideration to Newbie’s Thoughts: “True nature is what we’re from the very starting, earlier than all ideas of fine and dangerous, earlier than our mounted ideas of ‘enemies’ to be defeated or ‘allies’ to be welcomed. True nature is the pure reality of being human,” Ferguson writes. It’s not one thing we begin with and go away; it’s one thing that stays with us all through our journey.
Lastly, Ferguson introduces a sensible train that enhances the textual content and makes the ebook considerably interactive. That is the ‘Welcoming Train,” a time of “not doing” (relatively than meditation) throughout which one sits and permits no matter is going on to occur. It’s revisited many occasions because the studying progresses, with query and reply sections in regards to the expertise.
Considering the pictures
Every of the ten oxherding photos within the sequence introduced one thing new for me to ponder. Studying passages every day to enrich my meditation follow was helpful, and one other power of the ebook is the conversational and nearly chatty writing model Ferguson makes use of. It appeared as if I used to be at a meditation retreat listening to him, relatively than studying a scholarly ebook.
Within the first oxherding picture, In search of the Ox, there isn’t any ox to be seen but. Right here, Ferguson discusses the notion of lack, resulting in uncertainty and struggling. We’d all the time “choose one other second,” he notes. This is among the hallmark options of our society, and the ebook is value studying only for this part. It’s brimming with thought-provoking observations and gives fertile floor for any mindfulness follow.
If we proceed to hunt an object–exterior or inner–to fulfill our internal lack, the trail results in repeated frustration and additional in search of. If we flip in the direction of the sense of lack itself, if we search by being prepared to linger with the sensation of the impulse to hunt, a door to spaciousness opens.
Gaylon Ferguson
The fifth picture is Taming the Ox, one which spoke deeply to me. Taming our tendency to greed, hatred and delusion is not any straightforward activity, however Ferguson discusses the need of letting go of a controlling nature in an effort to permit the ox to actually stroll alongside us. It is a welcoming stance, relatively than a punitive one. We are able to even use humour to explain it, as Ferguson does:
As we convey extra rest into our strategy to “taming,” we might uncover extra humour in conditions that beforehand appeared caught or unworkable. Our sense of humour returns, not as a result of issues get higher, however generally as a result of they don’t.
An increasing number of, with this “taming,” we change into capable of see issues as they really are.
For rookies and superior practitioners
Welcoming Newbie’s Thoughts varies markedly in its complexity. I received a lot from the primary seven sections; nonetheless, I famous to myself on the eighth oxherding picture that the commentary was generally too advanced for somebody at my stage of Buddhist follow. I’m positive that in these deeper sections, there will likely be a lot for the superior practitioner to ponder.
I beloved Ferguson’s remark as I neared the top of the ebook:
Every step alongside the best way is the best way. Right here is the sensation: even in making a thousand-mile journey, we arrive the place we’re with every step. How may it’s in any other case? In search of is the best way, glimpsing the ox is the best way, taming and driving and forgetting the ox are all equally the best way. Sure, there are numerous steps and phases alongside the best way, however wherever we’re, the best way is the best way.
These are phrases which are welcoming, forgiving and compassionate, they usually’re phrases that I can sink into with a sense of belonging.
I’d advocate this ebook to anybody who’s fascinated about taking a deep have a look at Buddhist follow and philosophy. Every particular person is more likely to discover knowledge inside it, and it was a deal with to learn Ferguson’s musings and glimpse his follow factors. Learners can profit from the sooner chapters, and there will likely be a lot for the extra superior practitioner to soak up because the ebook progresses.
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picture 1: 41330; picture 2: Printerval (Cropped from unique)
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