“The only way to live in an unfree world is to become so free that your very existence is an act of rebellion” – Albert Camus
Buddhism Plain and Simple
I started reading Buddhism Plain and Simple, thanks to a recommendation from a Buddhist-practicing couch-surfer I hosted.
Instead of discussing Buddhism as a “religious” practice, the author, Steven Hagen, writes about the teachings of “the Buddha”. Buddha means “the awakened one” and Hagen refers to the practice of Buddhism as “Buddha-dharma”. He also strips down the spiritual vocabulary of Buddhism, like karma, into plain English. It is definitely a worthwhile read for anyone seeking to be awake.
Buddha-dharma Economics
When I wrote a post on the moral teachings of economics, I was describing the ability to live free with a strong understanding of economic beliefs. Buddha-dharma isn’t far from the teachings of being free. Here is a quick passage from the of the book:
You are the final authority. Not me. Not the Buddha. Not the Bible. Not the government. Not the president. Not Mom or Dad. You. No community of philosophers, scientists, priests, academicians, politicians, or generals, no school, legislature, parliament, or court–can bear responsibility for your life, or your words, or your actions. That authority is yours and yours alone. You can neither get rid of it nor escape from it.
The idea is you are the one in control of your actions. It is similar to the message being portrayed in Self-Control or State-Control and other books about taking responsibility for your actions. The Buddhist teachings in Steven Hagen’s book are quite similar to my moral economic learning.
The other passage that stood out to me was:
To be fully alive, we must be fully present. The question is: how do we do it? In order to experience the answer to this question for yourself, you must come to three realizations. First, you must truly realize that life is fleeting. Next, you must understand that you are already complete, worthy, whole. Finally, you must see that you are your own refuge, your own sanctuary, your own salvation.
- We must realize life is fleeting
- We must understand we are already complete, worthy, whole
- We are our own refuge, sanctuary, salvation
These three principles are of the utmost importance in Buddhism, as well as living free. We will not become free by acting in line with society or government regulation, but by practicing self control, having salvation within ourselves, and being confident in our worthiness. These lead to awakening ourselves. By continually practicing bettering ourselves, and looking inwardly, we are practicing becoming free in an unfree world.