The Mormon Buddhist

Freedom is the basic desire of man. Whether it be in politics, religion, or love, people want the joy that comes with freedom. We lose freedom when we refuse to accept the reality of the situation that we're in. Real freedom is living life as it is, not as how you are attached to how you want it to be. That's not to say that you can't want things, just don't be attached to them. If you're unhappy with a situation, put in the effect and action to change it. Our happiness is our own responsibility. Others can assist in making us happy, but ultimately it's up to us to get the ball rolling. One thing that I've come to learn is what happiness actually is. Many see money as the ultimate sign of happiness. Granted, it brings a level of comfort, but it in no way guarantees happiness, and in many cases it does the opposite. True happiness is doing what you love because you love doing it. If you love being a McDonald's worker and find unparalleled enjoyment in ...

This week I started reading "Everyday Suchness" by Rev. Gyomay M. Kubose . Gyomay Kubose is the founder of Bright Dawn, the organization I'm taking my ministry course through. His goal was to help create a distinctly American Buddhism. He wanted Americans to hear Buddhism in a way that resonates with us. This goal is very much accomplished from what I've read so far. I know several classic Buddhist analogies, and can see how he's taken those concepts and modernized them. Its a breath of fresh air but still retains a classic Buddhist feel, which is something I feel Stephen Bachelor failed to do. The concept of happiness being highlighted by sadness is something I've loved for years. I first encountered it when reading the Book of Mormon. In 2nd Nephi 2:11 it says: For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor m...

Stephen Batchelor's "Buddhism Without Beliefs" was like trying to take a drink from a fire hose for me. There were SO many concepts that were being given left and right in such eloquent ways I could barely keep up, let alone think of something to write. I wish we had spent more time reading this book so we could examine what we were learning more thoroughly. I'll try my best to explain what I've gleaned though! The concept of thinking of the 4 Noble Truths as a task list rather than a belief is something that has always come natural to me. I frequently refer to my flowchart that I made, and think about how it applies to my situation. How  am I suffering? What  am I craving? By simply asking these question I've already declawed the suffering I have. Its not a formless monster; it has boundaries and limitations and it is defined and recognized. By doing this, you start to let go of the problem. It almost certainly wasn't as big of a deal as you believed it...

In Buddhism there is a concept known as "buddhadhātu" in Sanskrit, which translates to "Buddha-Nature". This is the belief that all humans have the ability to recognize right from wrong. This is almost a universal believe among religions. The Muslims call it "Taqwa", the Chinese call it "Ren", the Quakers call it "Inner Light", the Freemasons represent it with the square and compass, Mormons call it "The Light of Christ", in everyday language we would simply call it "conscience". Some say that we were created by a god with this sense and some say we evolved it for better survival. Regardless of how we got it, we have it now, and that's what matters. Let's focus on this concept in the Buddhist context for now. Buddhists believe that we inherently have the ability to realize their enlightenment. There are many that believe we are naturally enlightened, and over time we lose sight of that. By following our Bud...

The first sutra that was mentioned in this week's reading was the Prajna Paramita, Hannya, or as we English speakers call it: the Heart Sutra. I have done some research and I found that Tich Nhat Hanh has created a translation of sorts this sutra. It is entitled The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra . The way Tich Nhat Hanh phrases everything just resonates very well with me. After this week's chapter I read a bit of it, and was very impressed by it. He gave 2 analogies that explainemptiness in a great way. The first being a piece of paper, and the second being a cup. These are in the first 2 chapters, which are known as "interbeing" and "Empty of What?". They're relatively short, and I was particularly impressed with how these chapters relate to each other, so I'd like to repeat them in their entirety: Interbeing If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper....