Enlightenment Is an Accident
Ancient Wisdom and Simple Practices to Make You Accident Prone
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- $24.99
Publisher Description
A warm-hearted guide to Buddhist practice for those ready to contend with the reality that enlightenment—the realization of non-self—can’t be achieved by the self.
A well-known spiritual saying goes, “Enlightenment is an accident. But we can make ourselves more accident-prone.” As an authentic American Zen takes shape, enlightenment continues to be misunderstood as a project to be completed, a goal to be achieved, or a prize to be awarded. Tim Burkett’s new book unhooks enlightenment from the hot air balloon of ego and brings it back down to earth.
Drawing on stories of his first teacher, the Zen master Shunryu Suzuki (author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind), and Burkett’s decades of practice and teaching, he reveals how to live in the world with a deep joy that comes from embracing the work and play of this very moment. With the wisdom and humor of a seasoned practitioner familiar with all manner of eccentric fixations and silly dead-ends, he offers views and practices we can use to support the paradoxical process of letting enlightenment happen on its own.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Buddhist newcomers might believe that spiritual enlightenment promises total peace and tranquility, writes Zen priest and psychologist Burkett (Zen in the Age of Anxiety) in this illuminating entry, but seekers must confront suffering and "unresolved emotional issues" to accept their flaws and cultivate wisdom. Burkett guides readers through three phases of spiritual growth, from developing "vidya" (knowledge of self) by examining deep-seated emotional wounds, through challenging rigid "master narratives" about oneself and otherwise spurring self-transformation, to eradicating dualistic thinking and "collapsing the dichotomy between suffering and joy." (Suffering and pain can be valuable, he writes, just as a grain of sand is an "unwelcome intruder" to the oyster but helps produce a pearl.) And while enlightenment is a "serendipitous accident" and can't be forced, certain activities can render seekers "more accident prone," such as practicing mindful meditation and using mantras, and living in a way that centers priorities such as generosity and compassion. Burkett tends to go wide more than deep, and the well-balanced mix of Zen wisdom and psychological principles makes for persuasive lessons. Buddhist beginners and those seeking to revitalize their practice will be inspired.
