The Right Words

Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche, a lineage holder in the Tibetan Dzogchen tradition, has a new book out called Living Fully: Finding Joy in Every Breath. This is not a book I would recommend to someone who just wants to learn something about Buddhism. However, I think some of you who already have some experience with practice would find this book inspirational and clarifying.

But first, a little bit about The Problem With Books. A book that speaks deeply to one person might seem trite and silly to someone else. Those who approach Buddhism as a mostly intellectual exercise would probably dismiss this book as so much silly fluff. Likewise, someone new to Buddhism looking for a book about The Quick Fix to Turning My Life Around So That It Doesn't Suck would probably find this book baffling.

On the other hand, sometimes the right book at the right time can speak to the reader at a very profound level. Living Fully speaks to a lot of "stuff" going on in my own life and practice at the moment. And while little in the book is new to me, I appreciate the reinforcement.

So, I find myself reading just a few paragraphs, and I recognize the words as medicine. And I stop reading, feeling refreshed and inspired. Truly, a more accurate (although less commercial) title for the book might have been The Practice Home Companion. I'm finding it to be a good reinforcement tool for home practice.

Thankfully, there's no specific advice about mindful dish-washing or how to remain serene when the baby is teething and the toddler dumps a box of laundry soap on the dog. Instead, there are short chapters that speak more generally to cultivating honesty, generosity, sincerity, openness, equanimity. There is some basic advice for overcoming obstacles, finding a teacher, meditation. And I am finding the Rinpoche's perspective useful, even if most of it isn't entirely new to me.

I can't say whether other readers would also find the book worthwhile. It depends on where you are at the moment, I suspect.