Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse

This is one of the more accessible books on Buddhism I have read. The author does a good job of explaining the fundamental tenets and beliefs of Buddhism, and I would recommend for that reason.

Where the author loses me is in claiming that Buddhism is not a religion. Yet the origin story of the Buddha is a mythic epic, where Siddhartha faces demons and gods. As is often the case with believers of any faith, his own faith seems so true that it cannot possibly be compared with another religion, and therefore is above the label of "religion."

He writes, "Probably the biggest discovery in human history was Siddhartha’s realization that the self does not exist independently, that it is a mere label, and therefore that clinging to it is ignorance." This statement relies on faith. There is actually no evidence to back up this statement, but no doubt it seems inarguably true to those who believe it already.

This was expected when I started reading, so I still recommend this book highly for its clear explanations of Buddhism, especially the Four Seals. And I suppose also for the insight as to What Makes Me Not a Buddhist.



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Moving away from conventional presentations of Buddhist teachings, Khyentse challenges readers to make sure they know what they're talking about before they claim to be Buddhist. With wit and irony, Khyentse urges readers to move beyond the superficial trappings of Buddhism beyond a romance with beads, incense, and exotic people in robes straight to the heart of what the Buddha taught.

In essence, this book explains what a Buddhist really is, namely, someone who deeply understands the truth of impermanence and how our emotions can trap us in cycles of suffering. Khyentse presents the fundamental tenets of Buddhism in simple language, using examples we can all relate to.… (more)

So, a true Buddhist:

- believes in mystical nonsense like "nirvana is beyond concepts" and reincarnation and that Buddha was capable of flying.
- believes in profound-sounding mumbo-jumbo like "all composite things are impermanent".
- believes that "One of the main effects of science and technology has been to destroy the world more quickly." (Never mind all the suffering that vaccines, penicillin, and anaesthetics have prevented, or that the world has never been so peaceful and prosperous.)
- believes that "Because of greed, jealousy, and pride, the economy will never become strong enough to ensure that every person has access to the basic necessities of life" and that if "every nation and individual truly lived Mao Tse-tung's pragmatic communist philosophy ... we would be perfectly happy." (Never mind that 30 million people starved to death under Mao's Great Leap Forward.)
- believes that it's ok to live off other people's charity, without producing anything.

So, Buddhism is a philosophy of mystical, fatalistic Maoists. Fair enough: happily not a Buddhist then.… (more)