What I've been reading

"What the Buddha Taught," by Walpola Rahula (1959; enlarged edition, 1974). Apparently, this is a pretty well known book, providing an intro to Buddhism. I don't remember where I got it; from the tag on the cover, it looks like I might have picked it up at a used bookstore. I've had it for a while and pulled it off the shelf only recently.

When I first read it, I was really struck by it. It's very clear and straightforward. I really liked the part about how Buddhism doesn't rely on faith, and doesn't ask you to believe anything the way other religions do. The metaphor is, "If I tell you I have a gem hidden in the folded palm of my hand, the question of belief arises because you do not see it yourself. But if I unclench my fist and show you the gem, then the question of belief does not arise." Buddhism works by showing you what's what: You learn it by yourself, without any outside agents involved. There are no gods in Buddhism.

And the what's what is pretty convincing, too: Life is ever-changing, impermanent; people long for permanence, including the conviction that their self, or soul, is everlasting; their attachment to or desire for things that turn out to be transitory causes frustration, disappointment and suffering; and the extinction of desire and attachment leads to a state of pure joy, compassion for all living beings and appreciation for the world as it is in the present instant.

OK, the bit about reincarnation (which is bad, and happens if you haven't achieved total detachment) requires a stretch of the imagination. And I'm not quite sure I'm ready to completely forswear meat, intoxicating drink and sensuous lust, though I appreciate how they conflict with compassion and the clarity of mind required to meditate and achieve pure detachment. But on reflection, my main issue is with the idea that the unenlightened life is pretty much a total drag. I mean, yeah, there's plenty of suffering and unhappiness and tribulation in life, but if you know that and can roll with it, there are good things, too -- some of it very much involved in attachment to other people.

So I don't think I'll become a full-on Buddhist just yet. But there's a lot of meaningful stuff to take away from all this.