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Stepping Out of Self-Deception: The Buddha's Liberating Teaching of No-Self by Rodney Smith
Anatta is the Buddhist teaching on the nonexistence of a permanent, independent self. It’s a notoriously puzzling and elusive concept, usually leading to such questions as, “If I don’t have a self, who’s reading this sentence?” It’s not that there’s no self there, says Rodney Smith. It’s just that the self that is reading this sentence is a configuration of elements that at one time did not exist and which at some point in the future will disperse. Even in its present existence, it’s more a temporary arrangement of components rather than something solid. Anatta is a truth the Buddha considered to be absolutely essential to his teaching. Smith shows that understanding this truth can change the way you relate to the world, and that the perspective of selflessness is critically important for anyone involved in spiritual practice. Seeing it can be the key to getting past the idea that spirituality has something to do with self-improvement, and to accessing the joy of deep insight into reality.
Unknown Binding
First published July 13, 2010
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About the author
Rodney Smith
4 books28 followersRodney Smith is a renowned insight meditation teacher. He is the founding and guiding teacher of the Seattle Insight Meditation Society. He is also a guiding teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. He was at one time an ordained Buddhist monk in Southeast Asia, and considers Ajahn Buddhadassa, Nisargadatta Maharaj, J. Krishamurti, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Adyashanti, Joseph Goldstein, and Eckhart Tolle to have been influential in his development as a teacher and practitioner. He lives in Seattle and teaches around the world.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 30, 2011
I am always hesitant to say that a book may not be for spiritual beginners, both because this is a condescending point of view and because it implies that I am somehow superior in my understanding. However, it is worth noting that this book is extraordinarily insulting to ego, and if one is heavily invested in ego as the entirety of identity, it would be easy to dismiss the book as nonsense. If so, it may indeed be that coming to an understanding of some basic aspects of Buddhist thought might be helpful before one undertakes this journey.
The concept of "no-self" is perhaps one of the most challenging in all of Buddhism, and yet potentially the most freeing. The Pali term is anatta, and "no-self" is not a precise translation, I suspect, because the subtleties of the concept get lost in the absurdity of the idea that one has no self. After all, there is someone who is reading this sentence, sitting at this computer, who walks around, eats, does the dishes and all that. How can there be no self?
What this wonderful book succeeds in doing is parsing this perplexing (yet extremely simple) concept and making clear what is meant when it is said that one has no enduring self. The simple fact is that it is the attempt to cobble together a self that exists from one moment to the next as a consistent, immutable being that is the source of all suffering. This is the core of what the Buddha taught.
It is not difficult to see how this plays out in our everyday life. For instance, you are not physically the person you were ten years ago, this is clear. Yet you did not change suddenly on your birthdays or at any other single point in time. When did the change take place? Obviously, it happened moment by moment and in each moment you are a bit different than you were the moment before. There is no permanence in your body. Is there, then, permanence in your mind? This is even more absurd, of course. If we take a moment out from our busy lives (and often the busyness of them is a dodge so we don't have to see this truth) and just take a look at what our mind is doing, it is a maelstrom of changing thought and feeling. (To see this with calm awareness and single-pointed focus is, in fact, the primary purpose of meditation). No permanence there. What, then, is this "self" we proclaim so proudly as who we are? Where does it reside? The attempt to make the past and future part of the Now and the infinitely mutable immutable is the source of suffering, and dropping everything but the reality of this moment is futile. In this book, Smith says that "the cause of our suffering is not what we do, but the way we perceive."
The irony is that freedom, the absolute freedom we all crave, is accessible to us at any time. "Our resistance to reality, not reality itself, creates suffering....Suffering is the desire for more choices than reality offers, but reality is without options." If we drop into Now without resistance, the freedom is ours for the taking. "Denial and protest do not help. What helps is seeing these patterns without the rigidity associated with their history."
A Zen master once said to his students, "You are all absolutely perfect just the way you are...and you could all use a little work." The seeming tension in this statement is artificial, because both parts are true. This becomes an issue only when we make a problem of the work we need to do, a problem to be solved by the urgent efforts of the ego. Rather, our work is to release and release and release the bonds that ego has placed upon our hearts and give ourselves over to the reality of life as it truly is. As Smith says toward the end of this wonderful book,
I cannot recommend this book too highly to anyone wishing to be free. I know I am not all the way to such freedom yet, but feel with all my heart that Rodney Smith's heartfelt work has brought me closer than I have ever been. Namaste to you all and thank you, Rodney.
The concept of "no-self" is perhaps one of the most challenging in all of Buddhism, and yet potentially the most freeing. The Pali term is anatta, and "no-self" is not a precise translation, I suspect, because the subtleties of the concept get lost in the absurdity of the idea that one has no self. After all, there is someone who is reading this sentence, sitting at this computer, who walks around, eats, does the dishes and all that. How can there be no self?
What this wonderful book succeeds in doing is parsing this perplexing (yet extremely simple) concept and making clear what is meant when it is said that one has no enduring self. The simple fact is that it is the attempt to cobble together a self that exists from one moment to the next as a consistent, immutable being that is the source of all suffering. This is the core of what the Buddha taught.
It is not difficult to see how this plays out in our everyday life. For instance, you are not physically the person you were ten years ago, this is clear. Yet you did not change suddenly on your birthdays or at any other single point in time. When did the change take place? Obviously, it happened moment by moment and in each moment you are a bit different than you were the moment before. There is no permanence in your body. Is there, then, permanence in your mind? This is even more absurd, of course. If we take a moment out from our busy lives (and often the busyness of them is a dodge so we don't have to see this truth) and just take a look at what our mind is doing, it is a maelstrom of changing thought and feeling. (To see this with calm awareness and single-pointed focus is, in fact, the primary purpose of meditation). No permanence there. What, then, is this "self" we proclaim so proudly as who we are? Where does it reside? The attempt to make the past and future part of the Now and the infinitely mutable immutable is the source of suffering, and dropping everything but the reality of this moment is futile. In this book, Smith says that "the cause of our suffering is not what we do, but the way we perceive."
The irony is that freedom, the absolute freedom we all crave, is accessible to us at any time. "Our resistance to reality, not reality itself, creates suffering....Suffering is the desire for more choices than reality offers, but reality is without options." If we drop into Now without resistance, the freedom is ours for the taking. "Denial and protest do not help. What helps is seeing these patterns without the rigidity associated with their history."
A Zen master once said to his students, "You are all absolutely perfect just the way you are...and you could all use a little work." The seeming tension in this statement is artificial, because both parts are true. This becomes an issue only when we make a problem of the work we need to do, a problem to be solved by the urgent efforts of the ego. Rather, our work is to release and release and release the bonds that ego has placed upon our hearts and give ourselves over to the reality of life as it truly is. As Smith says toward the end of this wonderful book,
Most of us live with the feeling there is something wrong with the experience at hand, and we fill...life with mental and physical activity in an attempt to correct the perceived difficulty. But it is impossible for there to be anything wrong with experience since everything is arising from the absolute completeness of Now.
I cannot recommend this book too highly to anyone wishing to be free. I know I am not all the way to such freedom yet, but feel with all my heart that Rodney Smith's heartfelt work has brought me closer than I have ever been. Namaste to you all and thank you, Rodney.
August 26, 2011
Wow. I've read quite a few books on Buddhism but this is the first one that blew me away. Rodney Smith has incredible perception and is able to explain the Buddhist eightfold path in a unique and extremely relevant way. I know these are insights that will mean more and more as practice deepens. He really gets to the heart of what is truly liberating about the Buddhist approach to life. I must admit that I tried reading the first chapter several times before I actually got into it and read the whole book. I would recommend this as a more intermediate book on Buddhism because a lot of Smith's insights need to be experienced to some extent to really be understood. If you read this book for the ideas alone, you will get nothing out of it. What he talks about cannot be understood merely intellectually and if you try to do that you're bound to misunderstand. So I would recommend this book to folks who have some experience already of what the depth of Buddhist practice actually does, and folks who understand that Smith is pointing to something that can only be experienced.
September 20, 2014
Not an ideal first book, but a great book to read after you've been on a meditation retreat and have studied the Buddha's teachings for about a year. This is the book to read if you're stuck practicing meditation so that you can "change" and "improve yourself" (often subtle forms of self-hatred).
Most people find the insights that everything is ultimately impermanent and unsatisfactory simple to comprehend (just think about the last week). But the third insight—"not-self"—is difficult to get ahold of, because it directly contradicts our everyday experience. Our self seems to pre-exist and determine any notion we could have, even notions about whether it exists or not. For example, the thought: "I just noticed there's no self, I'm amazing!" Oh, wait. The self seems to be waiting to claim triumph and pat itself on the back, even when it comes to seeing the insight of "no-self." Rodney Smith works with this kind of paradox in a methodological and poetic manner that leaves you in awe about being alive.
You finish the book, having highlighted every third sentence, knowing that you are already whole, that the purpose of meditative practices is not "to grow" but "to interconnect," that all our negative mental states are perfections and don't need to be different, and that there's no such thing as a self that exists independent from anything else. The perception and belief that we're separate causes much suffering. He recommends that when you feel separate or lonely, you can reflect on the idea of "not two." There's not your "self" and then everything else. That's just an illusion the mind creates, but the reality is interconnection. These ideas are hard to explain and Rodney Smith has written the best explication that I've encountered.
Most people find the insights that everything is ultimately impermanent and unsatisfactory simple to comprehend (just think about the last week). But the third insight—"not-self"—is difficult to get ahold of, because it directly contradicts our everyday experience. Our self seems to pre-exist and determine any notion we could have, even notions about whether it exists or not. For example, the thought: "I just noticed there's no self, I'm amazing!" Oh, wait. The self seems to be waiting to claim triumph and pat itself on the back, even when it comes to seeing the insight of "no-self." Rodney Smith works with this kind of paradox in a methodological and poetic manner that leaves you in awe about being alive.
You finish the book, having highlighted every third sentence, knowing that you are already whole, that the purpose of meditative practices is not "to grow" but "to interconnect," that all our negative mental states are perfections and don't need to be different, and that there's no such thing as a self that exists independent from anything else. The perception and belief that we're separate causes much suffering. He recommends that when you feel separate or lonely, you can reflect on the idea of "not two." There's not your "self" and then everything else. That's just an illusion the mind creates, but the reality is interconnection. These ideas are hard to explain and Rodney Smith has written the best explication that I've encountered.
March 20, 2019
First the acclaim: this book is filled with well worded and inspiring insights in human psychology, as seen through the lens of buddhism. Most of these are not exactly new, of course. But when it comes to explaining the dharma and the machinations of our own minds, Smith is a very eloquent teacher who has evidently gathered quite some wisdom in his backpack.
This book is geared mostly towards people already on the 'spiritual path'. Partly because it's is not exactly an easy read for anyone not used to dharma-talk. But mostly because some of Smith's best writing is on the pitfalls for more experienced practitioners, namely of having a too goal-oriented approach and of constantly trying to live up to a spiritual and psychological ideal. Even only for his lessons on this issue, the book is well worth reading.
Although I value this book immensely, and will probably return to it frequently, I can't help having some points of criticism:
> However clear and sharp Smith's style can be, sometimes his writing also gets very wordy, convoluted and confusing. Which has got a lot to do with the next two points.
> When talking about the ideal he would like the reader to achieve, he uses so much puffy spiritual jargon that it starts to look like a comical parody: 'absolute reality', 'the Dazzling Darkness', 'the timeless Now', 'the infinite', 'the absolute Now', 'abiding within paradox', 'objectless Awareness', 'the Unconditioned', 'the essence of all things' -- it just goes on and on. It all gets a bit too esoteric and floaty to my taste.
> Smith seems to be a smart guy, but like many other slightly guru-like teachers, he doesn't employ much academic rigour when it comes defining the key concepts he uses. He talks about 'mind' and 'heart' a lot, pitting them against each other, but never clearly explaining what he means with those terms. Which makes some of the key arguments in this book quite confusing to me. He also claims that since we can observe our mind with 'awareness', this awareness has to have a source outside of the mind. But of course, there's no explanation about what that kind of awareness entails in terms of biology and physics.
> Also typical for the more guru-like teachers is a kind of uncompromising standpoints without much nuance. For instance, Smith argues that we can live in a horizontal dimension (determined by time, goals and thinking) and a vertical dimension (timeless, heart, non-judgmental, spontaneous). But: 'We cannot have it both ways. If we choose one, we lose the other.' I find that very unconvincing. Personally, I think our goal should be to infuse and enrichen our inevitable daily 'horizontal' lives with 'vertical' inspiration and exploration, in order to find balance between 'mind' and 'heart'. See also the next point.
> In encouraging us to go that last mile (completely stepping out of self-deception and 'abiding in objectless Awareness'), Smith unfortunately can't convince me of the actual possibility of that paradigm shift as something that can be maintained throughout our daily, busy lives. The author provides almost no practical examples of how this great ideal would actually work out. I noticed that this point has been made by more reviewers on this site.
Nevertheless, this is a very inspiring and instructive book. I can recommend it with all my 'heart'.
This book is geared mostly towards people already on the 'spiritual path'. Partly because it's is not exactly an easy read for anyone not used to dharma-talk. But mostly because some of Smith's best writing is on the pitfalls for more experienced practitioners, namely of having a too goal-oriented approach and of constantly trying to live up to a spiritual and psychological ideal. Even only for his lessons on this issue, the book is well worth reading.
Although I value this book immensely, and will probably return to it frequently, I can't help having some points of criticism:
> However clear and sharp Smith's style can be, sometimes his writing also gets very wordy, convoluted and confusing. Which has got a lot to do with the next two points.
> When talking about the ideal he would like the reader to achieve, he uses so much puffy spiritual jargon that it starts to look like a comical parody: 'absolute reality', 'the Dazzling Darkness', 'the timeless Now', 'the infinite', 'the absolute Now', 'abiding within paradox', 'objectless Awareness', 'the Unconditioned', 'the essence of all things' -- it just goes on and on. It all gets a bit too esoteric and floaty to my taste.
> Smith seems to be a smart guy, but like many other slightly guru-like teachers, he doesn't employ much academic rigour when it comes defining the key concepts he uses. He talks about 'mind' and 'heart' a lot, pitting them against each other, but never clearly explaining what he means with those terms. Which makes some of the key arguments in this book quite confusing to me. He also claims that since we can observe our mind with 'awareness', this awareness has to have a source outside of the mind. But of course, there's no explanation about what that kind of awareness entails in terms of biology and physics.
> Also typical for the more guru-like teachers is a kind of uncompromising standpoints without much nuance. For instance, Smith argues that we can live in a horizontal dimension (determined by time, goals and thinking) and a vertical dimension (timeless, heart, non-judgmental, spontaneous). But: 'We cannot have it both ways. If we choose one, we lose the other.' I find that very unconvincing. Personally, I think our goal should be to infuse and enrichen our inevitable daily 'horizontal' lives with 'vertical' inspiration and exploration, in order to find balance between 'mind' and 'heart'. See also the next point.
> In encouraging us to go that last mile (completely stepping out of self-deception and 'abiding in objectless Awareness'), Smith unfortunately can't convince me of the actual possibility of that paradigm shift as something that can be maintained throughout our daily, busy lives. The author provides almost no practical examples of how this great ideal would actually work out. I noticed that this point has been made by more reviewers on this site.
Nevertheless, this is a very inspiring and instructive book. I can recommend it with all my 'heart'.
March 2, 2014
I was telling my husband about this book, saying it was one of the best Buddhist books I’ve read so far.
“This author is a master,” I said. “He really knows how to convey the concept of enlightenment with words.”
My husband replied, “Oh, so he really spoke to your experience.”
Just like that, my whole experience of the book became cheapened, as I realized what I’d said was just my opinion, and just because I say something is “the best” doesn’t mean it is true.
I must admit though, the author does speak to my experience. For the past 30 years I have been interested (on and off) in Buddhism, quantum physics, the “we are already there now”-ness, and the way the Garden of Eden story fits in to the notion of eastern philosophy, and lo, here is a book that speaks of those things and much, much more.
And rather than just say things once, he explains the ideas again and again in different ways, which for me is just perfect. His words turn on the light switches in my brain for concepts and knowledge that were already there, but I’d forgotten.
It’s one of those books that I sit there with a pencil ready to highlight the good parts and end up marking up half the book.
The only thing I wish it had, perhaps, are some specific exercises to practice. But knowing that Rodney Smith lives and speaks here in Seattle makes me more motivated to seek out his talks now that I see what a genius he is.
“This author is a master,” I said. “He really knows how to convey the concept of enlightenment with words.”
My husband replied, “Oh, so he really spoke to your experience.”
Just like that, my whole experience of the book became cheapened, as I realized what I’d said was just my opinion, and just because I say something is “the best” doesn’t mean it is true.
I must admit though, the author does speak to my experience. For the past 30 years I have been interested (on and off) in Buddhism, quantum physics, the “we are already there now”-ness, and the way the Garden of Eden story fits in to the notion of eastern philosophy, and lo, here is a book that speaks of those things and much, much more.
And rather than just say things once, he explains the ideas again and again in different ways, which for me is just perfect. His words turn on the light switches in my brain for concepts and knowledge that were already there, but I’d forgotten.
It’s one of those books that I sit there with a pencil ready to highlight the good parts and end up marking up half the book.
The only thing I wish it had, perhaps, are some specific exercises to practice. But knowing that Rodney Smith lives and speaks here in Seattle makes me more motivated to seek out his talks now that I see what a genius he is.
April 7, 2013
I just finished reading this book, and am not sure what to think. I had expected the book to be about, self, not-self, all that goes with that dichotomy. Instead felt like he spent the entire book dancing around these topics without ever truly discussing them or the meditative/intellectual path that leads to understanding of them.
June 11, 2021
I got very little out of this book. There were a few interesting nuggets and quotes, but overall it struck me as a rambling, new age self-help book. Page after page of truisms and motivational blather. Stuff like this by the yard, if that's your cup of tea:
We may have blown a hole of not knowing in our ego, but often a perimeter of fear remains around the hole and ties us to our past. Our ongoing task is to meet that residue of fear and complete the work of awareness. The more we surrender our separation, the quicker we complete the work of dissolving our fear. Patterns that hold less identification are quickly released, but eventually we have to confront those areas where we are still tied to the outcome, image, or expression of our personal pain. These are areas requiring great sobriety and maturity. We know awakening involves our total being, but we may still hold a little of ourselves in reserve. We dawdle, hoping for a reprieve...
March 29, 2018
No-self is a fundamental spiritual understanding and a central teaching of Buddhism. Despite this, the teaching of no-self is often skirted around in Buddhist texts. Not so in this book.
Suffering exists as a result of the creation of a self in one's mind. It separates one from the rest of the world, giving one's ego and "story" significance that can never be lived up to in reality. It leads to one worrying about every personal decision, trying to ensure the self's survival in a world that is uncontrollable. Liberation comes from seeing reality for what it is, including the truth of no-self and thus the interconnectedness of all beings.
Suffering exists as a result of the creation of a self in one's mind. It separates one from the rest of the world, giving one's ego and "story" significance that can never be lived up to in reality. It leads to one worrying about every personal decision, trying to ensure the self's survival in a world that is uncontrollable. Liberation comes from seeing reality for what it is, including the truth of no-self and thus the interconnectedness of all beings.
February 7, 2021
Rodney articulates the path of practice and Wise View from the perspective of a highly advanced practitioner. It was clear to me he wasn't "pulling any punches" with this book and simply lays it all out there. He has an amazing intellect and a strong philosophical leaning, which really comes across in his writing. Overall I enjoyed it, but at times he's unnecessarily wordy and the writing can be a bit dense as a result. There are some truly remarkable parts of this book, though, and would recommend to anyone who's been practicing for some time.
May 20, 2022
Rodney Smith tied together aspects of the unconscious, habit, cultural conditioning, perception, and of course, quantum physics (lol) related to “selfing” in a sometimes unclear but nonetheless very engaging and exciting way. Joy and curiosity do indeed arise out of paradox.
Very dense (although not without pleasure). I often missed points or couldn’t absorb them and had to rewind in the audio version so I bought the book as I expect to return to it. Take my money!
Very dense (although not without pleasure). I often missed points or couldn’t absorb them and had to rewind in the audio version so I bought the book as I expect to return to it. Take my money!
November 17, 2024
The most difficult and mind-bending work I’ve encountered in the area of Buddhist teachings and practices. Layers and layers of meaning, ironically, of the concept of no-self. Wisdom lies in no words yet the author has wrought so many words to take aim at our falseness the sense of self that believes its conducting things. It is not, and yet, here we are. I will return to this work, and wrestle again as I move along the path of knowing.
February 7, 2018
Rodney Smith writes an insightful and helpful book once again. Its more than a Buddhist book. Being one who embraces an esoteric understanding that includes certain expressions of Buddhism, Rodney Smith certainly could be considered as such.
September 2, 2022
The book was very dry to read and took me around 3 months to finish it. Nonetheless, the description of how wise view and wise effort can help us to steer towards the path Buddha envisioned was excellent.
July 30, 2018
This is one of the best books I have read on the subject of no-self. It gave me some insights which opened my perspective into the Buddhist domain. I can recommend it.
July 9, 2021
Ditto with some other reviewers. Those new to Buddhism and meditation practice may find it a hard read.
Many valuable insights.
Many valuable insights.
March 30, 2022
The method language based on Theravada. Every Buddhist should read this. Makes the path so clear. Only then can one really walk the path by not using ego.
July 13, 2022
Lots of food for thought and inspiration, although Smith has a tendency to meander around instead of getting to the point.
November 11, 2023
DNF 20%
I know understanding the concept of no-self is crucial to understanding Buddhism, but it just went over my head.
I know understanding the concept of no-self is crucial to understanding Buddhism, but it just went over my head.
February 27, 2025
Probably aimed more at committed Buddhists rather than a vaguely curious person like me, so some parts went over my head. Generally enjoyed this though and gave me lots to reflect on.
June 1, 2013
The fundamental principle we must remember when traversing a spiritual path is that “we” don't “have” a mind. The mind has created the sense of *you* and *me* from the way it perceives reality. -- From chapter 1.
The Buddhist teaching of anatta (no self) is one of the 3 marks of existence, along with impermanence and suffering (dissatisfaction). I've found it very hard to understand. Few of the popular Buddhist writers in the west whom I've read treat the subject in depth. I've found that Thich Nhat Hanh tries to relate it back to impermanence, but I've always found that dissatisfying.
Into this void comes Rodney Smith. Though not as well known, Smith is a contemporary of Jack Kornfield and others in the wave of American dharma seeking travelers to India, Burma, and other Asian countries in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
If I could sum up the book in one sentence, it would be with a quote from chapter 4: "It is helpful if we consciously verbalized our spiritual intention: is our intention to be a person waking up, or to awaken out of being a person?" [Emphasis mine.]
Smith teaches anatta not as a concept to be grasped, though he certainly does a great job of explaining it, but as an experiential realization. The concept of anatta is explained using Buddhist psychology. There is a rich neuroscientific literature that supports the centuries-old Buddhist understanding that the self is manufactured by the mind. But the heart of the book is in the realization of anatta via the Noble Eightfold Path, beginning with wise view and preceding from the domain of the "internal" (mind) to the "external" (action).
Every chapter is rich, too rich to go into here. In unpacking anatta, Smith exposes the mind's ability to even fake acquiescence to anatta in order to subtly maintain control. "We will all be confronted by what we really want on the way to spiritual fulfillment, and our desires will often masquerade as the ends we so desperately long for." [Chapter 11]
Though Smith himself is squarely in the Theravadan tradition, there are many times when he sounds very Zen. The book gets a little metaphysical toward the end. When I see a spiritual or self-help writer starting to talk about quantum physics, for example, I tune out. But those parts are easy to gloss over. It's a fantastic book. The real depths of this book will take multiple reads.
I wrote a note to myself at the beginning of chapter 5: "Smith is not targeting the place of no pain. He is targeting the place of no self, anatta. This is the elimination of suffering that the Buddha taught." Most of us (and dare I say most of Buddhism?) stay stuck in the place of trying to eliminate pain. That's not possible. Life has pain. But if there is no "I", then there is nobody who suffers from the vicissitudes of life. This is what Smith so elegantly lays out.
April 2, 2016
And excellent book on the Buddhist principles of non-attachment. In American culture, the idea of reducing the ego is an almost-impossible idea to value. This book shows how, when the ego shrinks, we can see more clearly the connection between everyone, and treat people with compassionate equality.
Not an easy book to read, nor is it a bumper-sticker philosophy book. But if you are interested in living a life in a more connected way, in a way that keeps blame, envy, and competition from harming a larger understanding, it's a good textbook. Slow reading, at least for me.
Not an easy book to read, nor is it a bumper-sticker philosophy book. But if you are interested in living a life in a more connected way, in a way that keeps blame, envy, and competition from harming a larger understanding, it's a good textbook. Slow reading, at least for me.
Want to read
June 25, 2010I had a 10-day retreat with Rodney Smith that really opened my mind. His teaching style is very challenging and pull-no-punches and incredibly compassionate. Looking forward to reading this book when it comes out in July.
August 27, 2011
I LOVE THIS BOOK. I found R. Smith's podcasts to be excellent, but maybe a bit too "heady". BUT this book is EXCELLENT! A good read...some parts deep and need to be re-read. I did a lot of re-reading in fact, but worth it.
Basically, it answers questions like...."how can I be present NOW, but still plan for the future...."
Basically, it answers questions like...."how can I be present NOW, but still plan for the future...."
June 13, 2012
One of the best Buddhist books I've ever read.
April 1, 2014
Good, but no clear way to apply the information is given in this book.
October 24, 2013
A very good companion for spiritual development.
December 28, 2014
This book changed my whole outlook on life.
March 7, 2015
Fabulous book. This is a generous enlightened person sharing the details of how we work with our crazy human mind. He's described learnings that I've never seen in other buddhist studies.
October 24, 2024
Smith can be a bit dry. But this is dharma to savor and explore on a deep level. Almost psychedelic, one might say.
May 27, 2016
Though I'm not a buddhist, I have to credit buddhism for keeping me sane over the past two decades. I'll be returning to this often, until it sticks.
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