Red Bull to Buddha: Innovation and the Search for Wisdom

by David Passiak

Feeling alienated and lost by how greed caused so much global suffering, David did the unthinkable when the economy crashed. He left a great job and bought a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia and India in search of wisdom—the essence of all religious traditions, foundation for real freedom and democracy, and the trait required for leadership in a world constantly being disrupted. Red Bull to Buddha is a story about how mindfulness creates hope, helps solve problems, and allows us to coexist together. Part spiritual autobiography and part cultural essays, it explores the tension between how innovation pushes civilization forward in disruptive bits and spurts, while the traditions and wisdom of our ancestors help us to form communities and restore balance. As a former scholar of religion turned technology entrepreneur, David brings a unique and fresh perspective to the East-meets-West dialogue about spirituality, globalization, and the future. Although we cannot stop the rapid pace of innovation, we can make wise choices, starting with the choice to seek wisdom.

194 pages, Paperback

First published July 23, 2013

Reviews

[Julian Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

One man's search for meaning in this life with an interesting twist on the Asian mystic trail.

Observant perspectives on history, religion and the decline of moral standards in the western world, interwoven with personal experiences and insights as the author travels through Thailand, Vietnam, Burma and India.

A modern odyssey and spiritual pilgrimage.

[Manu]

I came across this book thanks to an article on the web that quoted a paragraph from this book. The paragraph comes pretty late in the book and deals with the 'cycles of birth and death' tenet in Hinduism. It is indeed one of the several bright sparks in the book.
Let's start from the beginning. It's pretty much the typical 'story' of a Westerner feeling disgusted with the levels of greed and materialism rampant in the US suddenly deciding to drop everything and come to the East for 'the answer'. To his credit, the author himself acknowledges it, and calls out the fact that everyone is in search of the elusive 'answer'. I actually saw the title in that context but it actually is about Red Bull being considered a legit offering made to the Buddha by his devotees in parts of Thailand. I found some of the events narrated a tad difficult to believe - specially the encounters with the sadhus in India - but hey, as the author states, 'our beliefs create the world we live in'. Also, the experiences indeed make for good stories at the very least.
What worked for me is the honesty of the inner journey and the travelogue itself. (but I am a bit biased towards all travel documentation!) The effects of the US influence in Thailand, Vietnam and even Burma are brought out in an excellent commentary that offers a context of the present through the lens of the past. What did not work for me was the whole 'traditional values' and 'innovation' narrative. I felt that this was quite a forced bit of work that at regular intervals, took away from the actual substance of the book, except for the initial points made about wisdom. If the author had kept it to the spiritual autobiography and the cultural essay territory, it might have made for a much more compelling read. Having said that, it is a fairly good read if you're into travelogues.