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The Buddha in Me, The Buddha in You: A Handbook for Happiness
Do you want to be happier? Find inner calm? Enjoy a rich and rewarding life? Here's how... The Buddha in Me, the Buddha in You combines the tried-and-tested wisdom of Nichiren Buddhism with the best of popular psychology and personal development, making this a brilliant guide to how life works, and how to get the most from it.
Nichiren Buddhism differs from other Buddhist schools in its focus on the here-and-now, and places great importance on individual growth as the starting point for a better world. This, combined with powerful techniques such as NLP, mindfulness, journalling and coaching, makes The Buddha in Me, the Buddha in You the quintessential handbook for happiness.
'Buddha' simply means someone who is awakened - yet while Nichiren Buddhists will find fascinating insights into their practice, there is no need to follow a spiritual path to benefit from this book. Through his experience as an internationally acclaimed life coach and practising Buddhist, author David Hare shows us how to wake up to our own potential and that of those around us – to discover everyday enlightenment.
Nichiren Buddhism differs from other Buddhist schools in its focus on the here-and-now, and places great importance on individual growth as the starting point for a better world. This, combined with powerful techniques such as NLP, mindfulness, journalling and coaching, makes The Buddha in Me, the Buddha in You the quintessential handbook for happiness.
'Buddha' simply means someone who is awakened - yet while Nichiren Buddhists will find fascinating insights into their practice, there is no need to follow a spiritual path to benefit from this book. Through his experience as an internationally acclaimed life coach and practising Buddhist, author David Hare shows us how to wake up to our own potential and that of those around us – to discover everyday enlightenment.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 4, 2016
76 people are currently reading
271 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 30, 2016
In my quest for the meaning of life and after a series of hard times in life, I took to Buddhism last year. My own religion seemed to have failed for me (or may be I had not even clearly understood it). Led by a friend, I started attending a couple of meetings. I would chant every day, though which not much conviction. But my friends in faith kept pushing me. A few months ago, I started studying more about Hinduism as well as Buddhism. It's a joy to read books like this one which talks of the very basic core principles of the Lotus Sutra, a philosophy followed by a certain sect of Buddhists.
Lotus Sutra is something every human being, no matter what religion one belongs to, needs to imbibe. For it teaches you the value of humanity, the value of loving everyone (everyone includes your worst enemies). As the name itself says, the philosophy seeks for everyone's peace and happiness and links your growth to the human revolution of every one around.
I am not a hard core follower of either religions. For that matter, I love going to the gurudwaras the most. I am a seeker, trying to understand my own existence. And to a large extent, the core of me knows my goal in life is to seek everyone's happiness.
What disturbs me the most is to see anyone unhappy around me, even if that anyone is a stranger on the street. Through this practice, I am trying to chant not just for my happiness but for everyone.
Some key lines/concepts from the book:
1) The philosophy that the bad events in our lives are only and solely our Karmas (why blame the spoon when there is sediment at the bottom). Taking responsibility of our own lives, creating good karmas, looking beyond one's own self and only one's happiness
2) It takes prayers to truly transform the hearts
3) Going beyond "me" to "we"
4) Problems are a gift in disguise (too difficult to accept but at the core of this philosophy)
5)Beyond the survival mentality
6) The divine is within you and you are within the divine
7) Wisdom, courage and compassion, hope
8) Beyond ego, beyond one's smaller self
9) Oneness of the universe
A book to be read and reread. I am just a beginner on this beautiful road and hope this book will keep me on my path.
Lotus Sutra is something every human being, no matter what religion one belongs to, needs to imbibe. For it teaches you the value of humanity, the value of loving everyone (everyone includes your worst enemies). As the name itself says, the philosophy seeks for everyone's peace and happiness and links your growth to the human revolution of every one around.
I am not a hard core follower of either religions. For that matter, I love going to the gurudwaras the most. I am a seeker, trying to understand my own existence. And to a large extent, the core of me knows my goal in life is to seek everyone's happiness.
What disturbs me the most is to see anyone unhappy around me, even if that anyone is a stranger on the street. Through this practice, I am trying to chant not just for my happiness but for everyone.
Some key lines/concepts from the book:
1) The philosophy that the bad events in our lives are only and solely our Karmas (why blame the spoon when there is sediment at the bottom). Taking responsibility of our own lives, creating good karmas, looking beyond one's own self and only one's happiness
2) It takes prayers to truly transform the hearts
3) Going beyond "me" to "we"
4) Problems are a gift in disguise (too difficult to accept but at the core of this philosophy)
5)Beyond the survival mentality
6) The divine is within you and you are within the divine
7) Wisdom, courage and compassion, hope
8) Beyond ego, beyond one's smaller self
9) Oneness of the universe
A book to be read and reread. I am just a beginner on this beautiful road and hope this book will keep me on my path.
Read
October 2, 2017very good,
good for positivity
eye opener to a new way of life and looking at the world and perspectives differently
good for positivity
eye opener to a new way of life and looking at the world and perspectives differently
February 5, 2018
I'm glad I encountered Zen Buddhism before Nichiren Buddhism, as the latter school really doesn't work for me, although I did try chanting nam-myoho-renge-kyo a few times while walking. This book represents the fusion, for better or worse, of a style of Buddhism focused on striving for happiness with the wanky New Age corporate self-development positivity movement. And so it features such cringeworthy concepts as the 'karmic pack of cards' and the 'destiny DVD'. Every time I read 'SGI' (the acronym for the organisation), my mind went straight to Stargate SG-1 and so I could never take the author or his D-grade Hollywood celebrity Nichiren friends seriously. Even though this form of Buddhism originated in Japan, I feel like it's a very Americanised philosophy, concentrating on aspiration and achievement, whereas my interest in Buddhism centres on relieving suffering and transcending the self. I won't be reading more about Nichiren.
February 25, 2018
Love this book
August 14, 2021
Tremendous book with so much wonderful perspective. I am a Christian and loved this book. I enjoyed David Hare's writing and the great books he quoted from. Here is some info from the beginning of the book I'll share:
Nichiren Buddhism, was founded by a revolutionary Japanese monk called Nichiren Daishonin. He based his philosophy on the Lotus Sutra, the ultimate teaching preached in India 3,000 years ago by the first Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Shakyamuni. Nichiren Daishonin was twice exiled by the government of his day and even survived an attempted decapitation thanks to a bright comet in the sky that sent the soldiers running scared (in 1271 at the age of 49). He refused to bow or bend to the authorities. Nichiren believed in everyone’s innate wisdom, courage and compassion and taught his followers how to access these qualities, 700 years before positive psychology, New Age affirmations, life coaching, NLP or modern-day CBT had been invented. After Nichiren’s death in 1282 his teachings hung by the most fragile of threads until freedom of religion reached post-war Japan in 1945. Even now members of Soka Gakkai (the largest Nichiren movement in the country and the world) face a degree of opposition. Buddhism is a philosophy or therapy, not a religion. Nichiren Buddhism is very different from the Tibetan and Zen traditions and do not worship a statue of a Buddha on their alters. Instead of statues, Nichiren’s legacy was a scroll, known to practitioners as a “Gohonzon.”
The 10 most powerful lessons taught by Nichiren:
Life is interconnected and precious.
To reveal the joy, life force, wisdom, courage, gratitude and compassion needed for a happy life requires great effort and gritty determination.
A divine state is attainable by all and is the respect in your voice and the warmth in your heart. It includes profound feelings of joy, wisdom, courage, compassion, gratitude and optimism.
You and everyone else can become happy and enlightened.
All the answers you ever need are inside you.
There is no actual heaven. There is no hell. Neither is a physical place that you go to. Both exist in your heart.
Buddhism is empirical. It provides powerful and practical tools.
You are responsible for everything you think, feel, say and do and also for what happens to you. It’s the “Law of Attraction.”
The purpose of life is to grasp what happiness is and to achieve it, for yourself and for others.
Life is eternal.
The mantra “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” essentially represents the voice of the Buddha in you, the rhythm of life, and the vibration of the Universe. It’s the mother of all affirmations as it turns up the volume of the good stuff in your mind and generates your highest level of esteem. Affirmations are a sort of “positive brainwashing” and help you rewire your beliefs.
The word “Buddha” simply means someone who is “awakened.” Nichiren believed that we are born to reveal our infinite courage, wisdom, life force and compassion.
The length of life isn’t the main issue, it’s what you do with every moment that counts. With the average lifespan of 76 years, we have 27,740 days to enjoy life and make a difference. Never get to the point where you feel like you’re drifting through an aimless life of mediocrity. This is less likely to happen if you feel your life is precious and if you have an exciting vision for the future. Be in the moment yet look forward to tomorrow. Be more and do more to achieve your full potential.
Happiness can be defined as: the soundtrack of your mind, the purpose of your life, creating value from every situation, feeling grateful for your problems, being “neither elated by prosperity nor grieved by decline,” knowing that nobody can ever “make you feel” anything, living in the moment, comparing yourself to your own potential (rather than to other people), your right is also your responsibility, and having the compassion and courage to fight for other people‘s happiness as well.
Stop to listen to the music in your mind - you always have a soundtrack playing in your subconscious. Your soundtrack determines how you process the world around you, influences your reactions, and guides your decision-making, decides what happens to you, and what you attract (or don’t attract) into your life. We all have a dominant soundtrack and this determines the kind of person we are – what we think, say and do – and therefore what we achieve (or don’t) and who we become.
If we get obsessed with temporary pleasures (money, possessions, fame, partners), it’s a fragile kind of happiness. The happiest people understand that life is about how you feel here and now, not if and when you get a certain something. Nichiren taught that absolute happiness is feeling joyful and undefeated no matter what is happening on the surface of your life.
The ultimate happiness soundtrack is the mantra “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo”
Nam- means “to return to” or what I devote my life to, such as goals, values or focus. It’s Sanskrit for “devotion.”
myo- is the mysterious nature of our lives, “open” or “Mystic.”
ho- indicates how much of our potential we are achieving. It also means “law” or “manifest.”
renge- means lotus flower, which seeds and blossoms at the same time, symbolizing how every cause we make creates a latent effect. This stunning flower only grows in a muddy pond and is a metaphor for happiness blooming amidst the suffering of daily life.
kyo- signifies sound, teaching, Sutra, vibration and flow of life. It also evokes the eternity of life transcending birth and death.
Nichiren Buddhism, was founded by a revolutionary Japanese monk called Nichiren Daishonin. He based his philosophy on the Lotus Sutra, the ultimate teaching preached in India 3,000 years ago by the first Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Shakyamuni. Nichiren Daishonin was twice exiled by the government of his day and even survived an attempted decapitation thanks to a bright comet in the sky that sent the soldiers running scared (in 1271 at the age of 49). He refused to bow or bend to the authorities. Nichiren believed in everyone’s innate wisdom, courage and compassion and taught his followers how to access these qualities, 700 years before positive psychology, New Age affirmations, life coaching, NLP or modern-day CBT had been invented. After Nichiren’s death in 1282 his teachings hung by the most fragile of threads until freedom of religion reached post-war Japan in 1945. Even now members of Soka Gakkai (the largest Nichiren movement in the country and the world) face a degree of opposition. Buddhism is a philosophy or therapy, not a religion. Nichiren Buddhism is very different from the Tibetan and Zen traditions and do not worship a statue of a Buddha on their alters. Instead of statues, Nichiren’s legacy was a scroll, known to practitioners as a “Gohonzon.”
The 10 most powerful lessons taught by Nichiren:
Life is interconnected and precious.
To reveal the joy, life force, wisdom, courage, gratitude and compassion needed for a happy life requires great effort and gritty determination.
A divine state is attainable by all and is the respect in your voice and the warmth in your heart. It includes profound feelings of joy, wisdom, courage, compassion, gratitude and optimism.
You and everyone else can become happy and enlightened.
All the answers you ever need are inside you.
There is no actual heaven. There is no hell. Neither is a physical place that you go to. Both exist in your heart.
Buddhism is empirical. It provides powerful and practical tools.
You are responsible for everything you think, feel, say and do and also for what happens to you. It’s the “Law of Attraction.”
The purpose of life is to grasp what happiness is and to achieve it, for yourself and for others.
Life is eternal.
The mantra “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” essentially represents the voice of the Buddha in you, the rhythm of life, and the vibration of the Universe. It’s the mother of all affirmations as it turns up the volume of the good stuff in your mind and generates your highest level of esteem. Affirmations are a sort of “positive brainwashing” and help you rewire your beliefs.
The word “Buddha” simply means someone who is “awakened.” Nichiren believed that we are born to reveal our infinite courage, wisdom, life force and compassion.
The length of life isn’t the main issue, it’s what you do with every moment that counts. With the average lifespan of 76 years, we have 27,740 days to enjoy life and make a difference. Never get to the point where you feel like you’re drifting through an aimless life of mediocrity. This is less likely to happen if you feel your life is precious and if you have an exciting vision for the future. Be in the moment yet look forward to tomorrow. Be more and do more to achieve your full potential.
Happiness can be defined as: the soundtrack of your mind, the purpose of your life, creating value from every situation, feeling grateful for your problems, being “neither elated by prosperity nor grieved by decline,” knowing that nobody can ever “make you feel” anything, living in the moment, comparing yourself to your own potential (rather than to other people), your right is also your responsibility, and having the compassion and courage to fight for other people‘s happiness as well.
Stop to listen to the music in your mind - you always have a soundtrack playing in your subconscious. Your soundtrack determines how you process the world around you, influences your reactions, and guides your decision-making, decides what happens to you, and what you attract (or don’t attract) into your life. We all have a dominant soundtrack and this determines the kind of person we are – what we think, say and do – and therefore what we achieve (or don’t) and who we become.
If we get obsessed with temporary pleasures (money, possessions, fame, partners), it’s a fragile kind of happiness. The happiest people understand that life is about how you feel here and now, not if and when you get a certain something. Nichiren taught that absolute happiness is feeling joyful and undefeated no matter what is happening on the surface of your life.
The ultimate happiness soundtrack is the mantra “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo”
Nam- means “to return to” or what I devote my life to, such as goals, values or focus. It’s Sanskrit for “devotion.”
myo- is the mysterious nature of our lives, “open” or “Mystic.”
ho- indicates how much of our potential we are achieving. It also means “law” or “manifest.”
renge- means lotus flower, which seeds and blossoms at the same time, symbolizing how every cause we make creates a latent effect. This stunning flower only grows in a muddy pond and is a metaphor for happiness blooming amidst the suffering of daily life.
kyo- signifies sound, teaching, Sutra, vibration and flow of life. It also evokes the eternity of life transcending birth and death.
August 26, 2017
Some parts of the book are just too good.. Light and easy read.
July 27, 2022
This is a really great book in many aspects, but I have a very big problem with one aspect of Hare's and SGI's understanding of Buddhism and the recklessness of making one suggestion, on a topic which he misunderstands and could be grossly misleading people. Hare discusses alcoholism and drug use, and without doing sufficient research or understanding deeply or subtly enough he describes people being able to let go of "labels which lock people up in cliched boxes" such as alcoholic or drug addict (p.58). This teaching within SGI Buddhism led me into destruction rather than setting me free, and could have killed me. In fact, despite what Hare says, can both remember they are an alcoholic and a Buddha, and actually, for one whose brain is wired towards addiction, having that label and remembering that label is not "cliche" but in fact the only way to set the Buddha inside oneself free, otherwise this teaching just becomes an excuse to drink again, which will lead one to eventually forgetting their practice. Although it may become "a label of their past" for a while successfully, eventually it will fail. Please, remember, if you were once an alcoholic or drug addict, you can still be a Buddha, as long as you remember that the first step is to remember that it will never be a thing of your past, and you have to remember that in order to move forward and practice, you can never forget that the addict is within you.
February 28, 2019
I have been practicing Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism for twenty-five years, and I wanted to believe after a quarter of a century, I got it! Reading The Buddha in Me, The Buddha in You, has refreshed me, my view on life, and people around me. And I can really tell that David Hare, the author of the book is really living what is sharing with us, and that is the beauty of this book. There is a sentence in the book which resonates with me, all the time now, I quote: "How life is treating you?" Answer: "As I treated Life!" It says it all. We don't need to be religious to connect to it, just have a read!
Thank you, David Hare.
Doris
Thank you, David Hare.
Doris
January 14, 2022
I am not going to sit here and say I’m about to start chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (at this point in my life), BUT it was soo worth my time. A little note: the journal entries were fine at first, but I just stopped doing them lol it didn’t make a difference in my experience. BIMBIY definitely hasn’t answered my endless number of questions, but it has definitely made me more than interested to keep reading about Buddhism/nichiren buddhism.
June 24, 2020
A great read, and a timely one, in the current world circumstances. I’ve been drawn to Buddhism for many years without really knowing why. There is something that appeals deeply to me. But I’m still to find a practice I truly connect with.
Like the authors first impressions with Nichiren Buddhism, I am not sure I can see myself chanting daily. Or at all. But...never say never.
Like the authors first impressions with Nichiren Buddhism, I am not sure I can see myself chanting daily. Or at all. But...never say never.
December 20, 2022
Focus on Nichiren Buddhism which is based on the Lotus Sutra along with some insights from the author's life-coaching business.
Some good ideas here on improving or adapting one's life even if you don't fully embrace the ideas of Buddhism as presented.
Some good ideas here on improving or adapting one's life even if you don't fully embrace the ideas of Buddhism as presented.
January 25, 2018
Couldn't get in to this one. Felt a bit too mystical for my tastes. Others may enjoy.
March 30, 2020
Enlightening
Everytime I read this book when my mind wanders around in negative thoughts, it brings me back to present to feel more positive.
Everytime I read this book when my mind wanders around in negative thoughts, it brings me back to present to feel more positive.
July 4, 2020
Excellent read
I really enjoyed reading this book. Especially the part about Karma which is so fundamental to living a good life.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Especially the part about Karma which is so fundamental to living a good life.
April 28, 2021
Great to get you thinking about your life
October 2, 2021
this book gave me a ton of valuable lessons and reminders that i will keep with me🧡🧡 i’m grateful that i picked this up!!
March 20, 2022
Amazing book. I have learnt a lot about myself by reading this book. Could read it over and over!!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews