Everything We Do Matters

by Shi Wuling

Twenty-five hundred years ago, when the Buddha was teaching what he had awoken to, his world was similar in many ways to our world today. There were great centers of culture, and there were lands of stagnation. There were rulers with great power who thirsted for even more, and there were oppressed people who only wanted to live in peace. There were men who said that they alone held the key to spiritual secrets, and there were those who searched for different answers. There were people who had great wealth, and there were those who had nothing. There were people who said we must change, and there were those who denied there was anything wrong.

Perhaps that distant land and time is not that distant after all. Greed, anger, ignorance, and delusion are still very much with us. But they do not have to remain with us for each of we has the ability to transform them into selflessness, compassion, and understanding.

124 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2007

Reviews

[Lucia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose this is a good introduction to the principles of Buddhism but a lot of those just don't stick for me. It reads in this book that a central tenet is the concept that our suffering in this life is due to our bad karma from wrongdoings in previous lives. That seems to be 'paying for the sins of the father' logic that I don't agree with morally but morals aside seems completely unrealistic.

I was hoping to get more out of reading this than I did, though I guess it just means Buddhism isn't for me and that's fine.

I did find the last 10-20 pages of the book on climate change to be really insightful and have some really good arguments though. This part almost didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book's theories. I think it's very true we have major cognitive dissonance between the reality of what is happening, the levels of consumption we need and our own contribution to the climate disaster. Im some ways this book challenged my usual catastrophic thinking about the future by theorising that depleted resources may lead us to living less globalised but more community driven lives, this doesn't sound terrible so perhaps it isn't all bad.

[Tanya Sinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good simplified reminders of the principles of Buddhist life, thought and being. Will be reading this each year. Last 40 pages or so on climate change can be skipped for those well versed on the issue and how it is a manifestation of our collective karma.

[Tia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book that makes you really think about what the author is saying. It made me sad in parts as I connected with the themes and applied it to my own thoughts and life. It's written in easy to understand language yet it still makes you think.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helps me during my difficult times. I'd recommend this book to everyone who feels lost during hardship.