The Path to Emptiness

The other day I went to the bookstore even though I now have so many books to read that I really don't need to acquire any more. I wanted to get a book on Buddhism and of course had to pick up a few others while I was there, all the time trying to restrain myself from simply going hog wild and doing serious damage to the budget.

I didn't have any particular book in mind and if you have ever been in that section of the book store you know there are quite a few to choose from...hmmmm, how to decide... So I used pure Buddhist logic in making my choice, I picked the book with the happiest looking monk on the cover. I know, I know, but when you are taking a shot in the dark, any little bit of logic surely helps, no matter how off the wall it may seem. It turns out I made a good choice. The book I picked out was "The Joy of Living" by the Buddhist Master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and I certainly have not been disappointed. I'd like to share a small excerpt from it just to give you an idea of what I mean...

"Learning to appreciate the clarity of the mind is a gradual process, just like developing an awareness of emptiness. First you get the main point, slowly grow more familiar with it, and then just continue training in recognition. Some texts actually compare the slow course of recognition to an old cow peeing - a nice down-to-earth description that keeps us from thinking of the process as something terribly difficult to abstract. Unless, however, you're a Tibetan nomad or happen to have been brought up on a farm, the comparison might not be immediately clear, so let me explain. An old cow doesn't pee in one quick burst, but in a slow, steady stream. It may not start out as much and it doesn't end quickly, either. In fact, the cow may walk several yards while in the process, continuing to graze. But when it's over - what a relief!"

Now if that doesn't give you insight into "the path to emptiness" I'm afraid nothing will. So if you are so inclined to read such things and get the opportunity to pick up Yongey Mingyur's book (Rinpoche is a title given to a great master which roughly translates as "precious one") "The Joy of Living" I promise you won't be disappointed. You may be surprised (as I was) how much physics and modern science are intermixing with Buddhist beliefs that have been around for countless centuries...


"Looking again and again at the mind which cannot be looked at, the meaning can be vividly seen, just as it is."
-The Third Gyalwang Karmapa