The Power of an Open Question The Buddha's Path to Freedom

by Mattis Namgyel, Elizabeth; Kongtrul, Dzigar

• ISBN13: 9781590309278
• ISBN10: 1590309278
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-06-21
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

After years of searching and trying different spiritual practices, the Buddha reached a powerful conclusion: he saw that everything is impermanent and unpredictable, so there is nothing external to himself that he could rely on; and, at the same time, he saw that trying to attain happiness through denying his basic human existence and essential needs would only lead to fixation and confusion. What was the correct path? He couldn't see it. So he continued to consider and investigate the contradiction. By telling the story of the Buddha's awakening, Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel shows us that by contemplating hard questions, and by not simply rejecting seeming contradictions in his experience, the Buddha became enlightened. And this method can lead spiritual seekers to their own answers. To learn more, visit thepowerofanopenquestion.com.

Author Biography

Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel is the wife of Tibetan Buddhist master Dzigar Kongtrl and the editor of two of his books (it's Up to You and Light Comes Through). She has studied and practiced in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition for twenty-five years under his guidance and completed years of solitary retreat. As a Buddhist teacher, she leads weekend retreats throughout the United States and Europe.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
A Personal Koan	p. 7
The Middle Way	p. 13
The Tug of Me: Exploring the Nature of Self and Other	p. 15
The Buddha and the Hot-Dog Vendor	p. 21
Two Means of Escape	p. 25
Knowing Things	p. 33
No Words for Liberation	p. 39
The ôEö Word	p. 43
As Big as Our World	p. 45
Fixing and Healing	p. 51
Embracing Complexity	p. 57
With All Our Might	p. 63
The Activity of Objectification	p. 69
Unspoken Agreements	p. 73
The Culture of Truth	p. 77
Enjoy the Feast	p. 81
Digesting Experience	p. 87
The Mark of Non-Creating	p. 91
The Perfect Teacher	p. 97
Beyond ôBlindismö and ôDoubtismö	p. 105
To Walk by Faith	p. 111
Bibliography	p. 114
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