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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 49

truths on faith alone, and I think it’s wisdom can be distilled to logical First, I thought how what happened
one of the most attractive aspects principles that teach us the was utterly inevitable due to the
of Buddhism for modern people. It causes of a happy mind, fulfilling principle of “cause and effect”:
makes Buddhism feel more like a relationships, and a better world. however wrong the accusation,
philosophy than a religion. That said, “faith” is considered by the upbringing, delusions, and
Buddhism to be a virtue, but it is experiences of that other person’s
In fact, the Buddha himself was a faith that is earned, one that has life could have led them to no other
a skeptic. He was skeptical about learned that constructive thoughts conclusion. That lead quickly to
the inaccurate way we view others and actions lead to a happy mind; acceptance of how things are: this
from a selfish perspective, as mere that things are interdependent is what’s happening, there’s no
aids or obstacles to our personal rather than isolated; and that denying it or wishing things were
agendas. He was skeptical about compassion and love lead to a otherwise; however wrong and
dualistic ways of seeing objects better world. harmful, there are reasons it made
and people, teaching instead that sense to this person to think what
everything is interconnected; that How do you integrate the they thought and do what they did.
for healthy mind, when you are Buddhist teachings into your
hurt, I naturally feel your pain; that daily life as a busy career person? Then I felt empathy: how that
when we harm our environment, other person must be so upset
we harm ourselves; that we are not I like to joke that I used to be a and disturbed to make such an
separate from the people and things part-time Buddhist and now I am accusation, and how those thoughts
around us. a full-time Buddhist. I have been and feelings must have plagued
fortunate to now arrange my life to them for months. And this led
Is there no role for faith to work full-time as a podcast host, naturally to compassion, wishing
play in Buddhism? Was the meditation teacher, author, and that they might be free of this sad
Buddha a rationalist or a skeptic artist, wholly focused on translating misunderstanding. Of course, their
throughout his life as a teacher? the 2500-year-old wisdom of the happiness would also lead to me
Buddha into modern terms. Writing being happier too, free from this
Something I think about often is that How to Train a Happy Mind was like scary false accusation. And this led
the Buddha didn’t call his teachings a meditation retreat, going over all me to love, genuinely wishing that
“Buddhism,” he called them its wonderful topics again and again person to be happy, not only for
“Dharma,” which you could translate all day long. their benefit, but so they would stop
simply as “the truth.” In How to Train harming me and anyone else! EH

a Happy Mind I share a definition of Lama Zopa Rinpoche said that the
the dharma as “those teachings that teachings only truly come alive
help us develop our good qualities in everyday life. Your meditation
and understand reality.” cushion is just the training ground.
And I’ve found this to be the
The Buddha was fundamentally case. For example, I was recently
rational, someone who saw that the falsely accused of something quite
natural outcome of understanding serious. But my first thoughts when
our inner and outer realities is this happened were (somewhat
to become a wellspring of joy, surprisingly to me) the wide
compassion, and wisdom for array of Buddhist truths that this
everyone we encounter. In the unfortunate event revealed.
book, I say that the Buddha’s