Este viernes, 9 de septiembre, 2022, voy a estar con nuestros amigos en el Centro Budista de Toluca para presentar mi nuevo libro en español, ‘Ver con los ojos del Buda’. Si puedes asistir sería un placer verte. Puedes comprar el libro ese día o si no puedes comprar el ebook de Siglantana.
Aquí puedes ver una charla donde presento mi nuevo libro ‘Ver con los ojos del Buda: el fin del sufrimiento’ que publicó Siglantana. El libro explora la enseñanza fundamental de las cuatro nobles verdades: el sufrimiento, su origen, su cese, y el camino a su cese. ¡Disfruta!
When I first encountered Shinran’s teachings in the late 1990s I immediately felt a kind of existential resonance. Something about them seemed deeply true, even though I couldn’t say exactly what it was. On the one hand, what I encountered seemed to contradict some of the most basic tenets of Buddhism that I had imbibed and yet, on the other hand, these teachings seemed to be speaking to something that was beyond my known self; they addressed my ultimate concern.
Something that is unusual about Shinran as an ancient writer on Buddhism is that he is subjectively present in his works; his joys, struggles, and gratitude are revealed through the existential outbursts that interrupt what otherwise is often a careful arranging of scriptural quotations. This existential presence is one of the things that calls to me. His message, however, may at times seem a little disconcerting. We are enmeshed in greed, hatred, and delusion, which causes us to suffer. So far we are on firm ground with basic Buddhism. But, Shinran says, we do not have the resources to overcome our predicament because all of our efforts to relieve our suffering, since they are expressions of greed, hatred, and delusion, serve only to confirm it. We are, it would seem, stuck. What is required then is some factor that goes beyond the known self and this factor is symbolised in Amida Buddha.
Who or what Amida Buddha is, and means, within Shinran’s religious imagination is no simple matter and not something that may be explained once and for all, but rather must be deciphered over and again. My book, 'The Promise of a Sacred World', is an attempt to engage with that process of deciphering and, in doing so, to invoke the sacred possibilities that it promises.
‘I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Nagapriya about his life and practice. In this generous and spacious interview, I found him warm and deeply thoughtful about what it means to be a Buddhist. Through reflection and mythic and poetic thinking, Nagapriya explores Shinran’s existential liberation, and the nature of connection, openness, and an encounter with something beyond the known self.’ Dhammamegha
Ya puedes adquirir este libro que trata de los cuatro nobles verdades.
El sufrimiento, su origen, su extinción y el camino: estas son las Cuatro Nobles Verdades. Podría decirse que esta enseñanza es la esencial del budismo: una forma práctica de entender el mundo que nos lleva al autoconocimiento, a ser conscientes de la responsabilidad que tenemos sobre nuestra vida y a despertar a lo que realmente importa.
Las Cuatro Nobles Verdades son una enseñanza relevante no solo para los budistas sino para todos los seres humanos. El autor subraya que enfrentarnos a nuestro sufrimiento sirve como puerta de entrada tanto a la autocompasión como a la empatía con todos los seres. “Ver con los ojos del Buda” significa abrirnos a un mundo en el que nuestros actos cotidianos tienen un significado trascendente. Esto significa despertar a la realidad de las cosas tal y como son.
I am delighted with the cover for my forthcoming book 'The Promise of a Sacred World: Shinran's Teaching of Other Power'. It is available to sponsor and pre-order now from Windhorse Publications. It officially comes out in August!
To know how to read is to take infinite time to read; it is not to take the book for a little geometric object, but for an immense itinerary. It is knowing how to scan, to pace, how to proceed very slowly. To know how to read a book is a way of life.