Buddhist Boot Camp
Buddhism is all about training the mind, and boot camp is an ideal training method for this generation's short attention span. The chapters in this small book can be read in any order, and are short and easy to understand. Each story, inspirational quote and teaching offers mindfulness-enhancing techniques that anyone can relate to.
It is very possible (and perfectly okay) for people who are Catholic, Muslim or Jewish, for example, to still find the Buddha's teachings motivational.
As the Dalai Lama says, "Don’t try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.”
There is absolutely no reason to argue over which religion came "first" or whose philosophy is "better". The important thing is to be kind, understanding, peaceful and compassionate, which is actually fundamental in all religions and schools of thought.
Whether it’s Mother Teresa’s acts of charity, Gandhi’s perseverance, or your aunt Betty’s calm demeanor, it doesn't matter who inspires you, so long as you’re motivated to be better today than you were yesterday. Regardless of religion or geographical region, race, ethnicity, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, flexibility or vulnerability, if you do good, you feel good, and if you do bad, you feel bad. Amen! Hallelujah! And all that Jazz!
If you agree that Buddhism isn’t just about meditating, but also about rolling up your sleeves to actually relieve some of the suffering in the world, then become a fan on Facebook (and a follower on Twitter) to meet other like-minded-folks for beach cleanup events, feeding the homeless, caring for the elderly, community yoga, cooking classes, tutoring, or anything we can each do to help others. You’re now a soldier of peace in the army of love; welcome to Buddhist Boot Camp!
About
Timber Hawkeye, author of Buddhist Boot Camp, offers a non-sectarian approach to being at peace with the world, both within and around us. His intention is to awaken, enlighten, enrich and inspire.
To make a long story short...
I sat there in front of the Tibetan Lama, wearing my maroon robes after years of studying Buddhism and said, "With all due respect, I don't believe the Buddha ever intended for his teachings to get THIS complicated!"
My teacher looked around at all the statues of deities with multiple arms and chuckled, "The Buddha didn't do this! The Tibetan culture did; this is their way. Why don't you try Zen? I think you'd like it!"
So I bowed-out of the temple, took off my robes, and moved into a Zen monastery far from home. Zen was simpler; that much was true (the walls were blank and I loved it), but the teachings were still filled with all the dogma that sent me running from religion in the first place.
There are many incredible books out there that cover all aspects of religion, philosophy, psychology and physics, but I was looking for something less "academic", so to speak. I was looking for something inspirational that people today would not only have the attention span to read all the way through, but actually understand and also implement in their daily lives. I pictured a simple guide to being happy, and in it just two words: "Be Grateful."
Gratitude has a way of turning what we have into enough, and that is the basic idea behind Buddhist Boot Camp. The short chapters convey everything I have learned over the years in a way that is easy to understand, without you needing to know anything about Buddhism ahead of time. In-fact, the book isn't about being a Buddhist at all; it's about being a Buddha!
To all of you soldiers of peace in the army of love, welcome to Buddhist Boot Camp!
Your brother,
Timber Hawkeye
Location: Portland, OR, USA
