I. Brief Summary
A spiritual book with a lot of overgenerarlization such as everyone is asleep and no one knows how to live. I tend to disagree with that. It also contains element of sel-help – genre I am trying to avoid. The book does challenge you to think deeply on what it means to live an awaken life through illustrative language.
II. Big Ideas
- You do not need to fix yourself or the world. You only need to observe and understand the environment around you through non-judgmental observation.
- Happiness is your native state. You do not acquire it by chasing thrills, success, or external approval. You reach it simply by dropping your illusions, attachments, and demands.
Happiness is our natural state. Happiness is the natural state of little children, to whom the kingdom belongs until they have been polluted and contaminated by the stupidity of society and culture. To acquire happiness you don't have to do anything, because happiness cannot be acquired. Does anybody know why? Because we have it already. How can you acquire what you already have? Then why don't you experience it? Because you've got to drop something. You've got to drop illusions. You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something. Life is easy, life is delightful. It's only hard on your illusions, your ambitions, your greed, your cravings. Do you know where these things come from? From having identified with all kinds of labels!
III. Quotes
- People who want a cure, provided they can have it without pain, are like those who favour progress, provided they can have it without change.
- The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.
- We see people and things not as they are, but as we are.
- As one man said, “I got a pretty good education. It took me years to get over it.” That's what spirituality is all about, you know: unlearning. Unlearning all the rubbish they taught you.
- Loneliness is not cured by human company. Loneliness is cured by contact with reality.
You want freedom? Here it is: Drop your false ideas. See through people. If you see through yourself, you will see through everyone. Then you will love them. Otherwise you spend the whole time grappling with your wrong notions of them, with your illusions that are constantly crashing against reality.