This book is an expression of the author's interpretation of Buddhist philosophy. Although there are plenty of books about the spiritual practice of Buddhism, it must be said that Buddhism is not a religion, nor does it offer a specific set of principles to follow, or refer to the existence of a god. Buddhism is simply a philosophy of life that anyone can observe, a philosophy which the author believes can lead us to happiness. Buddhist philosophy dates back thousands of years, and has been handed down through the generations in many different ways, originating in Asia, and then spreading to other areas of the world, all the while forming various undercurrents, each developing their own subtle characteristics. After carrying out in-depth research, and gaining experience by spending time with a number of Buddhist monks, the author has developed his own style of Buddhism, keeping some common practices, and discarding others.
Buddhism, unlike many mainstream religions, provides a series of guidelines for us to follow, without imposing any particular obligations. Siddharta Gautama, most commonly referred to as Buddha, was in fact an ordinary man, who at one point found himself in dire need of guidance. He had grown up in his father's wealthy palace, and experienced a life of luxury and comfort, but ultimately realised that he was deeply unhappy. He tried to seek happiness by giving up his worldly possessions, but even so, life was still so hard going and full of suffering.
This was when he understood that the only way to truly be at peace was to walk the so-called "Middle Way". The concept of the "Middle Way" is one of the main pillars that supports the entire Buddhist philosophy, which will be explored further in this summary: happiness is fleeting, while inner peace can be something more permanent, and the only way to achieve it is to move away from the extremes of life, and always choose the middle path. Being poor causes us to suffer, and it is right to work to earn enough to take care of ourselves and our family, but wanting too much money will also lead to suffering, because it will either never be enough, or would push us to work so hard that we would compromise our health.
Two other fundamental concepts to clarify are those of Samsara and Nirvana. Samsara is the life we are all born into, one which involves a fluctuation between suffering and happiness. Humans experience moments of overflowing happiness caused by external events, followed by moments of extreme suffering, when things don't go right.
Our task is to break the cycle of Samsara and reach Nirvana, a state of enlightenment in which we are always at peace, because we are in tune with the innate serenity inside us, which is always there, regardless of what goes on outside. Happiness, it should be noted, is a surface emotion, while serenity, in the form of deep, quiet, inner peace, is something much greater. Since we cannot control anything that happens outside of us, the only way to break the constant cycles of suffering and happiness, known as Samsara, is to turn our attention within.
