Approaching Enlightenment: A Guidebook for Buddhist Ritual (eBook)
Ritual is the area of Buddhist practice that receives the least amount of attention. This book is for both sceptical and enquiring practitioners. Combining research in psychology and cultural studies and the author’s own practice, Bodhidasa draws out the liberatory potential of Buddhist ritual. The Sevenfold Puja or Seven-Limbed practice is the focus of the book, and through it many other ritual activities, symbols, and implements are explained. More than a book ‘about’ Buddhist ritual, this is a personal guide to assist the reader move more deeply ‘into’ its practice and benefit from its fruits.
£10.99
Ritual is the area of Buddhist practice that receives the least amount of attention. This book is for both sceptical and enquiring practitioners. Combining research in psychology and cultural studies and the author’s own practice, Bodhidasa draws out the liberatory potential of Buddhist ritual. The Sevenfold Puja or Seven-Limbed practice is the focus of the book, and through it many other ritual activities, symbols, and implements are explained. More than a book ‘about’ Buddhist ritual, this is a personal guide to assist the reader move more deeply ‘into’ its practice and benefit from its fruits.
Endorsements
'Do devotional practice and ritual have any place in the life of a modern Buddhist? Straight from the heart, and drawing on his own explorations within the Triratna Buddhist Community, Bodhidasa offers an overview of the territory and, above all, the challenge all Buddhists face: to find emotional equivalents for their intellectual understanding.' – Nagabodhi, author of Sangharakshita: The Boy, the Monk, the Man
'Bodhidasa succeeds in writing both for the newcomer to ritual as well as the old hand: responding to the questions we inevitably ask ourselves – but are sometimes afraid to ask aloud – and offering fresh insights in equal measure. With wit, intimate knowledge of the terrain, and a vivid imagination, he makes a compelling case for ritual as a path to Enlightenment.' – Prajnaketu, author of Cyberloka: A Buddhist Guide to Digital Life
'Bodhidasa’s own devotion shows in this always surprising, wonderful book. It will lead anyone who’s curious, sceptical, or passionate about ritual to a better understanding of what it’s really all about – in heart and in mind. This book isn’t just for Buddhists – it’s for anyone who wants to recapture the magic of their childhood, or pull on the golden threads of story and connection that run through any life. Bodhidasa’s wise words give us the courage and strength to choose to practise with our whole selves, and see where that might take us in any moment, when we can sing free of whatever is holding us back. In this book, Enlightenment is right there as a beautiful presence, and it will make you glad.' – Candradasa, author of Buddhism for Teens and founder of Free Buddhist Audio and The Buddhist Centre Online
'Ritual is an essential part of the Buddhist path, helping us engage our emotions with the spiritual ideal and enter a deeper relationship with that ideal. And yet it’s frequently misunderstood, undervalued, or even dismissed. In this book, Bodhidasa offers an accessible and progressive exploration, showing how engagement with Buddhist ritual can benefit not just ourselves but all beings everywhere.' – Vajrashura, teacher in the Triratna Buddhist Community
'Bodhidasa invites us to awaken our imaginations and to see the world as a magician might in this delightfully unpretentious book. He skilfully shows us how, far from being extraneous to the Buddhist path, ritual lies at its heart – because it lies at the heart of human life itself.' – Subhadramati, a member of the ordination team at Tiratanaloka Retreat Centre and author of Not About Being Good
‘Bodhidasa has given us a beautiful guide to understanding ritual, bringing in its magical and mysterious nature, as well as giving down-to-earth practical suggestions. He takes us in a refreshing and engaging way through Triratna’s Sevenfold Puja. I recommend this book to anyone practising the Dharma, the experienced and convinced, as well as the more sceptical. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down.’ – Khemasiri, co-founder of the Triratna Buddhist Centre in Amsterdam
‘In a world where the word "ritual" is usually prefaced by "meaningless", it's a joy to read this insightful and accessible exploration of the power of puja. Bodhidasa explains with clarity – for the sceptic as well as those drawn to puja – what Buddhist ritual is really about, and how puja can transform our minds and imbue our lives with meaning and significance. So often, meditation is seen as "the real deal", whereas the power of puja to transform our minds is seriously undervalued, even amongst long-standing Buddhist practitioners. Yet ritual can touch parts of our psyche that no other practice can reach. I hope Bodhidasa's book will invite many people to enter into their own creative explorations of puja and see for themselves the transformative effects.’ – Maitrisiddhi, Buddhist teacher, Taraloka Buddhist Retreat Centre
'The Flemish poet Maeterlinck once observed, "Poetry has no other purpose than to keep open the great roads that lead from the visible to the invisible." We could say the same of the purpose of Buddhist ritual and the practice of puja. This rather neglected area of Buddhist practice is explored in accessible and practical language by Bodhidasa. For most of us, our Dharma practice is not about greater understanding, in some purely cognitive sense, but a willingness to connect with and refine those emotions that will enable a deeper engagement with the invisible mystery of reality. This book invites us into that deeper engagement, as Bodhidasa artfully moves us into a closer relationship with symbols, stages of puja, and devotional practice in general. The book is an intelligent person's guide to ritual and puja and will be of value to all those who wish to tread "the great roads" that Maeterlinck spoke of.' – Purna, preceptor within the Triratna Buddhist Order's ordination process in New Zealand and Australia
