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Living as a River: Finding Fearlessness in the Face of Change
To face reality is to embrace change; to resist change is to suffer. This is the liberating insight that unfolds with Living as a River . A masterful investigation of the nature of self, this eloquent blend of current science and time-honored spiritual insight is meant to free us from the fear of impermanence in a world defined by change.
“An interesting, lively, and genuinely illuminating teaching of dharma.”―Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life “At a time when it's increasingly challenging to find clear and honest direction on the spiritual path, Living as a River offers contemporary insight into an ancient practice and wise counsel we can trust. This book is both beautifully written and useful to all serious seekers.” ―Mariana Caplan, PhD, author of Eyes Wide Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path and Halfway Up the The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment The primary vehicle for this journey is Buddhism's traditional Six Element Practice, a deconstructive process of deep reflection that helps us let go of the belief in a separate, static self―the root of unhappiness. Bodhipaksa takes readers through a systematic yet poetic analysis of the self that supports the realization
A sense of spaciousness and expansiveness that transcends the limitations of the physical body
• Profound gratitude, awe, and a feeling of belonging as we witness the extent of our connectedness with the universe
• Freedom from the psychological burden caused by clinging to a false identity
• The relaxed experience of “consciousness, pure and bright”
Engrossing and incisive, Living as a River is at once an empowering guide and a meditative practice we can turn to again and again to overcome our fear of change and align joyfully with the natural unfolding of creation.
“An interesting, lively, and genuinely illuminating teaching of dharma.”―Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life “At a time when it's increasingly challenging to find clear and honest direction on the spiritual path, Living as a River offers contemporary insight into an ancient practice and wise counsel we can trust. This book is both beautifully written and useful to all serious seekers.” ―Mariana Caplan, PhD, author of Eyes Wide Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path and Halfway Up the The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment The primary vehicle for this journey is Buddhism's traditional Six Element Practice, a deconstructive process of deep reflection that helps us let go of the belief in a separate, static self―the root of unhappiness. Bodhipaksa takes readers through a systematic yet poetic analysis of the self that supports the realization
A sense of spaciousness and expansiveness that transcends the limitations of the physical body
• Profound gratitude, awe, and a feeling of belonging as we witness the extent of our connectedness with the universe
• Freedom from the psychological burden caused by clinging to a false identity
• The relaxed experience of “consciousness, pure and bright”
Engrossing and incisive, Living as a River is at once an empowering guide and a meditative practice we can turn to again and again to overcome our fear of change and align joyfully with the natural unfolding of creation.
364 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
27 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Bodhipaksa
43 books25 followersI’m a Buddhist teacher and author living in New Hampshire, but originally from Scotland.
I got the Sanskrit name (which means “Wings of Enlightenment,” incidentally) when I joined the Western Buddhist Order in 1993, after 11 years of Buddhist practice. I practice at Aryaloka Buddhist Center, which is just down the road.
I run Wildmind, which has a mission to spread compassion and mindfulness through the practice of Buddhist meditation. We offer an extensive self-paced guide to a variety of meditation techniques and well as a regular stream of articles in our blog. We also publish guided meditation CDs. Wildmind’s where I do the bulk of my writing.
I teach meditation and Buddhism in prison. That’s an incredibly satisfying thing to do.
I like kayaking and photography. I love reading and movies. Sometimes I hike, but I’ve been getting lazier as I’ve been getting older.
In 2006 my wife and I adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia, and that’s been more satisfying than I could have imagined. And then in 2009 we did it again and adopted a baby boy, also from Ethiopia.
[info from Bodhpaksa's about page]
I got the Sanskrit name (which means “Wings of Enlightenment,” incidentally) when I joined the Western Buddhist Order in 1993, after 11 years of Buddhist practice. I practice at Aryaloka Buddhist Center, which is just down the road.
I run Wildmind, which has a mission to spread compassion and mindfulness through the practice of Buddhist meditation. We offer an extensive self-paced guide to a variety of meditation techniques and well as a regular stream of articles in our blog. We also publish guided meditation CDs. Wildmind’s where I do the bulk of my writing.
I teach meditation and Buddhism in prison. That’s an incredibly satisfying thing to do.
I like kayaking and photography. I love reading and movies. Sometimes I hike, but I’ve been getting lazier as I’ve been getting older.
In 2006 my wife and I adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia, and that’s been more satisfying than I could have imagined. And then in 2009 we did it again and adopted a baby boy, also from Ethiopia.
[info from Bodhpaksa's about page]
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 25, 2011
Sometimes I wonder what the New York Times bestseller list would look like if it reflected true quality of writing and the substance and value of important and challenging ideas, rather than celebrity, noisy political rhetoric, easy answers to complex questions, and of course the money that flows freely in commercial hype. I wrote a while ago about a novel, Driftless, by David Rhodes, a profound, thoughtful and beautifully-written book, broad in its sweep and understanding of humanity, which should rightfully have been close to the top of that list. So far as I can tell, it did not even warrant a mention. I’m just now finishing another book which to my mind should be at the top of the non-fiction list. But isn’t.
A while ago, before leaving on our trip, I mentioned the book in an entry in "The Buddha Diaries." It’s called Living as a River: Finding Fearlessness in the Face of Change, and it was written by Bodhipaksa, a Buddhist author and teacher who runs Wildmind, a site for meditation studies, and practices at Aryaloka Buddhist Center in New Hampshire. Distracted by our travels, I put it aside for further reading on our return, and I have been chewing on it slowly since then. This is not the kind of book you read from cover to cover and put back up on the shelf when you’re done. It’s the kind of book that needs closing frequently along the way; it requires the allowance of time for reflection and a practical testing of the ideas that its author proposes. You need to work them through, to see how they work for you.
That said, I have to admit that I myself did not, actually, read the book slowly enough. In my judgment, that would take a good few weeks—including the not-reading time, of which I had little at my disposal. Or else it could be the subject for a ten-day retreat, with no other commitments to divert the attention from its themes. Read properly, it is a life-changer, and is intended as such.
We are much concerned, in our culture, with what we are pleased to imagine as our selves. We spend a great deal of energy cultivating and maintaining them, too often without remembering that they are merely the fabrications of our own needy minds. Put simply and in a nutshell, this book brings our attention to the ways in which we construct these selves, how they cause us suffering when we cling to them and, most importantly, how we can live happier, healthier, more productive, more compassionate lives if we learn to deconstruct them.
Bodhipaksa’s study centers on the traditional Buddhist Six Element Practice, an analytical study of the self in the form of “a reflection specifically designed to undermine our delusions of separateness and of having an unchanging self. It’s a practice of letting go.” The first step in letting go, of course, is a clear understanding of the nature of our delusion, and Bodhipaksa brings a wealth of scientific knowledge to demonstrate, persuasively, that all of our perceptions are illusory and that everything about us is transitory. Examining each of the six elements in turn (earth, water, fire, air and, in Buddhist thought, space and consciousness) as they exist in both the external world and the internal world of the mind-body complex, he exposes the fallacy of our sense of a “self” as distinct from the flow of the river of perpetual change. The metaphor for the self to which he constantly returns is that of the eddy, which may appear to have a distinguishable form but which is in reality no more than the illusion of a form, never the same from one moment to the next and inseparable from the water whose flow defines its fragile existence.
No scientist myself, I can only marvel at Bodhipaksa’s easy dance with both the history of scientific knowledge and its most current advances. His is essentially a phenomenological study of the elemental structures of reality, of our nature as human beings in the world, and of our place in the universe; in the course of it all, he ranges happily from esoteric physics (Loop Quantum Gravity, anyone?) and biochemistry to the intimate functioning of the human body (ever wonder why shit is brown?) and the brain, and out into the cosmic view of astrophysics. He is equally familiar with a great range of current social science research and with the history of human thought from the Buddha and (who else?) Heraclitus, to this day. He amasses his evidence patiently, and brings his reader along with a light touch, clear explanations, and a lively pace.
Unqualified to judge the quality of Bodhipaksa’s science, obviously, I’m comfortable in asserting that it’s always persuasive—and enjoyable to read. And always the bottom line is the mantra to which I myself return frequently in my own meditations: This is not me, this is not mine, I am not this. (I actually learned a slightly different construction: This is not me, this is not mine, this is not who I am.) It's at once a humbling and empowering realization. When arrived at with full understanding, it has a wonderfully liberating potential, releasing us into the stream of a reality where our experience is no longer hampered by that dualistic distinction between “self” and “other” that is the cause of so much human suffering and confusion.
Had I such power, I would make “Living As a River” mandatory reading for all those whose delusional egos dominate our discourse and the direction of the world in this day and age. And that would include the vast majority of political, business and religious leaders whose self-important selves inflict their own certainties and absolutes on others, to the detriment of our species and our planet. Alas, I have no such power. But I do recommend this book to anyone engaged in the genuine search for a release from the suffering we all experience. If your goal is freedom and serenity, if you're looking for a conscious and fearless path forward toward the end that meets us all, there's no better place to start. As I said earlier, this is a book that is capable of changing lives.
A while ago, before leaving on our trip, I mentioned the book in an entry in "The Buddha Diaries." It’s called Living as a River: Finding Fearlessness in the Face of Change, and it was written by Bodhipaksa, a Buddhist author and teacher who runs Wildmind, a site for meditation studies, and practices at Aryaloka Buddhist Center in New Hampshire. Distracted by our travels, I put it aside for further reading on our return, and I have been chewing on it slowly since then. This is not the kind of book you read from cover to cover and put back up on the shelf when you’re done. It’s the kind of book that needs closing frequently along the way; it requires the allowance of time for reflection and a practical testing of the ideas that its author proposes. You need to work them through, to see how they work for you.
That said, I have to admit that I myself did not, actually, read the book slowly enough. In my judgment, that would take a good few weeks—including the not-reading time, of which I had little at my disposal. Or else it could be the subject for a ten-day retreat, with no other commitments to divert the attention from its themes. Read properly, it is a life-changer, and is intended as such.
We are much concerned, in our culture, with what we are pleased to imagine as our selves. We spend a great deal of energy cultivating and maintaining them, too often without remembering that they are merely the fabrications of our own needy minds. Put simply and in a nutshell, this book brings our attention to the ways in which we construct these selves, how they cause us suffering when we cling to them and, most importantly, how we can live happier, healthier, more productive, more compassionate lives if we learn to deconstruct them.
Bodhipaksa’s study centers on the traditional Buddhist Six Element Practice, an analytical study of the self in the form of “a reflection specifically designed to undermine our delusions of separateness and of having an unchanging self. It’s a practice of letting go.” The first step in letting go, of course, is a clear understanding of the nature of our delusion, and Bodhipaksa brings a wealth of scientific knowledge to demonstrate, persuasively, that all of our perceptions are illusory and that everything about us is transitory. Examining each of the six elements in turn (earth, water, fire, air and, in Buddhist thought, space and consciousness) as they exist in both the external world and the internal world of the mind-body complex, he exposes the fallacy of our sense of a “self” as distinct from the flow of the river of perpetual change. The metaphor for the self to which he constantly returns is that of the eddy, which may appear to have a distinguishable form but which is in reality no more than the illusion of a form, never the same from one moment to the next and inseparable from the water whose flow defines its fragile existence.
No scientist myself, I can only marvel at Bodhipaksa’s easy dance with both the history of scientific knowledge and its most current advances. His is essentially a phenomenological study of the elemental structures of reality, of our nature as human beings in the world, and of our place in the universe; in the course of it all, he ranges happily from esoteric physics (Loop Quantum Gravity, anyone?) and biochemistry to the intimate functioning of the human body (ever wonder why shit is brown?) and the brain, and out into the cosmic view of astrophysics. He is equally familiar with a great range of current social science research and with the history of human thought from the Buddha and (who else?) Heraclitus, to this day. He amasses his evidence patiently, and brings his reader along with a light touch, clear explanations, and a lively pace.
Unqualified to judge the quality of Bodhipaksa’s science, obviously, I’m comfortable in asserting that it’s always persuasive—and enjoyable to read. And always the bottom line is the mantra to which I myself return frequently in my own meditations: This is not me, this is not mine, I am not this. (I actually learned a slightly different construction: This is not me, this is not mine, this is not who I am.) It's at once a humbling and empowering realization. When arrived at with full understanding, it has a wonderfully liberating potential, releasing us into the stream of a reality where our experience is no longer hampered by that dualistic distinction between “self” and “other” that is the cause of so much human suffering and confusion.
Had I such power, I would make “Living As a River” mandatory reading for all those whose delusional egos dominate our discourse and the direction of the world in this day and age. And that would include the vast majority of political, business and religious leaders whose self-important selves inflict their own certainties and absolutes on others, to the detriment of our species and our planet. Alas, I have no such power. But I do recommend this book to anyone engaged in the genuine search for a release from the suffering we all experience. If your goal is freedom and serenity, if you're looking for a conscious and fearless path forward toward the end that meets us all, there's no better place to start. As I said earlier, this is a book that is capable of changing lives.
June 2, 2016
I bought this book because it was on someone's blog list as one of the 20 best books for self-development. The first chapter of this book completely engaged me. It had me hooked. As the book continued further it became hard for me to read because some of the ideas seemed far fetched for my always rational and logical mind. Also to mention- I would read certain excerpts to my coworker/friend out loud or point out our daily situations where it could be applied and she would continuously remind me that I was a hippie weirdo for continuing to read the book and trying to live like the river. I struggled to finish the book but completed it. However, though I didnt enjoy the book in totality, I've found myself thinking back to numerous sections of it throughout the past few years which shows me that something in it resonated with me and I found it beneficial when applied to life which is why I rated it highly. I also keep it on my shelf and reread the first chapter when I need a reminder I'm not always in control.
March 27, 2011
A fantastic, perspective-altering book that came into my life at precisely the right moment. The combination of philosophy, science, and anecdote pulled this skeptic in and never let me go. Though it is an easy and enjoyable read, it wants to be read slowly and to be contemplated continuously as it's read, and not just at the end.
August 11, 2014
The ideas and practices in this book, supported with mind-blowing scientific data, have deeply challenged my self identity. Time will tell where this will take 'me'.
February 5, 2012
Very good. go back to it frequently
Read
December 15, 2023I felt this book equally methodical and woo woo warm in fleshing out the six-element practice through a contemporary lens.
The consciousness section helped me pick through the non-dual nature of mind and will probably look to do some further reading on this and schemas in the future.
The closing pages left me confused as to whether the author had just called his shot as a stream entrant?
The consciousness section helped me pick through the non-dual nature of mind and will probably look to do some further reading on this and schemas in the future.
The closing pages left me confused as to whether the author had just called his shot as a stream entrant?
October 20, 2020
Heerlijk boek als je wat wetenschappelijke inzichten wilt krijgen over hoe alles in elkaar vloeit
January 1, 2011
I was taught the 6 element practice by Bodhipaksa. I've had mystical experiences doing this meditation. The only problem is it's really only a meditation I want to do on retreat, it's too intense for me to do this meditation in regular life, my life just isn't that supportive.
I got to read some of this book when Bodhipaksa was writing, so I was very excited to get my copy in the mail.
This books is a cleanly and clearly written tour de force. I vote for it as book of the year.
I got to read some of this book when Bodhipaksa was writing, so I was very excited to get my copy in the mail.
This books is a cleanly and clearly written tour de force. I vote for it as book of the year.
December 21, 2010
One of the greatest books on living your life with ease, grace, and the understanding that all things will change. The eddy metaphor truly delivers and the scientific examples send home the message that we can either embrace change or fight a loosing battle with the river of life.
May 21, 2011
So you've been meditating. Focusing on the breath, mind drifting, bringing attention back to breathing. Now what? Do you want to go deeper? Here's a path. Well written, easy to understand. Bodhipaksa backs up Buddhist technique with science, and backs that up with compassion.
August 5, 2015
This book if full to the gunnels of insights, I couldn't even start to recount them.
It took me ages to read as it is one of those books where you read a bit, then go off and think about it.
Highly recommended :)
It took me ages to read as it is one of those books where you read a bit, then go off and think about it.
Highly recommended :)
July 26, 2012
I'm only on the early chapters because it is not an easy read, although very readable! I am enjoying it very much, very thought provoking!
December 24, 2012
Provocative critique of notions of the self drawing on the deeply embodied side of Buddhism. Enlightening!
May 30, 2013
If you are a student of contemporary Western Buddhism, this is a must read.
September 27, 2014
In particular, I found the last three chapters giving me a lot of food for thought.
April 2, 2017
This is a book that I want to put on the back burner and revisit some day.
It may be a bit advanced for me at this time.
Not a book to hurry through, give yourself time as you read it.
It may be a bit advanced for me at this time.
Not a book to hurry through, give yourself time as you read it.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews