What Would Buddha Do? (101 Answers to Life's Daily Dilemmas)

What would Buddha do? He was, after all, a person like us. He struggled with life just as we do, and he discovered life's deepest secrets. What better role model could we desire? Picture yourself facing a personal conflict or moral dilemma; ask yourself, what would Buddha do if he were in my shoes? "What would Buddha do?" is a great question, helpful and reassuring. But how do we answer this question-not only once, but in the trials of life? The endless richness of the Buddhist tradition provides so many answers, so many models-how do we locate them and choose those that might help? This question, "What would Buddha do?" has recently been made more powerful by the "What Would Jesus Do?" phenomenon, a nation-wide movement that encourages individuals, when facing a personal conflict or moral dilemma, to ask themselves, "What would Jesus do?" It's a powerful question, one that can change lives. To ask such a question is to give yourself the moment of reflection it takes to find an answer. Buddhists have been doing this for 2500 years.

In discovering what Buddha would do, they have plumbed a deep reservoir of practices, texts, rituals and myths. I have drawn from this same well of Buddhist wisdom to answer the central question of what Buddha would do when faced with the many trials of our contemporary life. This book looks to the whole cur-rent of Buddhist tradition for that help, from the earliest stories of Buddha's life to the insights of awakened masters who continue the tradition today.

Who is Buddha? or, Who are You?

The historical Buddha, who lived in what is now Nepal and India, was a real person-a man who overcame desire, hatred and ignorance. Buddhism, the religion that follows his teaching, has looked back to him as an exalted teacher, even a perfected man, but never as a god. Whatever fantastic powers have been attributed to Buddha, he remains human. Buddha was a psychologist, and called himself a doctor more than once. During his long teaching career he dispensed the medicine of insight-insight into our human problems and how to transcend them. He broke down the distinction between psychologist and religious teacher.

And he created a system of thought-the Buddhist tradition-that provides very helpful and surprisingly contemporary answers to the questions each of us faces today. Though Buddha was a historical figure, this does not exhaust the many meanings of his name. The word has come to signify not just the historical Buddha, but awakening itself, the Buddha Mind. This Buddha Mind is at once transcendent and within each of us at every moment. Just as Buddha pervades the universe, so Buddha Nature pervades us as well, making each of us, in a sense, a Buddha.

If we are Buddhas already, what is it we have to learn? Why do we still feel frustrated and disappointed? Perhaps this is because we haven't yet realized we are Buddhas. We won't realize this by indulging our-selves; we need to follow the Buddhist path leading away from the self. When we stop guiding our lives by the desires of the self, we will quite naturally live as the Buddhas we already are. So easy to imagine, so hard to accomplish! But we've all had moments of awakening when we lived not for ourselves, not in ourselves, but in a wider, deeper flow of being. This is our real nature coming out, breaking through the crust of ego and consciousness we have layered upon it over the long days of our lives. We can all be Buddhas-we are all Buddhas-when we act as Buddha.

What's in this Book.

This book aims to help you be the Buddha you are, to find your own Buddha Nature and allow that Nature to guide you through life. The Buddha in you is your best teacher. Hopefully, the questions and answers here will help you bring that Buddha to life. The book's structure is simple: it asks 101 questions we face in living our lives. Every question is answered by Buddha-in words found in the sacred texts of Buddhism-and by a contemporary explanation of how to apply this teaching to our own lives. Will applying these lessons really work for you personally? I think so. It's worked for me, and I am not a card-carrying Buddhist.

Though I teach Buddhism at a college, I don't belong to any Buddhist organizations and I don't chant or meditate every day. But I love Buddhism, its wisdom, and the ways it helps me be a better person. I have found that Buddha and the whole Buddhist tradition speak directly to me without demanding that I give up my freedom. This book encourages you in your freedom. Don't just read it-use it in your own way. Whether you read it slowly for insight or turn to it under stress for advice, I hope you feel free to make it your own. Buddha asked his followers to test his words. I invite you to test these.

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