Book Club: March 2008 Archives

Deepak Chopra is perhaps the world’s most popular spiritual guru. He is certainly one of the planet's most prolific authors. But there’s a confusing array of books strewn about on the path to enlightenment. Chopra offers a handy shortcut to the spiritual road Buddha mapped out, selecting ten of the best guides to get you on the fast track to Nirvana.

“These are my favorite books because they explain the philosophy of Buddhism in a very easy and practical way,” says Chopra. “In addition, they clearly show that Buddha's message was no different from the universal message of great beings such as Jesus, Confucius, and Socrates. The essence of all these teachings that have their roots in the wisdom traditions is that at a deep level consciousness is inseparably one, that the world that we inhabit is a projection of our elective consciousness, that everything interdependently co-arises. Unlike other religious teachers, however, Buddha defers in that he does not advocate a belief system, an ideology or a dogma. Like a great physician he identifies the problem: the human condition. He then identifies causes of suffering and follows with the prescription. In my view the following books explain the four noble truths and the eightfold noble paths in the simplest and most practical way.”

• 1. Buddha by Karen Armstrong
  
  A definitive biography from the author of A History of God.
  
  
  
• 2. Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, edited by Marcus J. Borg and Ray Riegert
  
  A holistic approach to the teachings of two of the world's greatest spiritual leaders.
  
  
  
• 3. Socrates, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus: From The Great Philosophers, Volume I by Karl Jaspers
  
  Excerpts on the fab four from Jaspers' bulky Great Philosophers tome
  
  
  
• 4. Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha by Thich Nhat Hanh
  
  A spiritually rich biography drawn from Sanskrit and Chinese texts written by a Vietnamese Buddhist monk.
  
  
  
• 5. The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh
  
  Buddhism 101, a study of the fundamental principles.
  
  
  
• 6. Awakening the Buddha Within : Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World by Lama Surya Das
  
  Translating an ancient philosophy into a handbook for the modern world.
  
  
  
• 7. Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach
  
  Psychotherapy meets Buddhist philosophy; A self-help guide featuring exercises, anecdotes and case histories.
  
  
  
• 8. Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living by Lama Surya Das
  
  A guide on bringing paramitas (or perfection) into everyday life based on the Bodhisattva Code.
  
  
  
• 9. The Buddha and the Terrorist by Satish Kumar
  
  A contemporary retelling of the parable of Buddha's encounters with the bloodthirsty Angulimala.
  
  
  
• 10. Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh
  
  A study of common ground, reconciling Christianity with the principles of Buddhism.

Over the weekend I just finished reading Josephine Tey's classic mystery The Daughter of Time, which reexamines the evidence surrounding the disappearance of the Princes In The Tower. Whether the culprit was Richard III (the last Plantagenet king), whom traditionalists hold accountable, or Henry VII (father of Henry VIII), whom Tey and many modern historians think most likely responsible for the murder of the young heirs to the English throne, the similarities between Henry VII and George W. Bush couldn't escape my notice.

Both usurpers to the throne came to power under highly dubious circumstances. Bush thanks to some election jiggery-pokery; the first of the Tudor kings with the help of power-hungry factions of the English nobility who colluded with the French.

Both had to look to the law to ratify their newly seized seats of power. Bush via some friendly Supreme Court judges; Tudor via some questionable acts of a conspiratorial Parliament.

Both have bent the law for their own gain. Tudor by retroactively declaring himself king from the day before the battle in which he took Richard III's life and crown, thus ensuring that anyone who fought against him was by default guilty of treason (which was punishable by death). As for Bush, where do I start?

Both are masters of Morton's Fork, a paradoxical form of reasoning, whereby a choice between two alternate options ultimately leads to the same unpleasant conclusion:

• Henry VII: If a subject lived in luxury, they could clearly afford to pay tax. Conversely, if a subject lived frugally, it was a sign they were hoarding their wealth and could therefore also afford to pay tax.
  
  
  
• Bush: If Saddam Hussein refused to let the weapons inspectors into Iraq, it would serve as proof that the Iraqi dictator had weapons of mass destruction, and would be considered grounds for war. If Hussein cooperated with the weapons inspectors, and no WMDs were found, it would serve as proof that he was hiding them, and it would be considered grounds for war.

Both were masters of manipulating the law of the land for their own political gain. Tudor created the Star Chamber, a conclave of Privy Counsellors whose rule was essentially above the law, while Bush created an ever-expanding concept of Executive Privilege.

Finally, both were masters at revising, and rewriting their own self-serving histories in their own lifetimes:

• Henry VII
  Reason For War Version 1:0 The Princes in Tower, and therefore their sister Elizabeth of York, were illegitimate and had no claim to the throne.
  Reason For War Version 2:0 Elizabeth of York, who was now Henry's wife, was a legitimate heir (as were The Princes In The Tower if they lived), and therefore as her husband he was the legitimate King of England.
  

  
  

• Bush:
  Reason For War Version 1.0 We invaded Iraq because Hussein was responsible for 9/11.
  Reason For War Version 2.0 We invaded Iraq because of WMDs.
  Reason For War Version 3.0 We invaded Iraq to bring freedom to the country.

Ultimately it's taken historians five hundred years begin to see through the (Thomas More constructed) pro-Tudor Tonypandy (faulty collective memory or popular history). In 2508 will school kids be reading about Hussein’s WMDs and personal involvement in 9/11? Lets hope the historians who chronicle Bush's reign are less biased and see through his contemporary attempt at Tonypandy before putting pen to paper. In the meantime, don’t believe everything your history teachers told you (or Shakespeare or Showtime for that matter).