Accidental Buddhist Reflection

Eastern Religions 111

November 8, 2011

Accidental Buddhist Reflection

Dinty Moore has taken me through all the different stages of the religious walk that I have experienced and more. The way he presents the religious walk is not of someone who has all the answers, but still somehow knows how to answer any questions I may have. He has presented the Buddhist path in a very easy to digest manner. This book is broken down into three parts; Zen Mind, Muddled Mind, Practice Makes Perfect, and Real Buddhists Don’t Take Notes. I will try and keep with this format in addressing the themes and key points, interviews and revelations found in this book and my reactions to them, rather than a tedious, flat, chapter by chapter analysis. So let’s get started, on the path to enlightenment.

Upon just opening this book I was very skeptical, I am what I would consider firmly rooted in my beliefs, but I am very open to new perspectives, and I expected this book to be a challenge to read right off the get go, because of former religious reads I have been subjected to. However much to my chagrin, it started off as a very very conversationalist type of read. We all have these questions and ponderings about life, and we always seek religion to give us some sort of solace in that aspect. Moore draws the reader in with that in the first chapter. I remember when I was a kid, I was so eager to get baptized, and I can’t honestly say that it wasn’t because I had some want to take part in communion. I did have that predisposition, but I had always been a peculiar kid, I understood that with the baptism things were going to change. I was making a public statement that my relationship with God was my responsibility and that I would try to represent him in a way that corresponded with the church’s doctrine. However this is where my understanding came to a stop. I had no idea how to show it, or what the church’s doctrines were. Moore illustrated this feeling I had and I think many have with...