Author(s): BAYDA EZRA

Philosophy

Ezra Bayda's gift for taking Zen teaching and relating it to every aspect of life has made his books popular even with people who aren't Buddhists. It's not that he's non-traditional-he's very firmly planted in the Zen tradition - it's just that the teaching is so clear and useful that it transcends religious boundaries. Here Ezra continues in the mode of his books like "Being Zen" to show how spiritual practice works in everyday life. He breaks spiritual practice down into three basic stages: The Me-phase - uncovering our most basic and tightly held beliefs about ourselves, observing our emotional reactions and patterns of behaviour, and becoming intimate with our fears. Being-Awareness - cultivating a larger sense of what life is, going beyond the basic awareness of the sensory world to transform the narrow experience into a more spacious sense of being. Being-Kindness - connecting with the love and kindness that are our true nature, and beginning to live from that joyful and compassionate place. The phases enrich each other to create a practice that works no matter what the complexities of your circumstances.