Long time coming, but I did it! Wrote my first book. Self-published. Selling on Amazon. A feather in my cap! Which I would put in my cap if I wore a cap. Which I don’t. But here it is, available to you as an eBook, paperback, or hardcover!
I’ve always believed that if you had a dream, and if you took the steps to make that dream come true, it would. (Well, except for winning the lottery. That one hasn’t worked out for me yet!) As Mike Dooley of TUT (The Universe Talks) often reminds us, “Thoughts become things.”
But making it so isn’t magic – it’s manifesting a dream, and anyone can do it, but it does take some work because it’s not magic. It requires you to make it so by taking the first step. And the next. And the next. Until you’re done. In other words, “The only way to make a new road is to walk it,” (Admiral Cornwell, Star Trek Discovery).
This is my new road. And I’m really excited to share it with you!
My book is based on the Buddhist premise that life is filled with suffering and there’s a way to alleviate that suffering through the Buddhist philosophy of the Eightfold Path – which I illustrate in my book using examples from science fiction shows and movies. It is, I think, a fun read that you’ll enjoy if you’re curious about Buddhism, or a fan of science fiction, or both!
The gist of it is this: do right by people, including yourself, and all living things. Be mindful of your thoughts, your words, your intentions, and your actions. Live your life accepting reality – not spending time wishing things were different, which only leads to frustration and suffering when nothing changes. The truth of suffering, according to the Buddhist philosophy, is based on attachment and desire. Attachment assumes you’ll never lose that which you’re attached to but, in reality, it’s likely you will. And desires can often remain unmet – the desire for good things may not come to fruition or arrive as timely as we would like, and the desire for less bad things doesn’t seem to change the fact that they exist. It is, then, up to us to review and revise our expectations to help avoid- or at least mitigate – our suffering, by realizing that everything – you, me, the planet, the stars, the Universe – is temporary. Always in flux and transition. And then learning to be okay with that.
The Budda said, “I teach suffering, its origin, cessation, and path. That’s all I teach.”
My book is an effort to help us understand what that means with the help of some amazing shows and movies, like Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, and Babylon 5. I hope it’ll prove to be a fun way to learn a little bit about Buddhism and also to – perhaps – create a new and improved version of you!
Of course, truth be told, I remain a work in progress. But every day is a new opportunity to create a better version of myself. Maybe this book will help you do the same!
~jwb~
