Living like a River - exploring the Six-Element practice

Last month Triratna News carried breaking news of Bodhipaksa’s new book, ‘Living like a River’. Positive reviews have continued to flow in and we thought we’d highlight a few.

Bodhipaksa is founder and director of Wildmind, a US-based website and publishing house offering on-line meditation courses and a vast array of free meditation-related material. ‘Living like a River’ is his fourth book. Subtitled “Finding Fearlessness in the Face of Change”, it explores one of the Triratna Buddhist Order’s central insight practices - the Six-Element Practice. But more than that, it’s a guide to life itself. As the book’s introduction makes clear, “To face reality is to embrace change; to resist change is to suffer.”

It continues - “This is the liberating insight that unfolds with Living as a River. A masterful investigation of the nature of self, this eloquent blend of current science and time-honored spiritual insight is meant to free us from the fear of impermanence in a world defined by change.

“The primary vehicle for this journey is Buddhism's traditional Six Element Practice, a deconstructive process of deep reflection that helps us let go of the belief in a separate, static self-the root of unhappiness. Readers are led through a systematic yet poetic analysis of the self that supports the realization of:

• A sense of spaciousness and expansiveness that transcends the limitations of the physical body
• Profound gratitude, awe, and a feeling of belonging as we witness the extent of our connectedness with the universe
• Freedom from the psychological burden caused by clinging to a false identity
• The relaxed experience of "consciousness, pure and bright"

Out in the US for about a month now, it’s been attracting some great review. Here’s a few...

"An interesting, lively, and genuinely illuminating teaching of Dharma." - Jack Kornfield
"An engaging fusion of science and spirituality, without dumbing down the science or marginalizing the spiritual. A difficult task. Bravo!" - Rapid City Public Library
"At a time when it's increasingly challenging to find clear and honest direction on the spiritual path, Living as a River offers contemporary insight into an ancient practice and wise counsel we can trust. This book is both beautifully written and useful to ... all serious seekers." - Mariana Caplan, PhD, author of Eyes Wide Open and Halfway Up the Mountain
"Keep flowing Bodhipaksa, the world is hungry for your words." - Claudio Basso, Amazon Reviewer

There’s also a long interview with Bodhipaksa available on Buddhist Geeks where he speaks about Triratna’s new name - as well as the book, of course!

For further details visit the book's website livingasariver.com, or buy on-line