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An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book?
Glow
Veteran
Has anyone read Daniel Ingram's Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book? This is probably one of the most insightful, well-written books on the practice of meditation I've come across. Ingram's prose is clear, hard-hitting at times, but drenched in compassion. It has shaken up a lot of my understanding about what the purpose of meditation is, how meditation functions in the context of the Eightfold Path, the nature of the eventual end result.
Ingram has particularly keen insights into the Western insight meditation movement and its tendencies toward psychologizing the Buddhist teaching. I found particularly helpful his distinction between the macro-level content-based work of dealing with our "issues" (psychological problems, traumas, stress, etc.) and the micro-level work on bare sensory awareness that is meditation. He emphasizes that, although the micro-level meditative work can be quite valuable in eventually freeing one from the seduction of one's mental content (mental tapes, storylines, etc.), this application is only incidental to insight practice. What I like about Ingram's work, however, is that he emphasizes the importance of the macro-level stuff, too. He doesn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The macro-level stuff (which includes sorting our our psychological issues, keeping physically healthy, pursuing career and relationships with kindness and compassion) he places under the traditional category of sila (living a virtuous life) -- one of the three trainings which support one another.
Anyway, enough rambling. This is a book that would clear up much of the confusion and unnecessary complication prevalent among newcomers to (and even many longterm practitioners of) Buddhism. The book is available for free on the authors website in both .pdf and Wiki format: http://www.interactivebuddha.com/mctb.shtml
Ingram has particularly keen insights into the Western insight meditation movement and its tendencies toward psychologizing the Buddhist teaching. I found particularly helpful his distinction between the macro-level content-based work of dealing with our "issues" (psychological problems, traumas, stress, etc.) and the micro-level work on bare sensory awareness that is meditation. He emphasizes that, although the micro-level meditative work can be quite valuable in eventually freeing one from the seduction of one's mental content (mental tapes, storylines, etc.), this application is only incidental to insight practice. What I like about Ingram's work, however, is that he emphasizes the importance of the macro-level stuff, too. He doesn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The macro-level stuff (which includes sorting our our psychological issues, keeping physically healthy, pursuing career and relationships with kindness and compassion) he places under the traditional category of sila (living a virtuous life) -- one of the three trainings which support one another.
Anyway, enough rambling. This is a book that would clear up much of the confusion and unnecessary complication prevalent among newcomers to (and even many longterm practitioners of) Buddhism. The book is available for free on the authors website in both .pdf and Wiki format: http://www.interactivebuddha.com/mctb.shtml
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Comments
In view of his claims of attainments, I would certainly not suggest him as a 'teacher' for beginners to Buddhism. People with genuine understanding have no need to trumpet it everywhere.
From his internet website:
"I am an arahat with mastery of the formed jhanas, formless realms, Nirodha Samapatti, and a few other traditional attainments."
Modest with it too! :crazy:
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ETA: And Dazzle, do you have so little trust in my judgment as to think I would be so easily swindled by a charlatan with no real understanding? :P I wish Ingram hadn't put that on his websiteif it means putting people off what is actually a very good book.
People sometimes do it on a smaller scale in internet groups ... and newbies think "that person speaks well and is experienced" when in fact they're just paraphrasing from a quote or book !
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Ingram actually does admit that he is indebted to his own teachers and has a great respect for many of the more mainstream teachers, including Jack Kornfield, Pema Chodron, Ajahn Chah, and Henepola Gunaratana (some of whom he quite willingly cites throughout the book). I see no reason to believe he's being disingenuous in any way.
You added that part later Glow, and so I didn't see it before.
It's not that I don't have any trust in your judgement, my friend ...its more that I accept that sometimes even the best of us can be taken in by others !
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At any rate, if anyone has comments on the actual content of the book, I'm quite willing to hear them.
As far as claims of attainment go I think Daniel explains his position quite well: http://www.interactivebuddha.com/talkinboutit.shtml
I've found the book to be helpful, enlightening and a great encouragement in my practice. It contains clear information about the path, the practice and what to expect on the way. It is good to hear someone speaking openly about attainment, making that part of practice appear less mythical and more reachable.
There is also a shadow side to daniel's goal-oriented practice. Getting attached to the idea of making progress and getting to attainments can be quite a hindrance to one's practice. If you think you can find the balance between having clear goals and not getting stuck on them, then this would be a great book for you.
I actually had never really believed in attainments until I read Ingram's book, which made such concepts much more realistic for me. Ingram's exhaustive, almost obsessive laying out of what enlightenment actually entails in the most mundane language possible was quite helpful.
That said, I can very much see how this could become a hindrance. The fixation on enlightenment itself could well become claustrophobic and myopic. I think Ingram does a good job of putting enlightenment in context of a complete life -- that it's fairly limited in its application. In one chapter, for example, he notes that being enlightened doesn't necessarily make one adept at solving people's psychological problems; that the guidance of a talented psychotherapist would probably be a better investment of one plagued by psychological turmoil than a meditation teacher. I found this refreshingly honest considering the propensity to see dharma practice as a cure-all for all manner of psychological ills, when they are really better off dealing with their issues with a content-based approach. Jack Kornfield made a similar comment in one of his books (I think A Path With Heart). He noticed many of his students couldn't meditate until they had dealt with their psychological hangups off the cushion in therapy.
thank you for the suggestion and for the effort of expressing your thoughts on the book.
If so, I might consider it. As long as the price is right of course.
BB