Bookreview: No self no problem

Hi.

Author Anam Thubten, who was born in Eastern Tibet, undertook Buddhist training in the Nyingma tradition at an early age and has been teaching in the West since the 1990s.
The book is simply written, straightforward, and remind you of the work of Thich Nhat Hanh.
No Self No Problem tackles one of the great challenges of being a Buddhist: eliminating the sense of the separate self (the ego) as a means to reach enlightenment.
In the book he tries to encourage the reader to come to the understanding that anyone and everyone can lose their attachment to the ego.
Simultaneously, Thubten points out that the way to enlightenment is far easier than we think it is: it simply comes down to losing attachments.
Thubten acknowledges that failure can, does, and will happen along the way; accepting that truth will make things easier, although failure does not give excuse for not trying.
He takes up such different subjects as Meditation, Mindfulness, Acceptance, enlightenment and nonattachment.
Or my favourite chapterheadline : “truth’s eternal mantra:”hey, it’s your fantasy!”
He has some special moments in his book, including that where he’s explaining his definition of "Buddha Nature":

"There are many words we can use to describe what our true nature is. The simplest word in Buddhism for that is Buddha Nature. The definition of Buddha Nature is that we are already enlightened.
We are perfect as we are.
When we realize this, we are perfect. When we do not realize this, we are also perfect."

Although he is an tibetan schooled Buddhist, his style and writing strikes me more of that of an “western buddhist” or someone like that.
And the things he puts forth as well as the manner they are presented in seem more westernized.
Maybe this is just what the “Buddhist society” needs, an other vew of the perspectives of tibetan Buddhism.
An buddhism that is not all about love, brotherhood and compassion, but one that strikes at the heart of the matter.

I think this is one of those “keepsakebooks” that you keep just to be able to read them again and again.
And it is something to read for all people interested in buddhism, both those that are new and more experienced in the dharma of buddhism.
And yes, I’d love to see more from this author.

Mtfbwy
Fugen