Original Title in English
by Author: Dillon Masters, visit his blog
Vietnamese eBook: Dharma Space / YourVietBooks.com
Translation by Anh Tho Andres and team (coming up)
Excerpts
This book is not about religion. It is instead a journey off the pile to find our spiritual root. Religions come and go. They get shaped and reshaped and concoct a wide variety of stories and theories about the unseen dimensions of our lives. It has always been that way and undoubtedly will always be that way. I can't stop that process and neither can you. So this is not a book about religion but it is about the part of us that is unseen. That part never changes and inhabits us all. Religions however can be perhaps the most destructive force on earth. They implant beliefs into people's minds which are then used to justify the most egregious forms of violence against each other, with sanctimonious justification. Religion is not the same thing as spirituality even though the two often get commingled. And I say these seemingly harmful words only because I care about what works and what doesn't. When we become dismayed with the journey to oblivion we need some help in finding our way. I am only here now because I got the help I needed. I owe you that much and I'm sorry to tell you that you are not likely to get what you need within the framework of ordinary, off-the-shelf religion. They can either lead people to find their spiritual roots or serve as justification for violence, but it's important to understand that religion and spirituality are not the same thing. I'm a pragmatist; a "bird in hand" sort of person. Show me what works and forget about the seemingly plausible theory and I'm yours. Perhaps there are some of you who share this perspective. If so, keep reading. If not then take a nap.
This hidden side of midnight is very strange and seems to contradict our most coveted dogmas about life. It will be impossible for me to say what needs to be said without experience and thought. We are, of course, persuaded that we know, with certainty, what reality is. We think it is the meaningless struggle to the top but none of us knows the language of the butterfly until we become one. We understand it as being whatever appears before us and likewise we measure "un-reality" against that standard. We say a person is unhinged when they are out of touch with this reality (which is actually un-reality). But just for the sake of discussion let's bring this issue to the fore and take a look at the possibility that we don't actual have it right. Perhaps once we thoroughly explore this matter we'll begin to see that the vast majority of the human race is unhinged and climbing the pile to oblivion. But if that is the norm then nobody will get upset. Misery does love company and at this juncture in history misery is wide-spread.
Contents:
Forward
Introduction
Part One—The hidden side of midnight: He who rides the dragon ends up in
- The Dream
- The contrast principle
- Zen Masters and the physics of dependent origination
- Immanent Transcendence
- Emptiness
- The language of language and the Platonic Fold
- The language of no language and the Platonic Fold
- Forms of delusion
- Thinking about thinking
- Ontology and Epistemology—Two parts of the same thing
- The two poles of Buddhism
- The nature of the two poles
- Enlightenment
Part Two—The apparent side of midnight
- Serendipity
- Light poles and coffee cups
- The God Map
- What the equation means and Implications
- The Heart Sutra Map
- The Mechanics of Happiness
- The Mind of Christ and the Holy Grail
- Finding our way home
- Ten frequently asked questions and answers
A life time of discovery unveiling the amazing two-sided nature of us all. I’ve been graced with finding a jewel too valuable to keep. We all reap what we sow. So I caste the seeds of my discovery to all. The jewel is not mine. Everyone has a share awaiting discovery. “...seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Thirty+ years maturing in the Zen way of life has opened up an amazing spiritual frontier.
Note from Anh Tho:
Note from Anh Tho:
Author Dillon Masters has donated his works on Dharma Space to the Vietnamese Readers. Our team of volunteers will be offering the readers the Vietnamese translation of his work as a contribution to the spreading of good Dharma.
Volunteering: All volunteers are welcome to join this project.
Donation acknowledged:
Volunteering: All volunteers are welcome to join this project.
Donation acknowledged:
The wish of the Author is that the proceeds of all income generated by the Vietnamese version will be donated to a charity organisation in Vietnam. On behalf of future beneficiaries of this kind attention, I would like to thank Author Dillon Masters and our team of volunteers for this common cause.
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