Living as a River

Living as a River
Finding Fearlessness in the Face of Change

Living as a RiverBy Bodhipaksa

Synopsis: 

Bodhipaksa teaches us how to use Buddhism’s traditional Six Element meditation to stop clinging to our sense of self and embrace change – resulting in gratitude, awe and deep connectedness.

In a nutshell, says Bodhipaksa, this book is about “Embracing change.”

October 2010
Paperback  / BK01466
360 pages / 6″ x 9″
Spirituality / Buddhism
US $18.95
978-1-59179-910-4

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It’s About Embracing Change 

What happens when we embrace the flow of life? We stop suffering. In Living as a River, Bodhipaksa conducts a masterful investigation of the nature of self, with an eloquent blend of current science and time-honored spiritual insight 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. Bodhipaksa takes readers through a systematic 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 limited identity
  • The relaxed experience of “consciousness, pure and bright”

Engrossing and incisive, Living as a River is at once an empowering guide and a meditative practice to overcome the fear of change and align with the natural unfolding of creation.

The Six Element Practice

In this practice we reflect on what constitutes the body and the mind. We call to mind the solid matter (Earth), liquid (Water), energy (Fire), and gases (Air) that make up the body—as well as the form they comprise (Space), and notice how none of these is a static thing that we can hold onto, but instead is a process. We also notice that each of these elements is “borrowed” from the outside world.

With the sixth element, Consciousness, we note how our experiences—our sensations, feelings, emotions, and thoughts—continually arise and pass away, once again leaving us nothing that we can identify as the basis of a permanent and separate self.

The Six Element Practice is a reflection specifically designed to undermine our delusions of separateness and of having an unchanging self. It’s a practice of letting go. 

About the Author, Bodhipaksa

Bodhipaksa was born Graeme Stephen in Scotland and currently lives and teaches in New Hampshire.

He is a Buddhist teacher and author who has been practicing within the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order since 1982 and has been a member of the Western Buddhist Order since 1993.

Bodhipaksa runs the online meditation center Wildmind to increase awareness of the positive effects of meditation. He teaches at Aryaloka Buddhist Center in New Hampshire, and also at the State Prison for Men. He blogs at Bodhi Tree Swaying.

His published works include the audios The Wisdom of the Breath (Sounds True, 2009) and Still the Mind (Sounds True, 2009), and the books Wildmind: A Step-by-Step Guide to Meditation (Windhorse, 2010), and Vegetarianism: A Buddhist View (Windhorse, 2009).

What People Are Saying

“Lively and genuinely illuminating.”

—Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life

“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: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path and Halfway Up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment