The Buddha in Me, The Buddha in You: A Handbook for Happiness by David Hare

This book is another great book with insights into how to live with greater happiness. It shares the teachings and wisdom of Nichiren Buddhism coupled with a coach’s insight and philosophy on personal development. If you are looking to connect with your authentic truth, looking for greater purpose and meaning in life with techniques to assist you in unlocking your potential to live a full, rich and happy life – this book is well worth the read.

David Hare is a coach and practicing Buddha and shares his journey down the spiritual path and into the coaching field. He suggests that for anyone seeking more happiness that you need not be on a spiritual journey already to read this book. I would add to this that what you need is an open mind to allow you to take on board the principles shared within the pages of this book.

There is a great deal of wisdom shared in this book on Buddhism and practices to help you escape your chaotic mind to finding more peace. There are also practical tips that you can benefit from including chapter 12 on ‘how to choose a great mentor’.

Nichiren Buddism is based on the teachings of a Japanese Monk from the 13^th century. They say that it is considered to have a focus on Lotus Sutra that is the belief that we all have an innate Buddha nature and therefore capable of attaining enlightenment in our current form and existence. The Buddha in Me, The Buddha in You.

Here are some highlights. In a matter of a few weeks I have again come across the advice of chanting as a practice. Is chanting the next big wave to be adopted by the West? In this book David puts particular focus on the chanting of the mantra Nam-Myoho-Rnege-Kyo, which he shares details of in chapter 3. Unlike the book, Soul Over Matter, that I reviewed here, I like the idea of keeping chant to just one line – with the need of keeping things simple are we then able to adopt new practices.

To open chapter 3 David shares the definition of happiness according to Nichiren Buddism. It is summarised again below.

1. The soundtrack of your mind (if you so choose)
2. The purpose of your life
3. Creating value from every situation
4. Feeling grateful for you ‘problems’
5. Little to do with money
6. Little to do with time or place either
7. Being ‘neither elated by prosperity, nor grieved by decline’
8. Knowing that nobody can ever ‘make you feel’ anything
9. Living in the moment
10. Comparing yourself to your own potential (rather than to other people)
11. Your right and also your responsibility
12. Having the compassion and courage to fight for other people’s happiness as well

As I right them and read over them again I am just blown away with the power of each of these. If I pear back on my journey into personal development so far and trying to figure out my shit, I relate to each of these as being the fundamental truth to my discoveries. It is often in my experience when I go against or do the opposite to what these statements suggests that I find life is not as great or as happy as it could and should be. Powerful stuff!

David then shares this mantra Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo and its meaning as it relates to our life and happiness throughout the remainder of this book. He delves into Karma and the impact it has on our existence. He congratulates us all on having problems and why problems are essential to discovering more in life and he also explains why being present and living in the moment are essential.

To bring it together he is really sharing ways to live towards the definition of happiness, as described above, by using this mantra and other practices to assist us. The wisdom he shares is eye opening and makes so much sense to me but I am amazed by how easy it is to slip away from it. I often find myself going backwards rather than forwards and it are books like this that help me gather clarity once again to allow me to focus on the truth of life.

If this book sounds of interest you can purchase The Buddha in Me, The Buddha in You: A Handbook for Happiness here.

Please leave your thoughts, comments & questions below.

Peace, passion and purpose…

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