Buddha was a revolutionary and he left us with a map of how to effectively live our lives with skillful means. He gave us wise words for effective living through the Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, and the Thirteen Precepts. Here Coyote expands on the concept of “life is suffering” to mean life’s afflictions cannot be avoided. Stuff happens. However, we can contain our response to those afflictions through our meditation practice. He also encourages us to be active in the world and to contribute to the good while being aware of the unintentional negative consequences of our actions. He encourages us to acknowledge the darker side of our nature so that through that awareness we might better contain it. He reminds us of the RAIN process as created by Teah Strozier: R-recognize; A-acceptance, I-investigate, N-not identify. Ultimately Buddhism can help us towards better ways of living together that are sustainable, democratic, and include justice for all.
