Steve Hagen

Best for:
Those interested in Buddhism.

In a nutshell:
Zen priest Hagen offers his take on Buddha’s observations.

Worth quoting:
“First, you must truly realize that life is fleeting. Next, you must understand that you are already complete, worthy, whole. Finally, you must see that you are your own refuge, your own sanctuary, your own salvation.”

Why I chose it:
Continuing my spiritual journey. (I’ve always assumed I’m way too sarcastic for that level of sincerity, but here we are.)

What it left me feeling:
Content

Review:
This book is both extremely straightforward and also challenging. Not because of the writing, but because of the concepts. And even that isn’t the best way for me to describe it.

Hagen breaks the book into three parts. In the first, he looks at what he calls ‘The Perennial Problem’, basically the human condition as most people experience it. In the second, called ‘The Way to Wake Up,’ he explores different concepts: wisdom, morality, practice, and freedom. In the final section, ‘Free Mind,’ he looks deeper into Truth and Reality.

This is the kind of book that I’m still processing, and that I’ll read again. I think that’s kind of the case with books of this type - it’s not something that one just reads and sets up on the shelf, or put in the donation bin. The way the information is presented generally worked for me - the chapters were fairly short, and there are some good examples to help solidify the ideas. But it requires a lot of thinking from me. I think that’s the point, though. Not that it requires a lot of thinking (one might even argue that goes against the main points of the book!), but that it’s got me thinking in the right direction.

Recommend to a Friend / Keep / Donate it / Toss it:
Keep… (meer)

Without a doubt one of the best books on the topic. Steve Hagen, an ordained Buddhist priest, and author of several others books boils down the essence of Buddha's teachings in a way all can understand. Pointing out that the teachings of Buddha are NOT an 'ism' like other spiritual practices since it lacks rules, guides and constriction. He points out repeatedly that Buddha taught 'being awake' and 'seeing' with respect to the ever changing 'stream' we call life. It's not about identifying with a practice but instead being aware of the stream in every moment. Highly recommended.… (meer)

This book is exactly what I wanted to read, a philosophical inquiry into the nature of Reality, although I found it riddled with fundamental logical flaws. I don’t think that would upset the author. After all, his main theme is that “liberation lies in just seeing.” Hagen believes in Reality with a capital R as well as Truth, he just doesn’t believe in the existence of the self. More troubling than the illogic, however, is the sense that this writing is an awful lot of effort, full of a great many concepts, from a non-self who wants us to “be at ease with inconceivability.” At times, the use of science and mathematical examples seemed more designed to impress the reader with the truth of the interpretation than it was to attribute meaning to the concepts. I must admit however, as a retired mathematics teacher and believer in Descartes’ “cogito ergo sum” to be extremely intrigued by Hagen’s relating measurement of the quantum world to measurement of the macro world by perception and consciousness. Overall, a very, very, thought provoking book.… (meer)