Buddhist Boot Camp

Book excerpt: An inspirational collection of enlightening stories, quotes, and teachings to help you become a better you. Buddhism is all about training the mind, and boot camp is an ideal training method for this generation’s short attention span. The chapters in this book are a collection of eight years’ worth of letters and journal entries, which is why each chapter is only a page long and can be read in any order. The stories, inspirational quotes, and teachings offer mindfulness-enhancing techniques to which anyone can relate. You don’t need to be a Buddhist to find this book motivational. As the Dalai Lama says, “Don’t try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.” Whether it’s Mother Teresa’s acts of charity, Gandhi's perseverance, or your aunt Betty’s calm demeanor, it doesn’t matter who inspires you, so long as you’re motivated to be better today than you were yesterday. Regardless or religion or geographical region, race, ethnicity, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, flexibility, or vulnerability, if you do good, you feel good, and if you do bad, you feel bad. If you agree that Buddhism isn’t just about meditating, but also about rolling up your sleeves and relieving some of the suffering in the world, then you are ready to be a soldier of peace in the army of love; welcome to Buddhist Boot Camp!