The Power of an Open Question

Download or read book The Power of an Open Question written by Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2010-09-14 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A bold, playful, and invigorating” look at how asking challenging questions—without expectations—can lead Buddhist practitioners to powerful spiritual insights (Pema Chödrön) How do we find a resting place in a world that is complex and always changing? How do we practice spirituality beyond the limits of blind acceptance and doubt? Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel proposes that when we ask challenging questions like these, we access our deepest intelligence and most powerful insights. “When we ask a question,” Mattis-Namgyel suggests, “our mind is engaged yet open. The process of inquiry protects us from our tendency to reach static conclusions. Instead, we can respond to uncertainty and change with inquisitiveness and a sense of wonder.” By telling the story of the Buddha's awakening, Mattis-Namgyel shows us that by contemplating hard questions—and by not simply rejecting seeming contradictions in his experience—the Buddha became enlightened. Her book guides us on a provocative, playful, and spiritually enriching journey of contemplation that could last a lifetime.