The Way to Nibbana by Ven. Narada Thera

3/10

I read this book on my mission after a Buddhist lady invited us into her home, showed us her various shrines, and gave us some literature. I always enjoyed such encounters and she was a real nice lady as I recall. Meeting a Buddhist on my mission was usually more enjoyable than meeting a "Christian" because the Buddhist was usually kind while the "Christian" usually not so much. So I said, "Hey, I will most certainly peruse this book during my morning studies and sometimes during my lunch break." And so I did, and so I did.

It's a short little 83-page book of Buddhist philosophies on how to become a better person and strive for better things. I learned a bit about the religion (while still not fully grasping all of the terminology and such) and found some of the ideas to be useful. I also enjoyed finding some similarities between Mormonism and Buddhism, including their beliefs on chastity ("sexual misconduct debases the exalted nature of man"), Word of Wisdom stuff ("certain drinks and drugs promote heedlessness and mental distraction"), fasting ("fasting at least once a month is advisable"), tips on how to subdue evil thoughts ("endeavor to control any unwholesome thoughts at their very inception," "[h]arbour[] a good thought opposite to the encroaching one"), etc.

And for those of you wondering what "Nibbana" is, I will write the first sentence of the introduction: "Nibbana or Nirvana can be interpreted to mean the extinction of the thirst of sensual pleasures." So there you have it, this book was about the journey to such self-mastery.

Quotes:

"Very few people have realised that the cause of suffering is due to their own attachment and craving towards various things."

"The Buddhist way of salvation and eternal bliss cannot be obtained unless man purifies himself by becoming a perfect one."

"There is a great difference between the pleasure one derives from sensual gratification and that which one gets from restraining from it....[T]he highest form of bliss in life is to be attained by controlling one's senses and not by indulging in them freely."

"The best repentance is the will not to repeat that evil."

And then this quote for fun: "Bodies are adorned and adored. But those charming, adorable and enticing forms, when disfigured by time and disease, become extremely repulsive."