We often hear that the Buddha taught an end to suffering. But this is not 100% accurate. In fact, it isn’t even half right. It is only a third right because there are three types of suffering.

I have always had an issue with the term Other-Power. It is a trigger word for me and many newcomers to Buddhism. Other-Power sounds suspiciously close to Higher-Power. In America, this is why Other-Power is often confused with the Christian concept of God. I still struggle to remember that Other-Power is not an external force or Being but rather a way of thinking. It is a new way of understanding and appreciating one’s life in a totally different way.

“Compassion” is usually thought of as being nice to another person. But in Buddhism it means being of one heart. Here the niceness of it is not emphasized. Often times we may have to say or do what needs to be said or done in the moment to be truly compassionate. It may not be “nice” but it is what is necessary to help another person. In this sense, as Buddhists, Compassion Is All You Need.

My son then looked at me, smiled and said “Dad you don’t understand. Some days the surface of the ocean is safe and calm while on others it is rough and dangerous. But the ocean is always calm – every day. This is where the lifeguard swims. We rely on the depth of the ocean not on the surface of the water.”

This is my favorite Western example for the power of insight and it can be found in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. It is about the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. He is the evil person. He has no family or friends. He lives in his own self-contained and self-created world of suffering. Then one night, after eating some bad porridge, he is visited by the three ghosts of Christmas. The first is from the past, the second is from the present and the third is from the future.

When considering Buddhism, we tend to envision its practice. For many, this would be sitting meditation on a cushion, facing a blank white wall for long periods of time. In his new book Pure Land: History, Tradition, and Practice, Charles B. Jones explains another Buddhist approach known as “The Story.” This is the foundation of Pure Land Buddhism.

Individuality is prized by moderns but it comes at a very high price and we often have to overestimate our abilities in order to maintain this perceived state of autonomy. This can lead to a sense of alienation and disconnectedness. I have found this to be true in my life. This is where Buddhism can be very helpful. From a Buddhist perspective, it is this over reliance on the “buffered” Self that causes our Suffering.