It's Up to You: The Practice of Self-Reflection on the Buddhist Path

What a fantastic book! I picked this book up and couldn't put it down. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again, and again. This will be a book that I will read at least once a year for the rest of my life, until it become one with the way that I think. It was as if Dzigar Kongtrul studied my mind for years and then wrote a book on it, and how to tame it. This book is so beautifully honest, and gave me such a new beautiful view on my mind and ego. Not only did the book give me a shift in my perception of my ego, but it also gave me answers on how to work with it, and gave very clear answers to the questions we have all made in regards to our attachments to the ego, and our wrong view that ego has healthy aspects that contribute to our life. This is one of those books you will want to give to all of your friends once your done reading it, and can be fully enjoyed by anyone in any religion or faith, or no faith at all.

Of the several books I have read on Buddhism this is one of the best. In a very clear and simple, yet profound manner, Dzigar Kongtrul shares his wisdom illuminating some very complex principles of the practice of dharma. I have gained a great deal studying this book and reflecting upon my own conceptions on the dharma as well as my thinking on the ego, suffering and the purpose and place for self reflection in my own life. I highly recommend this text for anyone seeking more insight into themselves, who seek the path or are thrown onto the path of sometimes brutal and honest self reflection. The message, so clearly explained here, is that through our suffering and challenges we have the greatest opportunity to learn, to become liberated, to transform and to grow. That it is this task- to relect on the self, to increase our compassion and wisdom that leads us toward our own enlighenment.

This book posits the ability to observe your life calmly, as though you were watching a movie, as the key to contentment. There are a few other major tenets, such as the need to minimize self-importance, and the concept of M-E-R-I-T: 1. The ability to get positive circumstances in one's life, and 2. The ability to enjoy those good things (hint: # 2 is more difficult and more rare). To those who are familiar with the Hedghog/Fox categorization of Isaiah Berlin, this book falls squarely into the hedgehog classification: It relies on one main tenet rather than on an accumulation of little tricks. I thought it was one of the best of the modern interpretations of Buddhism, accessible to anyone without being too technical. A new book called, "Ruling Your World," is also quite good, though it has a slightly different emphasis; more pragmatic. That book uses four animals to illustrate cardinal Buddhist virtues: Tiger, lion, garuda and dragon are each used to illustrate a cluster of key traits. The author is Sakyong Mipham, the son of Chogyam Trungpa.

Whether you are a practicing Buddhist, Christian, or other, Dzigar Kongtrul's book, It's Up to You is a gem that will inspire your heart and your intention for living your life. It is apparent that Dzigar Kongtruls' intention in this book is to encourage us to take advantage of the precious opportunity we have to make a difference for ourselves and others. In It's Up to You, Dzigar Kongtrul emphasizes that every being has the potential to be free from suffering and that it is up to us to recognize this and take the necessary steps to get there. Dzigar Kongtrul expresses that self-reflection is the key to obtaining the peace we all strive for. In It's Up To You, he explains that self-reflection is not always a comfortable process and emphasizes that it must be done with care and compassion. He suggests that having a non judgmental stance is imperative and that self-reflection requires both observation and description without bias. He outlines some of the steps he feels are crucial to this process. I have read this book more than once and will continue to benefit from its teachings for the rest of my life. Thank you, Dzigar Kongtrul for putting these teachings on paper.

This is a must read book for any serious practitioner on any spiritual path. Dzigar Kongtrul has a very direct and clear way of exposing our most subtle unseen habits -- the parts which we have so much trouble acknowledging to ourselves (not to mention anyone else). This was such a helpful book for me personally, I can't praise it highly enough. It is a great buy for anyone interested in reflecting more deeply on his/her own mind and getting a handle on how to transform him/herself.