William Blake famously wrote: “If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite, for man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern.” That purified perception, looking out into the...

‘In realising clear awareness, we are not attaining something new or extraordinary. Rather, we are returning to our natural state — a state in which the illusion of self has been seen through, and the world is experienced as it truly is.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘The boundaries between self and the world blur, and we come to realise that the world is not something outside of us, but is, in fact, an inseparable aspect of our experience.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘The duality between self and no-self, self and other dissolves, not in the sense that the world vanishes, but in the sense that our identification with a fixed self vanishes.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘It is important to note that clear awareness is not a rejection of the relative world in which we live. The insight into emptiness and not-self does not negate the reality of our everyday experiences.’ Everyday Buddhism

What particularly delighted me was discovering that the book's opening sections — the Preface, Introduction and introductory chapters — alongside the stunning colour photographs of original Dunhuang manuscripts.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the performing arts have historically served as vehicles for teaching the dharma. An example of this is the sacred dance, or cham, called Bardo Raksha Mangcham (Dance of the Intermediate State). This didactic dance-drama, performed at sacred...

‘When we transcend the illusion of self, we begin to embody this Buddha-nature, which is characterised by wisdom, compassion, and boundless awareness.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘This attachment to a fixed self generates suffering, for it is the basis of our fears, desires, and conflicts. As long as we see ourselves as separate, we are bound by the duality of subject and object, self and other, inside and outside.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘In Buddhist teachings, clear awareness is often associated with the realisation of Buddha-nature — the inherent potential for awakening that exists within all beings.’ Everyday Buddhism