Mary R. Bast Ph. D. Buddhism and the Enneagram

"We have so many ways to cope with life, many ways to worship comfort and pleasantness. All are based on the same thing: the fear of encountering any kind of unpleasantness. Charlotte Joko Beck, "The Cocoon of Pain, Nothing Special: Living Zen . In these many ways we worship "the god of no discomfort and no unpleasantness." We become lost in our "feverish efforts" and lose touch with the life that presents itself to us every moment. The Enneagram offers powerful insights into our personality styles, but we sometimes forget it is primarily a vehicle for awakening. We remain asleep to the degree that we abide by our nine conditional rules of habit: "I must... ...correct what is wrong." ...take care of others' needs." ...achieve and get results." ...regret what is missing in my life." ...understand everything." ...beware of potential problems/threats." ...be positive, upbeat, look to the future." ...be in control." ...respond to others' ideas and expectations." The Enneagram paths of transformation and the path of satori (liberation) in Buddhist tradition both recommend: - letting go of reliance on logic alone in the intuitive search for a new viewpoint; - realizing the world is not as we've known it to be, because our ordinary knowing has been conditioned by life circumstances; - releasing our habitual behaviors and beliefs and coming to know that everything is relative, conditioned, and impermanent. This small book provides new insights into the spiritual paths of the nine Enneagram styles: 1. khanti -patience 2. metta -loving-kindness 3. sacca -truthfulness 4. upekkha -equanimity 5. dana -generosity 6. sila -morality 7. nekkhamma -renunciation 8. panna -wisdom 9. viriya -energy