The Laws of Great Enlightenment

I especially like the first chapter, Your Enemy is Within You. I learned how important it is to create a spiritual screen to protect yourself. The key is your vibration. The book talks about the profound teachings of Buddhism and it is packed with wisdom. I truly recommend this book to all!

It was a book that taught me a lot of wisdom while giving easy-to-understand examples. After reading this book, I became able to like myself more and like the great being more.

I have been a practicing Buddhist for over ten years and can state with full honesty that The Laws of Great Enlightenment is one of the most truly inspiring Buddhist texts that I have ever read. In my own case, Buddhism eventually brought me to a place of nihilism. Once one sees beyond the illusion and impermanence of all things, reality can begin to seem entirely meaningless. There are stages of enlightenment, and The Laws of Great Enlightenment help to set a course for the practicing Buddhist, or even anyone just interested in spirituality in general, to attain to a spiritually active state that is meaningful and altruistically driven. One cannot forget that the purpose of enlightenment is to contribute the fruits of that enlightenment to the world, and this is how the trap of nihilism that can become so easily prevalent in Buddhism today is overcome. Okawa's critique of Zen Buddhism is unique, historically validated, and an important analysis that is worthy of study by anyone interested in Buddhism today. Enlightenment takes work, constant work, and it is a path rather than a static goal. Okawa outlines with excellence the pitfalls that can prevent this path from being achieved and maintained, and likewise outlines the path to achieving an enlightened state of being. I believe his teachings are the most authentically paralleled with Shakyamuni Buddha that are available today, and represent a return to the original Buddhist teachings, rather than the watered-down, minimalist teachings that are presently so abundant. It is worth putting in the extra work!