The book was surprisingly good, explaining concepts of early Buddhism in simple terms.
Some sects of Christianity emphasize worshiping and church gathering. The author's version of Buddhism emphasizes practice and work on your thought process. The Buddhism practice is far more individualistic and personal than the group act.
Christianity accepts sin, but it teaches that Jesus got all of sins on people's behalf. In contrast, Buddhism also accepts tough aspects of life that are originated from people, but teaches to work on our thought process to see them as they are, and the work is your personal work. Much of your suffering comes from your own delusional thoughts that inflict pain in yourself, the author says.
Your delusional thoughts define your response to inputs from the world. Thus, you need to manage your delusional thoughts and change or quiet down your response. This thinking is the reason for the book title.
The mind work can lead you to be free from your own delusional thoughts, and free from your suffering that your delusional thoughts cause. Therefore the mind work can open the door to a tranquil, suffering-free state of mind.
That is a cool thought. It certainly is a prescription for your suffering that is highly specific to you.
Well, I don't intend to quote Buddhism concepts at length here. But there was another cool thought that is applicable to your Tango dancing.
Do following simple two-step process.
(1) Close your eyes and verbalize your thoughts that are in your brain.
You might be thinking, like, "Trump this, Congress that, and America should be xyz."
Buddhism calls the thoughts in your head while you close your eyes "delusional thoughts"(you may not like it at first).
(2) Open your eyes, and see what is in front of you.
I bet it is not Trump or Congress or America. Maybe it's a cup on the table. Maybe you are in a quiet room with a dog. Recognize where you really are. Recognize all your "concerns (=delusional thoughts)" only reside in your head. Doesn't matter what TV news says.
In fact, media and internet only emphasize your delusional thoughts and multiply them. If you let your anger or fear happen as the media or internet tell you some delusional thoughts, you may need to shut them down to come back to where you really are.
This is a training method to come back to present. Not past, not future, which are your delusional thoughts, because they do not exist here and now, except in your head.
Perhaps you understand the idea already, right? Tango dancing requires you to stay on present. All your "ugh I screwed up that ocho cortado" or "what's coming next?", are your delusional thoughts and signs of you not being present, here and now.
The lead has to plan ahead, so situation is different as a part of role differentiation in the dance. But he also has to be present to enjoy the Tango with her while the dance occurs.
Then, how can you just dance and stay at present?
You have to train your body until it just dances. Mind can be anywhere, but your body stays here. If you want to stay at present, you want to work on the body, which is your connection to present. But it is another story.
[The book cover]
