Reduce Your Suffering and Find Spiritual Wholeness
Imagine deepening your understanding by connecting ancient wisdom and modern thought. What if you could navigate life's challenges with less clinging and aversion? Imagine incorporating powerful meditations and contemplations to find inner peace.
Describing himself as a "Jewish Buddhist Contrarian," Mel offers accessible teachings drawn from his extensive spiritual journey, aiming to share the wisdom he has gained over almost eight decades of life and four decades of study and practice Buddhism.
He draws on his own experiences, stories, and humor, weaving together Buddhism, philosophy, and science. He also includes perspectives from trusted teachers and friends who have guided him.
Reduce Your Suffering and Find Spiritual Wholeness
Imagine deepening your understanding by connecting ancient wisdom and modern thought. What if you could navigate life's challenges with less clinging and aversion? Imagine incorporating powerful meditations and contemplations to find inner peace.
Describing himself as a "Jewish Buddhist Contrarian," Mel offers accessible teachings drawn from his extensive spiritual journey, aiming to share the wisdom he has gained over almost eight decades of life and four decades of study and practice Buddhism.
He draws on his own experiences, stories, and humor, weaving together Buddhism, philosophy, and science. He also includes perspectives from trusted teachers and friends who have guided him.
One Easter Sunday in the early 1980s, an instance of ignorance left me stranded in Stavanger, Norway, halfway through a business trip. In the New York City headquarters of the multinational corporation where I worked, my employers and I didnât know Norway would shut down for five days around Easter.
From the Wednesday before Easter to the Tuesday after, all nonessential businesses closed. Newspapers werenât printed, restaurants were shuttered (except for one simple one in each hotel), domestic flights were canceled, buses and trains didnât run, taxis were unavailable, and the same tape of rinky-dink music played over and over in my hotelâs elevators. Whoever had the job of changing the tape was off duty.
It's not that Norway is especially devoted to religion. Its devotion is to work-life balance and tradition. Easter Weekend traditionally offers the last good opportunity for skiing, so individuals and families exit the cities with skis resting on their shoulders and fastened onto car roofs.
Thatâs why Iâa bored visitor with a past in Judaism, an interest in Buddhism but not yet a practice, and little understanding of the New Testamentâaccepted my business hostâs invitation to join him and his family for Easter Sunday services in the Stavanger Cathedral, an imposing stone structure dating to 1125, a bishopric of the Church of Norway.
Hereâs where ignoranceâor maybe mindlessnessâmakes an appearance again. I hadnât considered the consequences of attempting to sit solemnly in that imposing stone church without understanding a word that was spoken and sung around me. Until then, everyone I met had made it easy for me, but English was absent in the cathedral.
Another thing I hadnât realized was that my hostâs family pew was in the first row, directly before the imposing stone pulpit. And when the priest climbed up into that pulpit and began to deliver his sermon, it seemed to me as though the Swedish Chef from televisionâs The Muppet Show was speaking, and I burst out laughing. (Yes, I know that Norwegian is not Swedish, but neither is the Swedish Chef.)
That memory popped into my mind in November 2024, more than 40 years later, as I was considering a title for a From the Pure Land blog post I was writing to make the point that, in trying to understand Buddhism, one should avoid getting lost in the bits and pieces with foreign names. I decided to call it Slicing and Dicing Buddhism: The whole is more than the sum of its parts, which led to an illustration that reminded me of the Swedish Chef:
[Cartoonish illistration of the Swedish Chef]
And that brought me back to my Easter Sunday in Stavanger. Now, that phrase and illustration seem apt for this chapter and the flavor I aim for in this book. My mishmash recipe blends what Iâve learned (the wisdom Iâve gained?) in the four decades since that Norwegian weekend into an informal, conversational book thatâs not afraid to share some laughter. As Buddhism and other religions struggle to reach more of the âspiritual butâŚâ crowd, I hope The New Middle Way can add to the conversation.
***
For starters, Iâll briefly walk you through what I think is good to know and what I think is not important, especially if youâre new to Buddhism.
So, what is Buddhism?
Itâs a religion and a philosophy. If you choose to see it as one or the other, please understand that the teachings are a system that fits together into a whole. Thereâs nothing wrong with practicing mindfulness to relieve stress, like my accountant does during tax season, for example. Just recognize thatâs not practicing Buddhism.
You may choose to study Buddhist philosophy without practicing the religion, and you may practice the religion without understanding the philosophy. Your choice. Some of us nerds study both.
The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to end suffering for oneself and all beings. By ending suffering, we donât mean weâll put a stop to ever feeling physical or emotional pain. We mean to free ourselves from how our minds amplify the pain we encounter and add more layers of sufferingâfear, worrying, clinging to what feels good, fleeing what might feel bad, obsessing over what might happen, escaping to the past or future. All of this leads many of us to a general feeling of dissatisfaction with our lives.
With that in mind, here are key elements found throughout Buddhism:
--The Four Noble Truths are about ending suffering by learning to let go of our attachments, aversions, and the mistaken belief that we and what we perceive are discreet and permanent. We achieve this relearning by following the Eightfold Path to develop wisdom, ethics, and concentration.
--The core precepts for laypersons are to refrain from killing, stealing (or cheating), lying (or gossiping), engaging in harmful sexual practices, and consuming intoxicants that cloud the mind.
--We can succeed in this relearning through experientialânot cognitiveâunderstanding, so meditation, chanting, or some other form of inward contemplation must accompany teachings and rituals.
--Following this path, weâll grow to understand that we and all beings have a pure Buddha Nature that has become obscured to some degree. Free of the obscurations, our Buddha Nature comprises wisdom, clear-sightedness, compassion, and loving kindness.
--We and all beings are one, or so tightly and intricately interconnected that we can understand ourselves as one.
--The principle of karma is that everything we see, hear, taste, feel, smell, think, or perceive results from causes and conditions, and everything we do becomes a cause or condition that will have a result.
--Because of the karma principle, Buddhism leaves no room for belief in a creator god that controls events, but it does not rule out belief in other forms of god or gods.
Many would describe Nirvana as the goal of Buddhism, but I find it an awkward word to use except in more advanced discussions. For now, let's see the goal as ending suffering for oneself and other beings. It may seem huge and ambitious, but itâs not hard to understand.
Thatâs all you need to know to begin reading more about Buddhism and checking out teachers. In this periodârich in information-delivery modesâyou can sample teachers by reading, listening, attending videocast events, or, when possible, in person. Iâll add a little about schools of Buddhism, but your choice of a teacher is most important.
Buddhist practice is not a substitute for psychotherapy, but they are similar in that the relationship with the teacher or therapist is more important than the modality being used. You should like your teacher and sense at least a hint of emanating Buddha in him or her. Trust is important and should be mutual. You should have faith that the teacher lives by the precepts, can help you move along your spiritual path, and has faith in youâfaith that you have the willingness and ability to make significant progress.
***
Now, some slicing and dicing
Itâs probably helpful to understand a little about what I call the three waves of Buddhism, but the details are much less helpful and may get in your way if you give them priority over finding the right teacher. The waves are identified by the times that the teachings were given or revealed, but they donât carry a practice-by date. Teachings from each wave get carried into the next, and modern teachers may identify primarily with the teaching from any or all of the three waves.
--The First Wave of Buddhism goes by far too many names (Theravada, Hinayana, Nikaya, and Foundational, among others). It began with the Buddhaâs oral teachings in the 5th Century BCE, as memorized, passed along, and transcribed in the next couple of centuries. The essence is whatâs described above, except that the emphasis is on relief from suffering for oneself first.
--In the Second Wave of Buddhism (Mahayana), the emphasis shifted to liberation from suffering for all beings. When it began is unclear, but textual evidence of it comes from the first centuries of the Common Era. Many schools of Buddhism well known in the Westâlike Zen, Vipassana (Insight), Pure Land, and Nichirenâfall under the umbrella of Mahayaya, but thereâs no need to be familiar with each of them.
--Vajrayana Buddhists (like me) call Vajrayana the Third Wave and give it that name. Some scholars include it in the second (and, in their opinion, final) wave. Again, the whole is much more important than the slicing and dicing. Whatâs important is that Vajrayana emphasizes the possibility of being liberated from suffering within one lifetime by becoming familiar with the pure Buddha Nature within through meditation and tantric practices. [Commonly associated with Tibet, Vajrayana comprises four major schoolsâNyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Geluk. Each contains numerous lineages. Then there are practices and approachesâlike Dzogchen, Mahamudra, and Chodâprimarily associated with one school or lineage but widely practiced in others, too. Many of the most widely respected teachers (including the Dalai Lama) are educated in all of the schools and teach with whatever method is most helpful to the students theyâre addressing.]
Iâve put brackets around the last four sentences because they are Exhibit One in my case for avoiding the slicing and dicing details, at least until you are thoroughly familiar with the basics and have a particular interest in learning the esoteric stuff. None of it is necessary to know.
***
I purposely used the word and idea of âignoranceâ in the first few paragraphs of this chapter because itâs common in Buddhist teachings without the pejorative connotation often attached to it in Western cultures. This New Yorker was ignorant until I had landed in Stavanger on the Monday before Easter that the Norwegian devotion to time off for leisure outdoors with the family would keep me unproductive for five days.
Ignorance is the klesha most often cited in Buddhism. Thatâs the Sanskrit word for hindrance to awakening. In that context, it means ignorance of what we and the world as we see it truly areâboth intricately interconnected and highly impermanent.
In that old and tired joke we all know, the Buddhist says to the hotdog vendor:
Make me one with everything.
Fewer of us know the addendum to that joke. The vendor hands the hotdog to the Buddhist, and the Buddhist gives the vendor a $20 bill, which the vendor pockets. When the Buddhist asks for his change, the vendor replies:
Change comes from within.
Buddhism teaches that we are already one with everything or so closely interrelated that we may as well be one. The customer didnât need to be made one with everything. He needed only to realize that he already was.
There was a lot I didnât realize as I sat in that sacred cathedral. Iâd like to believe that if I were there for an Easter service now, Iâd understand that I was surrounded by an aura of whatâs holy regardless of creed. Iâd realize that sitting in meditation with the words I didnât understand washing over me might be a priceless blessing.
I realize now that wordsâregardless of the languageâcanât take one to spiritual wholeness. At best, they provide hints that help point the way. Realization requires experientialânot cognitiveâunderstanding. Thatâs why this book is written in short chunks (sliced and diced) that arenât always logically connected or linear and are sometimes repetitive.
Consider them nudges along a path. Although I use Buddhist concepts, I intend not to push you toward any particular religion but rather toward an awakening thatâs right for you here and now.
In The New Middle Way, Mel Pine offers a thoughtful, fresh perspective on Buddhist practice that feels both deeply rooted and refreshingly accessible. Drawing from his extensive experience across Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions, Pine skillfully bridges traditional Buddhist teachings with contemporary spiritual challenges, creating a guide that resonates with modern readers without sacrificing the depth of the Dharma.
The book stands out for its emphasis on lived experience over abstract doctrine. Pine shares his personal journey with honesty and vulnerability, revealing how his path has been shaped by trauma, grief, and loss. Early encounters with sufferingâincluding the legacy of the Holocaust within his family and the tragic deaths of loved onesâserved as pivotal moments that deepened his understanding of lifeâs impermanence and the nature of suffering. Rather than allowing these hardships to define him, Pine transformed them into fuel for spiritual growth, cultivating compassion, resilience, and equanimity along the way.
Approaching The New Middle Way as a Zen practitioner who has also explored Tibetan and Thai Forest practices, I found Pineâs writing especially inviting. He avoids rigid dogma and technical jargon, making the text accessible to readers who may be new to Buddhism while still offering meaningful insights for experienced practitioners. His conversational tone feels like sitting with a wise and compassionate elder and teacher who speaks from both knowledge and experience. This inclusivity makes the book a welcoming space for all readers, regardless of their level of familiarity with Buddhist teachings.
The book thoughtfully covers both foundational and advanced aspects of Buddhist teaching. Pine explores the Four Noble Truths, karma, mindfulness, and meditation, while also engaging with topics such as Pure Land Buddhism, the nature of mind, and the integration of masculine and feminine energies within spiritual practice. He encourages readers to engage directly with the practices themselvesâmeditation, contemplation, and ethical livingârather than becoming lost in purely intellectual study.