Seeing That Frees
In this ground-breaking and seminal work, esteemed Buddhist teacher Rob Burbea lays out an original and comprehensive approach to deepening insight. Starting from simple and easily accessible understandings of emptiness, Burbea presents a unique conception of the path along which he escorts the practitioner gradually, through the careful structure of the work, into ever more mystical levels of insight. Through its precise instructions, illuminating exercises and discussions that address the subtleties of both practice and understanding, Seeing That Frees opens up for the committed meditator all the profundity of the Buddha's radical teachings on emptiness. This is a book that will take time to digest and will serve as a lifelong companion on the path, leading the reader, as it does, progressively deeper into the territory of liberation.
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- Slowly reading “Seeing that Frees” by Rob Burbea.
Highly recommended if you want to challenge your view of the world.
- If you substitute "clinging" for "craving" (Burbea's Seeing that Frees expounds on this very clearly) then I think we get a better English interpretation of the material.
If the mind's full of clinging (either in demanding what isn't present or refusing to release what was present but which is now leaving the present) then that mind doesn't have any room left to experience aliveness.
So (to me) the material doesn't suggest asceticism or abandoning the human sensual potential, it reminds that clinging will sneak in and take over the mental cycles, undermining your ability to live to that potential.
- Be Here Now network, which started with Ram Dass, still does mostly weekly videos from Goldstein and Kornfield. Search for their names where you listen to your podcasts. Incredibly good to listen to.
Other ones I listen to are in the Thai Forrest Tradition, started from Ajahn Chah and now talks from Abhayagiri, Amaravati. Other one from Mahayana, which has so many talks and probably the best book I've read, Seeing That Frees, is Rob Burbea. He died from cancer in 2020, which is incredibly sad given how young he still was and much he's produced for us.
All of these people give different angles on the teachings of the Buddha. I highly suggest listening and reading from these people and the differing traditions all talking for similar goals of how to look at the world for the acknowledgement of dukkha (pain / suffering) and how to deal with it. You don't need to sit and meditate either to get the benefits.
- This is incredibly sad, Suchir went to my high school and we both went to Berkeley together. He was clearly very intelligent, and I was always sure he'd go on to be very successful / do interesting things.
If you're struggling reading this, I want to say that you're not alone. Even if it doesn't feel like it right now, the world truly wants you to be happy.
The path is open to you:
Old Path White Clouds [0]
Opening the Heart of Compassion [1]
Seeing That Frees [2]
[0] https://z-library.sk/book/1313569/e77753/old-path-white-clou... [1] https://z-library.sk/book/26536611/711f2c/opening-the-heart-... [2] https://z-library.sk/book/3313275/acb03c/seeing-that-frees-m...
- Buddhism explores these ideas too.
For a modern approach to this mindset I highly recommend "Seeing That Frees" by Rob Burbea.
https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/08772fe1-564c-4a95-9a5d-...
- Seeing that Frees for sure is the one that I suggest people read. Long and slow read where every paragraph seems like I could read it and sit and appreciate what he says before needing to read the next paragraph.
Burbea has many talks as well, youtube or on other podcast platforms. Hours and hours and hours of talks that are all so helpful on understanding in the word form.
Channel of his talks: https://www.youtube.com/@boubabuddha
I find this playlist great as a starting point if you want to get into it, and one that I can go back to: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO6hhaAzLmioyOxMi8ELP...
