Introducing "No-Self Help": Ancient Wisdom for Work and Life

Welcome to No-Self Help, a newsletter about how the ancient philosophical and psychological ideas found in early Buddhism can help us navigate and find contentment in our work and lives.

I've been deeply fascinated by Buddhist teachings for years, initially from philosophical interest and then as a guide to how to live ethically and well. I’ve found that, far from being an mystical tradition, Buddhism offers a practical toolbox for dealing with everyday struggles and finding greater happiness. This is what I want to share with you in No-Self Help.

My intent is to write about Buddhist philosophy for non-specialists, and to lean into its practical nature. But I want to avoid the watered-down, pop self-help way Buddhism often gets presented to Westerners. This is a deep and challenging philosophy, and one worth taking seriously, even when it complicates habitual perspectives, values, and behaviors.

Buddhism: Philosophy, Not Religion

Buddhism gets lumped in with religions, or watered down into corporate mindfulness programs and the like, and both are unfortunate. These ideas—especially in the form of the early Buddhism I’ll discuss at the new newsletter—don’t ask you to accept supernatural claims or devote yourself to a deity. They don’t demand faith in the way we think of that term in a religious context.. Rather, they present an understanding of the nature of our minds, arguments for that understanding, and a path for putting those ideas into practice.

At the heart of Buddhism lies a deep understanding of how our minds work. It recognizes “dukkha”–a sense of dissatisfaction, stress, or unease—as a universal human experience. It also shows us that our ideas about a fixed, permanent self (“anatta”) can be a major source of stress, and how practices of mindfulness and insight can clear away the perspectives interfering with our ability to find contentedness, even in a complex and challenging world.

Your Buddhist Toolkit

We’ll explore the core ideas of Buddhist philosophy at No-Self Help, as well as how we can apply them to the problems all of us face in our work and lives. But this philosophy isn’t just a set of ideas we understand. It’s also something we do.

Meditation is central to that. I’m sure you’ve come across apps to teach you, or lengthy guides to the practice. But, at its core, the most common type of meditation is quite simple—and wildly helpful.

• Set a 2-minute timer.

• Close your eyes, or lower your gaze.

• Simply notice your breath.

• When thoughts pop up, gently shift your focus back to your breath.

Noticing doesn’t mean laser focus. It doesn’t mean forcing yourself to clear your mind. It shouldn’t be a painful experience. Rather, treat your breath with interest. Just watch it, as you would watch a bird outside, or your children playing, or a movie you enjoy. You’re not closing out the rest of the world, but rather choosing where to rest your attention. And when your attention inevitably drifts, don’t force it back, but just remind yourself that, right now, it’s your breath that matters to you right now, in this moment.

That’s not the only meditation practice, and we’ll explore more in future issues. I’m particularly fond of what’s called “metta” meditation, where we cultivate feelings of goodwill and friendliness, and use those feeling as both a focus of attention and a way to train our ethical perspective.

Ahead of Us

In the coming issues, we’ll delve deeper into meditation, how to build compassionate and ethical relationships, and the power of Buddhist philosophy for helping us think through challenges. Get ready for practical tools and insights to make your work and life more fulfilling and meaningful.

If this resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and share this newsletter. Let's create a community dedicated to applying ancient wisdom to our modern lives.