Foundations of the Buddha's Path: Meditation, Virtue, and Daily Living
Foundations of the Buddha’s Path is the first in a three-volume series about the teachings of the Buddha. It is based on his original teachings as found in the Pāli Canon. It covers three important topics: establishing a daily meditation practice, the practice of Buddhist ethics, virtue, and morality, and Buddhism in daily living.
The section on meditation presents a meditation system that creates a sense of well-being. It is your safe harbor, a place of healing. This creates a ground from which the rest of your practice can grow and mature.
The presentation of Buddhist ethics focuses on not just a set of rules, but the feelings of joy and happiness that come from leading a virtuous existence. This is the way that the Buddha taught morality. There is no sense of guilt in the Buddha’s teachings. It is about living in a way that is wholesome and rewarding.
Finally, there is a discussion of Buddhism in everyday life. This includes applying the Buddha’s teachings to our relationships, our jobs, and even politics. Many people find that bringing the Buddha’s teaching into their daily lives is a challenge. This discussion is meant to address that concern and to make the Dharma a daily reality.
Foundations of the Buddha’s Path will help you to establish a healthy, happy, useful way of living, one that is rooted in the Buddha’s original teachings. Because despite the amount of time that has passed since the Buddha lived, what we find is that the human mind and the human condition have not changed.
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About the Author
Eric Van Horn was born and raised in Lower Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania. He graduated Pottsgrove High School in 1970 and went to college at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont. He graduated from Goddard in 1973 with a B.A. in Liberal Arts. His senior thesis was about his experience as a community organizer for a drug abuse prevention program in Pottstown, PA.
After graduation he worked in a number of social service jobs, but eventually discovered a love of computer programming. He spent the next 33 years working as a software engineer. In his last job he spent 18 years working in the field of medical informatics at the PKC Corporation in Burlington, Vermont. He retired from PKC in 2011 to devote his life to his Buddhist practice.
His interest in Buddhism began in 1991 when he attended a "spiritual support group" at the Burlington Unitarian Church. Over the next 20+ years he attended many retreats at the Insight Meditation Center in Barre, MA, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, MA, the Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Temper, NY, the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, the Bhavana Society and Monastery in High View, WV, the Embracing Simplicity Hermitage in Asheville, NC, Kharme Choling in Barnet, VT, and Maple Forest Monastery in Woodstock, VT. He went to India on Buddhist Pilgrimage in 2004.
Eric has written several papers on Buddhism, including "Jhāna in the Majjhima Nikaya" and "Reverse Engineering the Buddha's Enlightenment." These can be found at http://nobleeightfoldblog.com/resources/. In 2015 he published the "Travel Guide to the Buddha's Path," a practice guide that provides an outline of the whole of the Buddha's path as described in the Pāli canon. This volume has since been replaced by a greatly expanded three-volume set "The Buddha's Path Series," which includes (1) "Foundations of the Buddha's Path," (2) "The Heart of the Buddha's Path," and (3) "Awakening on the Buddha's Path." He has also written a biography of the Buddha called "The Life of the Buddha" and is currently editing and illustrating the Buddhist Jātaka Tales literature.
He moved from Vermont to New Mexico in 2014 because it was "sunnier, warmer, and cheaper." He also found a living situation that is quieter and more conducive to meditation. He has an ongoing love of the Land of Enchantment, its rich cultural heritages, breathtaking landscapes, and ancient history. He has two adult children, Seth and Rebecca, a daughter-in-law Britomarte, a grandchild Jay, and a Toby.