Down to Earth Dharma by Rebecca Bradshaw

Rather than offering a book that tells us all how life is, she offers a book that proposes to help us figure it out together. In Down to Earth Dharma, Bradshaw offers a paradigm shift for Buddhist teaching and practice. She suggests a view of Buddhism that emphasizes the feminine aspects of the teachings more strongly.

 

By Claire Parsons

The classic conception of the spiritual teacher is someone who offers wisdom from on high.

If you do a Google image search for the term “spiritual teacher,” you will find an array of pictures of old men with beards sitting on a mountain, or maybe a dais, talking to a crowd. As the name of the book might indicate, Down to Earth Dharma: Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart by Rebecca Bradshaw is different.

Sure, Buddhism itself is different from some other spiritual traditions. Many of the teachings and, in fact the story of the Buddha’s enlightenment, emphasize a literal touching down to earth. Bradshaw, an IMS Teacher with years of experience and an advanced understanding of Buddhist texts, takes this a step a further in her book.

A New Kind of Spiritual Teacher

Rather than offering a book that tells us all how life is, she offers a book that proposes to help us figure it out together. In Down to Earth Dharma, Bradshaw offers a paradigm shift for Buddhist teaching and practice. She suggests a view of Buddhism that emphasizes the feminine aspects of the teachings more strongly.

She acknowledges that this gendered term may be loaded for some and so offers a definition for what she means. The feminine paradigm, according to Bradshaw, “manifests as feeling, embodiment, relaxation, receptivity, and intuition.” Alternative terms for this include “heart energy, yin, or a receptive orientation towards life.”

What Is the Feminine Paradigm

Bradshaw acknowledges that masculine, yang or active energy, are also essential to Buddhist teachings and practices, but she suggests that patriarchy, androcentrism, and hyper-individualism in the West have created an imbalance. She presents a style of teaching and practice that is less about concepts and more about learning to feel one’s way through life.

To that end, Bradshaw’s book reviews traditional Buddhist teachings with a somewhat expected structure. She starts with the foundations of mindfulness, including clear and concise teachings on body-based practices and feeling tones. Then she discusses the essential heart practices, including practical teachings on managing challenging emotions and a review of the Brahma viharas. Next come expected but foundational teachings on impermanence, dukkha, and not self and finally a review of Buddhist ethics and teachings on living an engaged life.

Traditional Teachings Shared in a New Way

Though this structure is traditional, Bradshaw never lets the reader forget that the object here isn’t to just understand concepts with your thinking mind. Instead, it is to deeply explore them in your mind, body, and heart and put them into practice in life.

The feminine paradigm was evident in her writing. As I read, I didn’t feel like I was sitting in a lecture hall or even in a meditation hall listening to a dharma talk. Instead, the experience was more like something I have very much associated with the feminine paradigm. Oddly, it reminded me of getting a haircut. In much the same way, a kind person with more patience and skill than I have spent some time with me and it helped to sort me out.

Reading Down to Earth Dharma felt like I went into Rebecca Bradshaw’s salon or maybe her kitchen. When I sat down in a chair, she provided me with a cookie and a glass of tea. Then she chatted and shared stories while she tenderly rearranged the Buddhist teachings I had accumulated over the years. She didn’t skip a beat when I interrupted with questions but deftly corrected my misunderstandings with new options for examining things and real-life experiences.

At the end, I felt more put together, less alone, and better prepared to face the world.

Bradshaw Delivers What the Title of Her Book Promises

In short, Bradshaw did not offer many new teachings in Down to Earth Dharma, but she offered teachings with a warmth and vibrancy that I had not heard before. Perhaps because of her years of teaching English as a second language, reading the book felt like having a tutor sitting with me and encouraging my stubborn mind to see things in a new way.

Bradshaw’s persistent but gentle reminders to feel my way through the teachings shifted how I understood them and they will be with me as I try to go about living them too.

For those experienced with Buddhist teachings and practice, Down to Earth Dharma by Rebecca Bradshaw offers a valuable review and a refreshing perspective shift. Those newer to Buddhist teachings cannot go wrong with this book either. It offers a comprehensive overview of Buddhist teachings and practice in a heartfelt and accessible way.

Regardless of your experience level, Down to Earth Dharma by Rebecca Bradshaw is a guide to help you learn how to feel your way through life. The book does exactly what the title promises and brings the dharma down to Earth right where you are.

 

Photo: Penguin Random House

Editor: Dana Gornall

 

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