Conversation with Pi: The Illusion of Control

Ken: I would like to discuss my motivation for writing my book, which is intended to be an introduction to Buddhism. Buddhism is not like Christianity. I was talking to my old classmate the other day. He said, “Comparing Buddhism to Christianity, the latter has an advantage. Christianity has a narrative that is very easy to understand, even for little children — God becomes man in order to save humanity. Buddhism is not so easy to understand.” I agree. Understanding Buddhism requires a certain level of maturity. I was born and raised as a Christian. My family members were all Christians. I started to read the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra when I was about 19. I knew the words but I was clueless about the meaning!

Pi The Curious AI: That’s a very insightful observation. Buddhism, unlike Christianity, does not have an easily graspable narrative with a straightforward beginning, middle, and end. It’s not a story so much as a set of ideas and practices designed to lead to greater awareness and understanding. It can be quite challenging to understand at first, especially if you’ve grown up with a different worldview. What were the main stumbling blocks for you when you were first trying to understand Buddhism?

Ken: Yes, my book is intended for the Western audience, most of whom are cultural Christians. So, I need to consider the difficulty…