Once again I was gifted with a book through the wonderful Early Reviewers Program at LibraryThing. This time it is Authenticity: Clearing the Junk: A Buddhist Perspective by Venerable Yifa (Lantern, 2007). Speaking unpretentiously, like a wise sister, Yifa looks at junk in many manifestations: junk food, stuff, communication, relationships, emotions and thoughts.

This slim volume does not have practical tips for dealing with clutter, nor does it advocate asceticism for all, but takes more of a typically Buddhist approach that involves changing attitudes, working from the inside out. One aspect of the Buddhist approach is to evaluate how behaviors affect the mind, seeking to promote those that are conducive to mental equanimity. Another is to look at whole systems, focusing on the interdependence of all things.

The rest of the review is here:

http://mymindonbooks.com/?p=579

Venerable Yifa, a Buddhist nun residing in California, has added her voice to the simple living movement with "Authenticity". While her short book is a quick read, she still manages to pack in the basics of simple living for a meaningful, mindful existence, while weaving an explanation of Buddhist practices into her solutions.

Some of Yifa's practical advice can be found elsewhere in other books, but she has managed to combine many topics into one easy read, making it a cinch for anyone to apply her "dejunking" techniques to so many facets of life (diet, materialism, relationships, etc.).

After reading many books in the Simplicity genre (including Helen and Scott Nearing, Anthony De Mello, Elaine St. James, Duane Elgin), I am surprised how much of Yifa's advice I have been able to take away from her book.

"Authenticity" is simplicity ... with heart. ( )

Authenticity is a wonderful book, written in a simple and concise manner, telling the reader how they can rid their life of junk. While the book does have a chapter on getting rid of the obvious "junk" in our lives, it also includes chapters on getting rid of junk food, communications, relationships, and emotions. Written from a Buddhist perspective, it is very applicable to people from all walks of life. We all have junk in our lives that we don't need and "Authenticity" is just the thing to get a reader started ridding their lives of the unnecessary. ( )

Authenticity is a slim book (113 pages) that seems ‘larger on the inside than the outside”. Its value and wisdom cannot be judged by its physical size.

This book addresses getting rid of the junk in all aspects of your life—the junk that does not serve you in your quest to live the life that can be authentically yours It begins by addressing the physical clutter in your life. It then expands this theme to address other junk: junk communication, junk food, junk relationships, and junk thoughts and feelings. It ranges from the personal extra clutter in your home and your body to the emotional clutter that brings war and human-caused environmental problems.

Although I do not claim to be Buddhist, I enjoy reading Buddhist philosophy and teachings. Venerable Yifa is a Buddhist nun belonging to the Fo Guang Shan order, which seeks to make Buddhist practice relevant to contemporary life. She has succeeded very well in this task. Her words are upbeat, thought provoking and very clear. Her explanation of the practice and benefits of meditation is one of the most memorable I have read.

I would highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading more of Venerable Yifa’s writing. ( )

I really enjoyed this book, it covered Buddhist principles in a practical way, and the cheerful, easy-going style of the author was a pleasant change from some of the more didactic Buddhist books I've read.

She discusses various ways we allow "junk" into our lives, from the foods we eat to the people we choose to associate with, to the thoughts that poison our behavior. And after pointing out how all of us have junk, she offers advice on how to lessen its effect in our lives, and how by combining meditation and mindfulness, we can ultimately eliminate it and live truly authentic lives.

One uplifting thing about reading the book for me, was I found out I'm not too far off track, I do have things I still need to work on, but compared to some of the examples in the book, I seem to be on the right track to eliminating the junk from my life. Sometimes books on Buddhism can seem overwhelming in the requirements of practice, but this book made me realize that even small, easy to manage changes can, over a lifetime, have a major impact on our happiness and connection to others. So, I recommend this book to everyone, even those not normally interested in Buddhism, as it is practical, non-preachy advice on how to live a happier, more authentic life. ( )

This title was the very first I received through Early Reviewers; thank you Library Thing and Lantern Books! This book focuses on how the junk in our lives can cloud our ability to live happily and move towards enlightenment. I am not a practicing Buddhist and was raised in the Christian religion, so I sometimes am not able to fully understand more complex Buddhist principles. This book is written in plain language with clear examples and is very easy to follow. I found myself nodding and agreeing with many of the scenarios described, particularly in regards to junk foods and keeping too much junk in your house! Regardless of your religious or philosophical beliefs, this wonderful little book has many useful thoughts and principles for everyone to apply to their lives. I look forward to using it as a quick reference on how to re-wire my thinking and behavior in my everyday life. ( )

What a gem this book is! One might doubt that a Buddhist nun could have anything useful to say about having too much junk in our lives. Yet the Venerable Yifa writes simply and elegantly on junk relationships, junk food, junk communication, junk emotions, etc. in this slim volume. The ideas she discusses are not new, particularly not to anyone familiar with Buddhism. However, one need not be familiar with Buddhism or even care about Buddhism in any way to benefit from what she has to say. While her ideas are not ground-breaking, her discussion of them is refreshing. This is a book that would be a welcome text for anyone looking to live a more authentic life, no matter what one's spiritual path is. I was impressed with her writing style, particularly her clarity and her conversational and friendly tone; it does not sound like she's preaching or being judgmental. This is a nice change from other texts about 'improving' one's life that start by telling the readers just how horrible and pathetic their lives are.

This book is a fast read, but it also seems the sort of book that I will be happy to read again, if I feel I need a little pep talk sometime in the future about ridding myself of more junk. ( )

With her typical style of gentle forthrightness, Venerable Yifa tackles clutter in her latest and I feel best book. Using the term "junk" to describe unhealthy attachments to food, stuff, communication, relationships, and emotions and thoughts she shows us how easily good things can become bad, then carefully explains how to bring our lives back in balance to become authentic people. She describes a path not based on asceticism or extreme behavior but a Middle Way comprised of Four Noble Truths which are the foundation stones of Buddhism....Read the rest of my review at http://lovingmyhome.blogspot.com/ ( )

I truly enjoyed reading Venerable Yifa's take on how to clear the junk from your life. The ideas are straight-forward and usable. There are a few quotes I would love to put up in my classroom. The book itself is less than 150 pages, and is the perfect size to put in a take along bag. I can see me slipping this in my purse to reread when I need a lift. I would recommend this book to others who are looking for a direct reading in how to clear the junk. ( )