Authenticity: Clearing the Junk: A Buddhist Perspective

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by junk? Is your house full of stuff you don't know what to do with? Do you eat too much unhealthy food? Are you involved in destructive relationships? Do you find yourself surrounded by trivialities or engaged in meaningless conversation? Do you feel there's little of value in your life?

If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," then you need to read On Junk. Clearly and compassionately, Ven. Yifa explores junk in all its ramifications: junk food, junk stuff, junk relationships, junk communication, and junk thoughts and feelings. She shows how our obsession with materialism, convenience, and the fast-paced nature of our society is diminishing our ability to connect wholeheartedly with others and making it harder for us to lead authentic lives. Through consciously separating out what is junk from what is genuine, she says, and through practicing right-mindedness, we can gain equanimity, clarity of purpose, true friendship, and the ultimate realization of our Buddha-nature.

Venerable Yifa is a nun belonging to the religious order Fo Guang Shan, which was founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in Taiwan and seeks to make Buddhist practice relevant to contemporary life. Yifa lives at Hsi Lai temple in Hacienda Heights, California. Venerable Yifa is the author of Safeguarding the Heart: A Buddhist Response to Suffering and September 11 and The Tender Heart: A Buddhist Response to Suffering. She is also a contributor to Benedict's Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of St. Benedict.