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Book Review: The Buddha, Geoff and Me by Edward Canfor-Dumas

Interesting read. I finished reading it several weeks ago but have just now got around to this post. Events come along for a reason and I think my introduction to this book happens at just the right time in my life. I can relate to Ed with his life in a quandary. Everything is going wrong in his life, from bad relationship to job troubles. He meets an unlikely Buddhist name Geoff in a pub. To Geoff problems are just facts. It’s our attitude towards them that makes us suffer or not.

Geoff uses a comparison of low tide and high tide to describe life states; “It’s your life state, mate. I told you the second time I met you: if your life condition’s low all this negative stuff just appears, like the rocks at low tide. They’re always there, but when the tide’s in – when your life condition is high – they disappear. You literally rise above it all…” This is so true. When your life state is strong, you feel like you can conquer the world. The strong actually go out seeking challenges: more dragons to fight, more damsels to rescue, whatever the case may be.

Ed’s realization is that Buddhahood is not some airy-fairy mental thing, or about sitting on a mountaintop somewhere being ‘enlightened’. It’s about getting your hands dirty and actually changing things for the better. As Geoff says approach everything with WCC—wisdom, courage and compassion—the wisdom to know what to do, the courage to do it, and the compassion that through the action everyone would benefit.

I love this book. Even though it is fiction, it still adheres to the beliefs of Buddhism. Now that I have read it, Buddhism has intrigued me even more.

Peace

7 thoughts on “Book Review: The Buddha, Geoff and Me by Edward Canfor-Dumas

  1. David Kanigan

    Inspiring review. I’ll need to jump to Amazon to check it out. Thank you Frank.

    1. Frank

      Your welcome, David. Happy Holidays and Peace to you!

  2. Hari Qhuang

    I hope they sell the book here! I have always preferred “real” books to e-book. 😀

    1. Frank

      Yeah, me too. I think I will always want the “real” book instead of the e-book. E-books are convenient but there is just something about having the actual book in hand.
      Happy Holidays and Peace to you, Hari.

      1. Hari Qhuang

        Happy Holidays! 😀

  3. risinghawk

    I’ve seen the book – sounds like a great read. I’ll have to check it out! Peace . . .

    1. Frank

      Happy Holidays and Peace to you, RisingHawk!

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