In this practical, easy to understand book Alex Kakuyo explains how the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path of Buddhism can help us in daily life. Drawing from personal experiences on farms, in temples, and in the U.S. Marines, Alex tells stories that show how the daily grind of work, traffic jams, and family drama is the source of our enlightenment.

Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life, Alex Kakuyo, Independently Published, Paperback, 239 pages, $14.95

Alex Kakuyo is a Buddhist teacher and breathwork facilitator. A former Marine, he served in both Iraq and Afghanistan before finding the Dharma through a series of happy accidents. Alex has a degree in philosophy from Wabash College and he helps students transform daily activities into spiritual practice. He is the author of Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life.

CONTENTS: Perfectly Ordinary
The Four Noble Truths		9
Life is Suffering		14
	Suffering and Snow Days	15
	A Single Act of Kindness	16
	Building Mt. Suribachi	19
	Accepting Life's Boulders	24
	Oryoki Disaster	26
Suffering is Caused by Desire		31
	Hungry Wolves and Desire	32
	Endless Wanting	33
	A Car Ride to Nowhere	35
	The Three Poisons	40
	Taming the Monkey Mind	44
The Way to End Suffering Is to End Desire		46
	An Angry Office Meltdown	47
	Plant-Based Buddhism	50
	Freedom and Meditation	55
	Zen and the Art of Kindness	58
	A Buddhist Take on New Year's Resolutions	63
The Way to End Desire Is the Eightfold Path		67
	Many Ways to Do It	68
	A Three-Pronged Approach to Buddhist Practice	71
	Zen and the Art of Playing Board Games	74
	A Land of Rivers and Trees	81
	Passing Through the Fence	86
Right View		90
	Straight-Edge Buddhism	91
	How to Say "I love you" in Buddhism	93
	Cedar Siding and Tiny Houses	96
	Politics and the Space Between Words	105
	Barking Buddhas	109
Right Intention		113
	Turning the TV Off	114
	Train Travel and Dining Cars	116
	Sibling Rivalry	119
	Enlightened Earlobes	122
	Lessons from a Racist Buddha	124
Right Speech		129
	Right Speech and MAGA Hats	130
	Breaking the Cycle of Wrong Speech	133
	A Buddhist Take on Valentine's Day	135
	Healing Words	137
	Right Listening and Jazz Improvisation	140
Right Action		143
	Gardening and the Bodhisattva Vows	144
	Lessons from Bonsai Trees	146
	One Small Act	148
	Run Like a Buddhist	150
	Buddhist Liturgy	152
Right Livelihood		158
	Everyone Has to Earn a Living	159
	Save the Heater, Save the World	162
	Sacred Work	168
	Drawing Water and Carrying Wood	171
	Planting in Straight Lines	174
Right Effort		180
	Sitting on Humpty Dumpty's Wall	181
	Shojin Ryori	183
	Pulling Weeds and Planting Strawberries	186
	The Three-Fold Path of Right Effort	188
	The Five Hindrances	191
Right Mindfulness		196
	Naikan	197
	A Walk in the Garden	200
	Mindful Social Media	203
	Perfectly Ordinary	207
	Mindfulness and Toilet Gassho	213
Right Concentration		217
	Lessons from an Outdoor Meditation Retreat	218
	The Buddhist Secret to Effective Mediation	224
	Stillness and Storms	227
	Complicated Watches	229
	Single-Pointed Contentment	232
Learn More at the Following Websites:		235
Notes		236