About

I am starting this blog with a simple goal: to share what I think about life, why we suffer, and what I try to do each day to stay sane in an increasingly chaotic and digital world.

The pseudonym I'm using for this blog is Sunyatta. I am using a pseudonym because I tend to be a rather private person. I believe that the most meaningful kind of knowledge is the kind that is self-evident. I share my knowledge, without expecting any results or agreement by the masses. There will be no coercion, manipulation, or forcefulness of any kind. It will be up to each person to decide whether what I share makes sense or is nonsense. As such I do not believe it is super important who I am, as long as the reader keeps this in mind.

However, a short introduction may help provide context to what I write. I was born in Thailand, where Buddhism is part of everyday conversation, and where a man I greatly respect, the late Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, resided. As a teen, I moved to Canada with my family where I later found a career in Software Development (something I still practice). 

Mentally, I've struggled a lot with imposter syndrome and social anxiety. I feared judgement by others to the point it became a limitation. It was the poison in my life that led me to quit jobs, end relationships, and turn to recreational substance use to dull my worries. This is but one example of how the mind attacks itself. 

One day I stumbled upon a Buddhist book [1] that my parents always had, but nobody really bothered to read. I find that the philosophy of Buddhism and similar practices of mind cultivation has helped me not only realize and (slowly) overcome those problems, but also to add meaning to my otherwise materialistic life.

Ever since then, I've studied more about Dhamma and the mind, and tried to observe my every day life with Dhamma. The more I observed, the more things clicked. The world as viewed through the Dhamma lens is stark contrast to the concrete jungle I live in. The Dharma world is rational, unbiased, beautiful, and selfless. I wish to share a glimpse of this lens through what I write, and share the progress of a very long journey to cultivate my mind.

[1] Buddhadasa Bhikkhu. Handbook for Mankind. https://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/buddasa.pdf

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