The Best Buddhist Writing 2012
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A treasury of the most notable, profound, and thought-provoking Buddhist-inspired writing published in the last year.
The Best Buddhist Writing 2012 includes:
• His Holiness the Dalai Lama on cultivating a universal ethic of kindness
• Sharon Salzberg on getting your meditation practice started
• Pema Chödrön on how to smile at fear
• The Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi on analyzing global problems through the lens of traditional Buddhist teachings
• Bruce Rich on the enlightened model of government of the Buddhist monarch King Ashoka
• Thich Nhat Hanh on fidelity in loving relationships
• Michael A. Stusser’s determined—and hilarious—effort to speak—and tweet—no evil
• Norman Fischer on a new and more open understanding of language
• Barry Boyce’s fascinating survey of the life and teachings of the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
• Michael Stone and David Loy on the basic questions raised by the Occupy Wall Street movement
• Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s explanation of the meditation practice of kusulu, the pinnacle of simplicity and relaxation
• Nancy Baker on the powerful and useful energy behind anger
• Diane Ackerman on living with her beloved husband’s Alzheimer’s disease
• Yangzom Brauen’s moving account of her grandmother and mother’s escape from Tibet following the Chinese invasion
• And much more
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Since 2004 the editors of the magazine Shambhala Sun have compiled articles and excerpts from recently published books for an annual edition. This volume's essays fall loosely into the categories of meditation, Buddhist theory, practicing in the world, mindful living, and Buddhism in the West. Coping with suffering and loss is a persistent theme. Distinguished American Buddhists from vipassana, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhist traditions are represented; writing styles vary from Thich Nhat Hanh's simple prose to Diane Ackerman's lyricism. Alongside lucid if earnest advice, some distinctive voices emerge: Jarvis Jay Masters on a brief outing from death row; Jaimal Yogis on searching for and not finding enlightenment in the perfect wave; John Tarrant on time well spent with his dying father; Hannah Tennant-Moore's raw account of connection in the midst of depression. As always, the value of such a book is to acquaint casual readers with unfamiliar writers they might want to explore in more depth. A tighter focus and greater selectivity would have helped this book better live up to its "best" designation. Yet most readers should find helpful information or an arresting take on the world through a Buddhist lens.