Turning Words
Transformative Encounters with Buddhist Teachers
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A poignant portrait of spiritual relationships in the diverse worlds of American and global Buddhism, through stories of over 30 luminaries including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Joan Halifax, Joanna Macy, and more.
Across more than thirty-five years of practice in Zen and socially engaged Buddhism, Alan Senauke has had a range of remarkable encounters with Buddhist teachers and spiritual friends. Here he collects stories of moments in which someone’s words, actions, or presence opened his mind and heart in a new way. Touching on meditation, insight, social action, race, family, community, and more, these vignettes build like a chorus and convey lessons such as taking one’s work seriously without taking oneself seriously, letting things fall apart, and using oneself up on behalf of others.
The book’s stories and accompanying photographs feature many of the greatest Zen teachers, engaged Buddhists, and global Buddhist leaders of our day, including Robert Aitken, Bernie Glassman, Shodo Harada, Dainin Katagiri, Jarvis Masters, Ven. Sheng Yen, Sulak Sivaraksa, and many more—with a special section devoted to the teachings of Senauke's primary teacher, Sojun Mel Weitsman.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this touching treasury of Buddhist wisdom, Zen priest and musician Senauke (Mental Revenge) examines the "turning words"—loosely, "words that cause you to pivot"—of 30 spiritual teachers, guides, and friends from nearly four decades of Buddhist practice. He recounts realizing the Dalai Lama is only human after seeing him tie his shoes at a conference, and hearing Thich Nhat Hanh's commentary on human "interdependence" in the aftermath of the 1991 Rodney King riots. But the intimate portraits of closer compatriots, such as his father, wife, and primary teacher, hit hardest and reveal how they pushed Senauke to "see the universe from a different angle." His wife's "northstar" phrase, "I will not abandon you," helps him better offer "care and attention" to others, while a deceptively simple question his father posed 50 years ago—"Are you happy?"—helped him reframe his notions of fulfillment and service. Stitching together insights into the spiritual and the quotidian, Senauke skillfully shows how everyday moments can "blow open the doors of perception" and exert influence even years afterward. Buddhists of all stripes will appreciate this.
