Review by Booklist Review
McLeod, editor in chief of the Shambhala Sun,0 presents the second volume in this spirited and spiritual series, once again achieving a thought-provoking mix of diverse voices and topics in an assemblage of well-crafted essays, memoirs, and teachings. As he observes, Buddhism is still new to America, and as American Buddhism evolves, it will form a unique facet of the tradition, a union of the wisdom of such Asian masters as the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Gehlek Rinpoche, all contributors to this volume, and such homegrown Buddhists as Natalie Goldberg and Gary Snyder, also present here. The Buddhist vision is ecological, hence the resonant musings of preeminent nature writers Gretel Ehrlich and Rick Bass. Peter Coyote considers "the practice of politics from the perspective of Buddha." Scott Darnell writes about prison, repentance, and Buddhism. Edward Espe Brown takes a Buddhist view of food, and cognitive scientist Eleanor Rosch analyzes the creative process. Meditation, compassion, mindfulness, living a spiritually conscious life in a materialistic culture--all are approached with acuity and artfully elucidated. --Donna Seaman Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
This is the second in an annual series spotlighting a wide range of Buddhist-oriented writing. McLeod, editor in chief of the Shambhala Sun, presents 25 selections published in North America during 2004 that reflect the Buddhist principles of wisdom and compassion as they exist in modern Western society. Teachings from Tibetan, Theravadan, and Zen traditions; thoughts on the nature of the mind; personal experiences in meditation retreats; Buddhism and people of color; haiku poetry in America; and the tea ceremony as a practice of mindfulness are just some of the topics that create the landscape of Western Buddhist thought and practice. Contributors include Buddhist teachers John Daido Loori and the Dalai Lama, authors Gretel Ehrlich and Gary Snyder, actor Peter Coyote, and less well-known but still highly aware and articulate Buddhist practitioners. A short introduction to each entry and biographical sketches of the contributors provide context. One weakness is that no bibliographical information to sources of the essays is given. Recommended for academic and public collections.-Jerry Shuttle, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
