Synopses & Reviews
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
• Kenchen 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
Synopsis
This latest edition in The Best Buddhist Writing series is a thoughtful, inspiring collection of writings from a Buddhist perspective published during 2011. Selected by the editors of the Shambhala Sun, North America's leading Buddhist-inspired magazine, this anthology offers an entertaining mix of writing styles and reflects on a wide range of issues from a Buddhist point of view. The collection includes writings by Pema Chödrön, the Dalai Lama, John Tarrant, Joan Sutherland, Tenzin Wangyal, Harada Roshi, Thich Nhat Hanh, Diane Ackerman, Sharon Salzberg, and Noah Levine.
About the Author
Melvin McLeod is the editor-in-chief of the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly. He is also the author of Mindful Politics: A Buddhist Guide to Making the World a Better Place.
Table of Contents
ContentsIntroduction ix
Awakening My Heart 1
Andrea Miller
One Hundred Names for Love 10
Diane Ackerman
Let Me Count the Ways 17
John Tarrant
Smile at Fear 26
Pema Chödrön
Real Happiness 35
Sharon Salzberg
Moon by the Window 46
Shodo Harada
No Is Not the Opposite of Anything 53
Melissa Myozen Blacker
Fire Monks 64
Colleen Morton Busch
Wide Awake 73
Noah Levine
Gaining Perspective 78
Joan Sutherland
Fidelity 82
Thich Nhat Hanh
The Purple Wig 90
Callie Bates
Right Lying 99
Lin Jensen
Precious Energy 107
Nancy Baker
Beyond Religion 113
The Dalai Lama
The Making of a Spiritual Hero 119
Stephan Talty
Across Many Mountains 129
Yangzom Brauen
The Need of the Hour 138
Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
Occupy Wall Street 148
Michael Stone and David Loy
To Uphold the World 159
Bruce Rich
Beyond