The New Buddhists

Review of Democracy’s Dharma: Religious Renaissance and Political Development in Taiwan by Richard Madsen.

Book Briefs Summer 2008

Review of books from Summer 2008.

The Mind that Suffers

Recognizing suffering is the first step on the Buddhist path. By understanding suffering we can see the difference between pain and our reaction to it.

Chönyi Taylor presents a meditation to familiarize yourself with the triggers that set off addictive behaviors.

What is Dukkha?

Dukkha or suffering is pervasive and can range from sickness, aging, or death to vague feelings of anxiety and dissatisfaction.

Glimpses of Awakening

In the gaps we notice moments of clarity, wakefulness, and peace. Enlightened mind turns out to be very ordinary and present, says Judy Lief.

Beyond Carrot and Stick

The question we all face is, what will make our journey genuine dharma and not another spiritual fantasy or creation of ego?

Surprises on the Way

Is there a way we can extend and deepen these moments of awakened mind that coexist with our confusion? Or even just notice them when they occur? That’s the point of Buddhist meditation, which is never about doing or creating anything. We simply rest in everything as it is. It sounds so easy, yet nothing is more profound or mysterious.

We Think, Therefore We Are

Review of The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently . . . and Why, by Richard E. Nisbett.

Higher Powers

Review of Faith in the Halls of Power by D. Michael Lindsay and From Pews to Polling Places: Faith and Politics in the American Religious Mosaic edited by J. Matthew Wilson.

Books in Brief May 2008

Review of book from May 2008.

This Very Mind, Empty and Luminous

We can see awakening in the world around us, but we can also turn the telescope inward and look directly at our mind.

Melody vs. Meditation

There are two sides to singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls: the “just sitting” meditator and the crazed composer.

Rethinking Ritual

Review of Zen Ritual: Studies of Zen, Buddhist Theory in Practice, edited by Steven Heine and Dale S. Wright.

Book Briefs Spring 2008

Book reviews from Spring 2008.

Profile: Birken Forest Monastery

David Kirk profiles the Birken Forest Monastery in British Columbia.

Norman Fischer Zen Koans

Phrases and Spaces

Zen practitioners don’t "work on" koans. Koans work on them. Norman Fischer offers a poet’s take on the phrases and spaces of Zen practice, including his favorite: “Who is sick?”

Mindfulness of Mind

Dispassionately observing what goes on in our mind is one of Buddhism’s central practices, a technique being used to work with mental health.

The Mind-Body Story

Review of The Cure Within: A History of Mind-Body Medicine by Anne Harrington

Jack’s Blues

Review of Why Kerouac Matters: The Lessons of On the Road (They're Not What You Think) by John Leland

Books in Brief March 2008

Review of books from March 2008.