The Best Buddhist Writing 2008 [Paperback]

Melvin McLeod (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008 | Series: Best Buddhist Writing

A thought-provoking collection of the most notable, enjoyable, and insightful Buddhism-inspired literature published in the last year. The Best Buddhist Writing 2008 includes:

   • Short meditative practices for peace from Thich Nhat Hanh
   • Sylvia Boorstein on how equanimity supports kindness
   • Kate Wheeler on meditating in a cave in India
   • Norman Fischer on how all language is a form of prayer
   • Aidan Delgado on being a Buddhist conscientious objector in Iraq
   • “Dharma punk” Noah Levine on learning how to forgive
   • Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche on cultivating compassion through training the mind
   • The Dalai Lama on the mythical “self”
   • Sister Chan Khong’s memoir of campaigning for peace and social justice during the Vietnam War era alongside her teacher Thich Nhat Hanh
   • Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet, on the importance of a “beginner’s mind”
   • Pema Chödrön on choosing peace rather than conflict
   • Bhikkhu Bodhi, Darlene Cohen, Shinzen Young, and Reginald Ray on the valuable lessons of pain
   • “Prince of the Ascetics,” a short story by Charles Johnson
   • Natalie Goldberg on koan practice
   •  And much more

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the last 50 years, Buddhism, the philosophy that complements all traditions and competes with none, has become an American cultural phenomenon earning its own annual anthology. The 2008 volume, fifth in the series, reveals again through breadth and elegance the watersheds and rivulets of the ancient practice as it joins America's mainstream. The luminaries are here: Thich Nhat Hanh, Sylvia Boorstein, the Dalai Lama, Pema Chödrön, Natalie Goldberg, John Daido Loori and five distinguished rinpoches, among others. Their guidance in texts and concepts is rich for varied stages of practice. Most touching, though, and most indefinably American, are first-person accounts of responses to life and its constant changes: James Kullander loses a former spouse; Aidan Delgado becomes a conscientious objector to the war in Iraq; Hannah Tennant-Moore confronts cadavers. These private views make it especially easy to see Buddhism's current flowing with grace into everyday lives. Finally, revered teacher Joanna Macy's short piece "Gratitude," from her updated classic World as Lover, World as Self, lights a way for us to live with our planet, an essay not to be missed. (Oct.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590306155
• ISBN-13: 978-1590306154
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps not the Best, but good luck finding better..., December 4, 2008

By 

Carlos Chapa "Doc" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best Buddhist Writing 2008 (Paperback)

I have been receiving various buddhist magazines over the years and sad to admit, after reading a few good articles, they simply collect dust. Part of the reason is the bombardment of advertisements of zen chairs, buddhist t-shirts, zen clocks, etc, etc (the list goes on). It seems every page is an advertisement.

I recently bought this book and I am happy. The various authors, with different stories is perfect to read during a lunch break, before going to bed... or a restroom reader (seriously).

It is also gives the reader a chance to read various work, and if you really like what you read, perhaps look into the author and buy their books.

This book is not for those who are looking for information about buddhism itself, the history or instructions. However, if you are looking for a collection of great writings, you won't be disappointed.

Publisher's Note

A thought-provoking collection showcases Buddhist-inspired writings on a wide range of issues by talented contributors, including the Dalai Lama, Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, Sylvia Boorstein, Charles Johnson, Natalie Goldberg, and other luminaries in the spiritual community.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging Essays Everywhere Here, April 5, 2009

By 

Paula Eder "The Time Finder Expert" (Rural New Hampshire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Buddhist Writing 2008 (Paperback)

This is a wonderful collection of notable Buddhist literature published in 2008. It draws from the works of a wide range of authors, including: Thich Nhat Hanh, Sylvia Boorstein, Lin Jensen, Joanna Macy, Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, Pema Chodron, Hannah Tennant-Moore, Natalie Goldberg, and R.J. Eskow, to name just a few. Dip into this book at almost any point and you are sure to come away feeling nourished, engaged, perhaps even changed.

The best Buddhist writing 2008 offers a smorgasbord of engaging and thought-provoking essays. Topics (and titles) range from "Gratitude" to "Grandmother Mind" to "Pain but Not Suffering," to "Grasping," to "Cave with a View"! You'll find ideas for meditating, stories of personal experiences with Buddhist practice, and essays exploring more esoteric topics as well. The variety in this collection is as wide, as deep, and as playful as its subject matter.

This is the sort of book that you will want to keep by your bedside or your meditation cushion. Page through it, savor it, meditate on it -- enjoy it!