Customer Reviews

Saffron Days in L.A.: Tales of a Buddhist Monk in America

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am writing from a personal bias, because I have known Ven. Piyananda from about age 5 onwards (20 years). Correction: I *thought* I knew Ven. Piyananda before I had read this book. He had taught me all of the fundamentals of Theravada Buddhism, and he even gave great support to me when as a child I was encountering a great amount of prejudice at a Christian missionary school my parents sent me to. Not only did he teach me about Buddhism by word, but his very character struck me as being the essence of what the Buddha taught.

After I read this book, I saw that Ven. Piyananda had many experiences which I had barely knew of. I had no idea he had his own encounters with religious fundamentalists, or that he gave helpful advice to other young people. I see that he had lived a very interesting life beyond my own relatively brief meetings with him. Although I was surprised by some of the experiences he has had, I was *not* really surprised in the way he dealt with them- with the same dignity and intelligence I have always associated with him.

Someone here has complained that the book appeared to be egotistical. Well, the very *purpose* of this book was to describe some of Ven. Piyananda's own personal experiences in the US!!! There are trillions of books on Buddhist doctrine out there written by a wide assortment of characters, from highly respected academics and experienced monastics to the lowest of hacks and frauds. Here is a book about the experiences of a Sri Lankan monk in the US. If you are not interested in this topic, don't buy this book and then complain that it was 'only' about the experiences of a SL monk in the US. However, if you are curious about how a practitioner of the Dhamma has dealt with some of the craziness one can find in Los Angeles, then I could recommend no better book.

Bhante Piyananda takes the hairiest of situations--punks confronting him on the boardwalk, catholic-buddhist marriages in trouble, murders in the monastery--and shines the light of metta and compassion upon them. He is a truly amazing person, and this is a truly amazing book. It will make you more mindful just by reading it, I guarantee!

An anecdote of many feel-good stories written by an ordained monk of the Theravada school of Buddhism, the book is simply written and contains some canonical discourses relevant to the situation described in each chapter. Try not to read it as a biography or a self-help book; most people who do so will be sorely disappointed. However, it is a comforting work that leaves one feeling a little more hopeful, and perhaps that's what the bhiku is aiming for and nothing more. The collection is not an explanatory work on Theravada Buddhism and does not really cover the "tenets" of that sect per se. However, since Buddhism relies less on vicarous experience than on personal, individual experience, the lack of theology may even be a good thing! I did find the stories to become a bit too formulaic, but none-the-less they were all heart-warming and at times even humorous.

I am writing from a personal bias, because I have known Ven. Piyananda from about age 5 onwards (20 years). Correction: I *thought* I knew Ven. Piyananda before I had read this book. He had taught me all of the fundamentals of Theravada Buddhism, and he even gave great support to me when as a child I was encountering a great amount of prejudice at a Christian missionary school my parents sent me to. Not only did he teach me about Buddhism by word, but his very character struck me as being the essence of what the Buddha taught.

After I read this book, I saw that Ven. Piyananda had many experiences which I had barely knew of. I had no idea he had his own encounters with religious fundamentalists, or that he gave helpful advice to other young people. I see that he had lived a very interesting life beyond my own relatively brief meetings with him. Although I was surprised by some of the experiences he has had, I was *not* really surprised in the way he dealt with them- with the same dignity and intelligence I have always associated with him.

Someone here has complained that the book appeared to be egotistical. Well, the very *purpose* of this book was to describe some of Ven. Piyananda's own personal experiences in the US!!! There are trillions of books on Buddhist doctrine out there written by a wide assortment of characters, from highly respected academics and experienced monastics to the lowest of hacks and frauds. Here is a book about the experiences of a Sri Lankan monk in the US. If you are not interested in this topic, don't buy this book and then complain that it was 'only' about the experiences of a SL monk in the US. However, if you are curious about how a practitioner of the Dhamma has dealt with some of the craziness one can find in Los Angeles, then I could recommend no better book.

Nowadays , Buddhism is viewed as somewhat cerebral . Indeed , it seems to attract the more philosophical amongst us . Not without probable cause , Buddhism starts with the mind and its perspectives / perceptions . With Mahayana , we see this coming to its logical ( or illogical as the case may be ) fruition with a plethora of mind bending philosophical schools .
It is therefore quite refreshing to read a book about a monk's everyday experience . Better still , couched in these experiences are the Buddha's Teachings . Its so much easier to digest a new way of thinking when the context in which it is told is something we can all quite easily identify with . Bhante's little anecdotes are often quite funny , but the message is powerful .
I recommend this book .

This is a sweet book, featuring 20 short stories about Bhante Piyananda's experiences as a Sri Lankan Theravada monk in America. Specifically the tales take place in Los Angeles, where since the mid 70's he has headed a local temple.

The stories he presents regard a variety of issues and circumstances that he finds himself in, or are brought to him by other Buddhists, many of whom have also immigrated to America. As well, he recounts experiences when his Buddhism attracted attention enough to inspire conversation, judgement, confidences. All the stories are morally driven, as Piyananda passes on the Buddha's words and feelings.

As a resident of L.A. this book seemed by the title an oasis, a peaceful perspective on a wacky, unrooted place. In fact, Los Angeles could be anywhere in America inside these stories. What matters is the lovely heart and soul of Buddhism, shone through it's most disciplined, devoted monks. Whether dealing with marriage troubles, robbery, parent/child conflicts, gossip, wealth, cultural differences, etc., Piyananda's compassion and love evoke the Buddha's and the beauty of their revolutionary religion and lifestyle.

I recommend this as a sweet, easy read. For anyone interested in Buddhism this features a wide range of situations all addressed by Piyananda and Buddhist texts he draws from.

Bhante Walpola Piyananda is a sri lankan monk who came to the united states on,of all days,july 4,1976.{there is a humorous account of this in this volume] He has been the spiritual advisor and friend to countless southeast asian immigrants,and westerners who are attracted to the middle path. This volume is a collection of vignettes that he has collected through the years,all the while gently inflecting Buddhist teachings . From confrontations with a gang, to a cuckold husband, to a "hopeless "alcoholic, Bhante is there with compassion and wisdom. There is a lightness here, not a lack of depth ,but a freshness lacking western cynicism that is both invigorating and assuring. There is no magic here,no easy way to nirvana passed out to gullible desperate people. Bahnte grounds himself seriuosly in Buddhist scripture,and the result is a delight and,well enlightening. Well done, a decpetively easy read and a very interesting monk.

The worst thing about this book is not that it is trite, formulaic, and badly written - it's the frustration of realizing that the author has the material and experience to have written a truly wonderful book, given a lot of work and much better editing.
Every chapter begins with someone having a serious problem. The Bhante relates some of the Buddha's teaching, sometimes simply quoting entire speeches he's given - and the sufferer is 'amazed' at his wisdom. The problem dissolves, and all is well. After a while, this comes across as pretty egotistical.
For basic Buddhist teachings, read 'What the Buddha Taught' by Bhante's teacher. Or plenty of others. But not this.

This is my review for The Bodhi Tree Grows in L.A., but it applies to this one as well. If I were to choose one, it would be that one, and if you're hungering for more, read this one.

A jewel of a book! Piyananda is the only author/monk of his kind, and this book and his earlier book SAFFRON DAYS IN L.A. contain wonderful stories of his life in America, the difficulties he encountered and those brought to him, and how he dealt with them using Buddhist teachings. Piyananda illustrates all the basic principles of Theravada Buddhism through these absorbing, entertaining and often humorous tales. I laughed out loud many times when reading about the crazy cross cultural mixups that happen when a robed monk meets American society. This book and its sibling can each be read in an afternoon, but they will stay with you for a long time. I look forward to revisiting the book in the future. Definitely 5 stars!

At first I thought I was going to be bored with this book, but about 25 pages in, it got much better and stayed that way till the very end. So much better than I plan on rereading it in the near future!

I knew most of the Buddhist doctrine that Bhante (spiritual friend) teaches in his book, but it is ideal for newcomers to Buddhism. All quite clear, quite understandable.

The confrontation with the Baptitst minister at Northwestern University was comical. But I was puzzled by the story of the nude sunbathers. I couldn't see what was so horrible about that! It seemed like the puritanism of some Buddhist clergy was coming through and nothing else. Jeez! We live in the U.S.A., as Bhante goes to such pains to point out elsewhere, that we should conform, somewhat. But what the hell is wrong with nude sunbathing?