Customer Reviews

Hard Travel to Sacred Places

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

 

 

I couldn't differ more with the review by T. Gilbert! Sure this book is self-absorbed - but as the author journeys into himself he finds a universal suffrage. The author's courage to face off against death is remarkable in these times of flippancy and shallow know-it-all attitudes. The author is a wonderful guide through the darkness - and to be admired. There's nothing at all sophomoric that I could find in the book, nothing. It's as serious as it gets. The way that the author divides up the journey into a lusting/ignoring/hating triad of suffering is as an intuitive an expression of Buddhism as I have ever come across in my studies. Perhaps "every one has experienced loss in their life"; but few of us dare to share the accompanying humiliation with each other, or ourselves. Thank you Mr. Wurlitzer!

I also suggest Inside Thai Society: Religion, Everyday Life, Change by Niels Mulder and Bali, Sekala and Niskala: Essays on Religion, Ritual, and Art by Fred B. Eiseman for an exploration of how Buddhism can help guide us over, around, and under the many hurdles in life.

The author and his wife have been stunned by the accidental death of their 21 year-old son. They take an assignment to capture photographically the Buddhist images of the three countries toured in the book, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Cambodia. It's very depressing, outwardly and inwardly. They cannot escape their grief, they encounter much more grief in this perverted war-ravaged part of the world. It becomes an existential malaise, no exit, quite moving. He quotes nicely different Rinpoche's, such as "All this doing has no more meaning than walking around a desert . . All this exertion produces no result." Touring the dilapidating temples of Anghor Wat the ennui becomes palpable. The book is a heroic fight against despair. Author and wife win, but at some cost. Good introduction to Buddhist scriptures that interlace and support narrative. I ended up admiring the author, thinking of buying his latest novel. He brings to life the old Buddhist story of the woman whose child died, beseeching Buddha for medicine to bring the son back to life, ending with, "Holy one, enough of this business of mustard seed. Only give me refuge."

Not for the faint of heart (or the heartless). This compassionate and compelling little book packs a mighty wollop and takes you on a deep journey to the place inside of you that asks, "What's life all about anyway?"

This book was a loaner and, when the owner requested it back, I finally sat to read it first - I am very glad I did. As a practicing Buddhist convert, it spoke to me personally, but it wd. be a worthy read for non-Buddhists attempting to make sense of crisis or loss in their lives. The author and his wife journey to Asia to attempt to find solace and peace from his wife's tragic loss of her 21-year-old son, but end up being confronted with more difficulty, both philosophical and physical, than either imagined. The answers he was looking for must be gleaned, if at all, from a corrupt, hedonistic, often oppressive overlay that characterizes life in traditionally Buddhist areas they attempt to explore. In that sense, they tend to go from bad to worse in their attempt to find reward ... which, for those who appreciate such themes - as typified in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness ...makes finding the purpose of spiritual pilgrimages quite dicey, and not necessarily the peace-filled jaunt we hope for. In short, the author's journey forces him to look reality square in the face which, not surprisingly, is usually where profound healing can start. But it's a placed for the called and courageous (all of us, potentially). It is understandable why a few reviewers wd. dislike this book so much. It is dark - that's clearly the point - but, I believe, quite authentic and helpful. Not everyone's cup of tea ... in Pleasantville.

I really wanted to like this book. A beloved friend, who is a deep reader to sacred places, sent it to me with the highest of recommendations. I read it... and wondered what my friend saw. What I experienced was an egomanical traveler who was completely self-sunk, never too far away from a pen, and utterly enamored with his Hip Urban Self. The motivation for the travel story is poignant and heart-breaking, but the execution of the book is tedious and can't break the gravitational attraction of me, Me, ME. Answering my friend's question of "How'd you like the book?" was a nuanced conversation. Since my house is modest, and shelf space at a premium, I donated the book to a local library sale. Hopefully somebody bought it for a buck and found some wisdom. Or not.

I read this because I liked the title, and thought the idea of the book - travelnig to a powerful place during a difficult time in life - was promising. The book turned out to be darker than I expected - but it was still moving and memorable. I read this book years ago but still recall passages and ideas from it. I think if I went to Cambodia or other places mentioned, I'd reread this short book - just to help give me a deep emotional context to consider while I'm there. Good - easy to read - but it might stay with you.

The Publishers Weekly review in my opinion says it all. The book is well and accurately characterised as pretenious, sophomoric and self-absorbed. Every one has experienced loss in their life. Little useful, sustaining or enlightening will be learned from this book. A big disappointment

The author wallows in self pity and is always sick while staying in the best possible hotels (and never fails to drop the names of famous people who have done likewise). Having visited the same sites in Thailand and Cambodia in good health and a tight budget, I am appalled that this experience could be reported in such a distorted and negative way. Only a perverse curiosity about if the book could get worse kept me reading. It did get worse.

service was excellent and book was in condition described