Amazon.com Review
Far from being a nihilistic cult of navel gazers, Buddhism has overcome the naive caricatures of its Western infancy, and as it grows to maturity it accepts the obligations piling up in the wake of rampant consumerism. In this short but precious introduction to engaged Buddhism, Kenneth Kraft highlights the activities and challenges of socially conscious Buddhists. His format is of a handbook revolving around a mandala of engagement. Symbols on Kraft's mandala denote cultivating awareness, embracing family, participating in politics, and caring for the Earth. Each chapter then pursues one of these 10 topics by discussing how they are viewed by Buddhists now struggling to invent a meaningful activism. Robert Seed, the first defender of rainforests, imprisoned Burmese president Aung San Suu Kyi, poet and environmentalist Gary Snyder, and a woman who spontaneously organized an effort to comfort victims of the Bosnian war are some of the examples that Kraft offers. The immensity of the problems might seem daunting, and yet as Kraft observes, "a Buddhist Marx may not be required, but a few Buddhists making their marks ... would be edifying." --Brian Bruya
