Buddha or Bust -Perry Garfinkel

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Perry Garfinkel - free lance writer, for more than 30 years.

How the author land with this assignment are stuff made from dream - a proposal to National Geographic to trace the footstep of growth in Buddhism around the world, was accepted. A hefty budget expense not disclosed but must have been huge to last him the whole journey + all the logistic in each country he landed.), a round the world unlimited stop business class plane ticket.

300pages 2006.

An entertainting writer and light reading of a journey that takes the author to over 7 countries to discover the current state of Buddhism.. With so many sect and schools of Buddhism, it would have been difficult to cover all the schools. So, the journey is very much a snap shot , much like the financial information of a company can only be a snapshot of the company financial state at one point in time. It also focuses on engaged Buddhism ,defined by Christopher Queen - a lecturer of religion at Havard as application of the dharma or Buddhist teaching to resolution of social problem.

This Side of Nrvana-Sara Jenkins

Sara Jenkins : award winning free lance actor and writer. North Carolina. (238p) 2001.

Easy flowing reading, at times gripping and at times boring, as she relates the her experience,
of finding solution to her restlessness. There are many lessons about life we can learn from here. However, probably got to share some of her sufferings to be able to recognise it. For Asians, used to being drummed into having to work for a living, her ability to "not work" and yet able to live via volunteering is something I yearn for. The author stays very focus on her personal journey ie nothing were mentioned about her family or relatives. Very surgical and clean cut. Throughout the book, there were only probably less than 10 people that she deal directly with are written about.

What's interesting is that finally, when she met her "teacher", presumably, since there wasn't any formal ceremny to demarcate as such, the teacher is also someone who is just known as a teacher. The teacher- an American lady from California, did not talk much about her teacher/s.
There were not much bestowing of teaching status.
This is an interesting story of how Budhhism has transplanted into mid West America - without much Asian inheritance. Most of the other Western teachers, one way or another had teaching or lineage from some Asian countries, be in Thailand, Burma, SriLanka, Japan or Tibet.
Her teacher- Cheri : does not give formal teaching, but teaches through her interaction with the students and through retreats.

The universal truth is the truth, regardless of who present or teach it. Sara desribe how it seems that her teacher intuitively understand what i s needed to teach her about the dharma. The teacher "kind of arrange" happenings/event/change of acitivities (or is it cocincidences) that forces Sara to confront and learn about lessons in her life.

Steps to Happiness

Taranatha ( Dr B.R. Hardwick Smith) 182pages, Windhorse Publication.

Grew up in a farm in New Zealand, mid 1940s, where killing (of cattle, pests, wild pigs) were part of life. Studied to be a medical doctor, both in NZ and Britain, became a family doctor and buy into a partnership in North Shore in Auckland, around 1959.

The book is rather difficult to read, especially in the beginning., especially the writer jump around, not in chronological otder of events.

The jounrey of a person who kind of bump into Buddhism in New Zealand. A candid and interesting perspective, written from someone with a medical training. It is interesting, how the writer in restrospect, realised that many of the training, or realisation from his experience as a family doctor, were explained in Buddhist text eg : the role of doctor, disease, illness and dependent origin of cause and effect. How doctors perceived death (of a patient) as a failure and thus lead to an avoidance or refusal to discuss death with their patient. There were views from the writer in the late 1970s. Interestingly, I just read in the daily paper yesterday (Jan 2007) an article about how a survey has been carried out in the US about doctor perception of death and dealing with death. Many of the doctors refuse to take part in the survey, majority citing being busy. There is also attempt to built into the cirriculum how to handle death. The writer has been struggling on fulfilling his patients needs - especially at death bed and often often wonder the thin line between being a doctor and priest. A kind of a dissatisfaction that finally lead the writer to abandon medical practice and move on to Buddhism - to try to understand how to serve people's needs.
The writer has been very candid - in restrospect, concluded he wasn't much of a husband and father. When his last daughter finally left home, he also left his wife - as he and his wife has never developed enough of a friendship to survive the departure of their last daughter. How sad, but I have seen it again and again. Couple staying on together for the sake of their children, actiing and pretending a noarmal relationship - that crash when the last thread that hold the family web broke and truth revealed.
How the writer came to seek Buddhism, rang a familiar story for many Buddhists, it seems. There is none of the dramatic tragedy, being saved drama one often hear in Christian witness testimonial. One day, the writer was helping his sister to sort out old books and came across a budhhist book by Christmas Humprey. He took the batterred book back and read it and realised that is already a BUddhist. Over the next few days, a golfer friend, out of the blue asked in the fairway, if he has a relgion. This struck him and lead him to seek a BUddhist center in Auckland, via the telephone book. After 30 years of medical practice, having being an alcoholic, gone through AA , gone through a period of depression at various phase in his life, the writer was ready for the Dharma, so to speak, or when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

After a few retreats, the writer decided he was ready to move on to devote more time to spiritual development. At age 60, the opportunity came to sell his practise and devote his time to spiriutal pursuit. The writer probably did not plan it, but one can see, in hindsight, how the different factors (growing up in a farm, medical study, family obligations, problems and his vast experience from his medical practise in suppossingly a compassionate occupation), chance meetings with the different people, situations have been driving him towards this spiritual journey. Synchronicity.

One of the most valuable take away for me, is the last chapter- aptly titled - growing old. Bot for the young and old, we can learn from his sharing. The writer share the concept of working reserve. We can have working reserve, which rise to occassion during crisis, where we are able to take more stress than is normally possible. The stress a patient can tolerate before becoming dysfunctional is a function of the working reserve. When the working reserve is shrink to zero, dysfunction occur even when there is no stress. Our working reserve shrank with age.

Another common occurence is increasing anxiety with age. I have seen this in my interaction with many senior people and often do not understand until now. Why, previously self confident businessman, successful career man , become anxious over simple task like getting from point A to point B or going to the bank etc. The writer believe this is due to the loss of "power" due to losing confidence and energy that were prevalent during younger days. The wrter encourage one to face this by self reflection on the feeling of anxiety - where is it, how is it fel, what is itt etc Basically, to be aware. This include the ability to just accept that there are tasks that we cannot perform (at the age) and trust someone to help out or to leave it undone. with practise, one can be forewarn of the anxiety by the physical symptoms and allow one to take appropriate action, before being overcome by anxiety.

Another common observation is resistance to change with passing years. Interestingly, the writer believe that with increasing awareness (through meditation is one method), one is more ready to accept change. This is particularly true, when one accept (and observe or internalised) that many things are impermanent.

Dreaming Me

Author : Jan Willis : 2001, p 321

This is an interesting theme build around an interesting subject/person, written in an interesting and easy to read format, at times, gripping stories.

Jan is a professor of religion at Wesleyan University and the first African American scholar-practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Being a practitioner gives her an unique perspective of the religion and understanding.

It is an amazing journey, and a raw look at racism in US. Each racist encounter, hit one in the face, like a pop-up and one can feel the wriggling pain the author goes through. In each major encounter, the author faces the pain, anger for 2-3 days. Interestingly, the author best friends are 2 whites, who try to empathise with the author. The memoir outline the rascism faced since childhood. The author lived right in the heart of the KKK, Docena. One live, through the author, what it is like to be tormented by the KKK, right in their neighbourhood. To protect themselves, they have to carry gun at home. Right from birth, the author struggle with rascism. In fact, in seems that Fate has conspired to force her to face rascism. The author's grand parent was a white. Even within the black community, the author have to put up with looks and insunation. As the author grew up, she was the pioneer in several front, like being the first black to study in the North, the black professor etc etc. All these plunged the author right into new territory, as the US struggle to intergrate.
What surprises me is that right into the 80s, the writer continue to meet rascism. It makes one wonder if rasscism is ever going to go away. Highly unlikely.
This is a book that all the senior government servants,policy makers, bureaucrats in those Asian countries MUST read to feel and understand what minority goes through. Particularly for those countries that continue to pride itself (and pretend) in the harmony of its multi racial, multi religion. While tourists and casual visitors may be impressed or believe the government media that all is well and there are no discriminations in their countries. This is particularly true, whenever there is a major festival and the media show case (ie print a few photos) the different races, smiling and jostling for food or wishing each other well> As if, a few photos, festival project (or hide) the true state of racial and religous harmony.
It makes one wonder, if is better to let rascism rear its ugly head and in the open (as in US), rather than suppressed it and pretend it doesn't exist or cover it up in the name of positive discrimination and routinised it through formal official policy or racial discrimination till it become the accepted norm. (as in some countries in Asia).

I give you my life - Ayya Khema

220 pages,

Autobiography of a German Jewish Buddhist Nun.

When I picked up this book, I had expected lots of dharma lesson weaved in the life story. Interestingly, this is a very worldly story of an extraordinary person. The dharma lesson doesn't start to appear until about 3/4 into the books. Even then, one have to look out for it. It arise naturally. It give me a sense that the author doesnot deliberately choose to tell story where there are dharma lessons. The stories of her life are told as, it, all praise and warts included. If the lesson arise, it arise. One can easily believe what is being told, and not unlike other, where stories are censored or sanitized as it doesnot put the subject in a good light.

Like a true teacher, the subject did not try to portray how enlightened she is. One can feel that the writer almost have to squeeze out from the subject, her personal experience or "achievement" with regard to spiritual experience.

4 major efforts, Ayya Khema tied to lived within :

a) not permitting unwholesome thoughts to arise that has not yet arisen - ie to avoid
b) not engaging further in unwholesome thoughts that have arise - to overcome
c) Arousng a wholesome thought that has not arise ie to develop
d) engaging further in a wholesome thought that has arised - to maintain.

Little Angels

Author : Phra Peter Pannapadipo : 281 pages

Y : 2001

Phra Peter Pannapadipo is an English monk, who have lived in Thailand for more than 10 years, in various city, rural,forest monasteries. In each monastery, there are usually several novice monks. The novice monks are usually from early teen to late teens, though some as young as 7 years or as old as 20.

This book is a collection of 12 real life stories of Thai novice monks. It traces the novice family background and how they become novices. The reasons are as varied as the novices - some for spiritual development, sometime for social reasons. Sometime because they are ophrans or the family are so poor that not ordaining into the monasteries mean hunger. The novices are chosen randomly and the suffering they gone through can be heart rendering. It is sad and a reminder that suffering know no boundary. Even children experience them. Some are shocking.

Friends of Phra Peter has set up a trust fund to give scholarship to those who have gotten a place in the universities, but cannot afford it. Known as Student Education's Trust , those interested can contact Phra Peter at phrapeter@hotmail.com Wat Worranatbanpot, Thammavitee Road, Nakhon Sawan, Thailand.

Other books by Pra Peter Pannapadipo :

Phra Farang : an English monk in Thailand - funny and honest.

The stories are readable and can be read independently. It also portray to the readers, what life in countryside Thailand are like.

Blue Jean Buddha

Author/Editor : Sumi Loundon, Graduate Student, Havard Divinity School 235 pages.

This is a collection of articles contributed by over 28 "young" buddhists, below 30s. A very readable book, each article can be read on its own. The contributors come from a very wide background of different races, growing up in US. In each life experience, Buddhism is an influential thread in their life. Majority of them are now in profession works that involve caring in some form. It is interesting to note that most of them have been exposed to Buddhism since young ie their parents were Buddhists, etc . For parents, this can be heartening reminder that we need to plant the Dharma see in our children. Whether they understand Buddhism, it may not matter so much. The rest is their karma, as to whether they leverage on Buddhism, as they grow up and become more aware of suffering or trying to find happiness.

Most of the contributors, I would categorise as not being in the "mainstream" America. One contributor Elujah Ary, is recognised by the Dalai Lama as a reincarnate of Tibetan scholar !.

Maybe, because of their background and experience, they can relate better their spiritual experience. It may be interesting to also have a book written on the young Buddhists, who are working in mainstream jobs like sales, marketing, engineering, medical in private, public listed companies. and how if Buddhism play a role in their daily life.

It will be also be interesting to write a similar book, based on young Asian buddhists, those where Buddhism is dominant like Thailand, Mynamar and those where Buddhism is not dominant, but not a minority religon like Singapore, Malaysia.
or those in countries where Buddhism is losing ground like Korea, or where Buddhism is fledging like Philippines. How much role does Buddhism play in their life, as a spiritual guide or as a tradition or practice as part of culture.