Status
Available
Collection
Publication
[San Francisco] : HarperSanFrancisco, 2002.
Description
One of America's most respected Buddhist teachers distills a lifetime of practice and teaching in this groundbreaking exploration of the new Buddhist tradition taking root on American soil.
User reviews
LibraryThing member DarkWater
Following the Buddha's death, Buddhism experienced a schism which nurtured its development through three main vehicles -- the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana faiths. Since then, the different schools of thought have retained predominantly separate lines of ontogeny, with only sporadic
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cross-pollination. However, exportation of Buddhism to the West has provided a unique opportunity for the different familial lines of Buddhism to cross and fuse again. With this book Joseph Goldstein provides "insight" into the current state of Western Buddhism. Show Less
LibraryThing member homericgeek
This is a good introduction to the various schools of Buddhism and how they differ, but more importantly how they are similar.
Joseph Goldstein has a smooth writing style and good knowledge of the schools and their practices. One thing I found weak was the connection between his sources and his
I was interested in the Thai forest tradition and wished more would have been included, but I assume (and hope my assumption isn't too ignorant) it was for sake for clarity and overall coverage that Goldstein included the amount he did and no more. This is where his bibliography shows its strength.
After some time, I plan to read this again and to look into the sources Goldstein includes and hope I will have more to write about it.
If you are interested in Buddhism in general, and particular how it is changing in the West, this is a good book to begin your investigation into this fascinating subject. There is not a lot of practice in this book, but there is some. Mostly, it is information on the history of Buddhism as it it being practiced in the West.
Joseph Goldstein has a smooth writing style and good knowledge of the schools and their practices. One thing I found weak was the connection between his sources and his
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bibliography. It took a bit of slow looking to figure out which quotation went with which source and a few times I was unable to figure it out at all. My theory is he wanted the book to be reader friendly and not too academic, but this frustrates those of us who may be interested in following the trail he followed to get to this book. This is not to say that the bibliography is limited or lacking, it just isn't linked with the specifics notes and quotations, etc., that are in the actual text.I was interested in the Thai forest tradition and wished more would have been included, but I assume (and hope my assumption isn't too ignorant) it was for sake for clarity and overall coverage that Goldstein included the amount he did and no more. This is where his bibliography shows its strength.
After some time, I plan to read this again and to look into the sources Goldstein includes and hope I will have more to write about it.
If you are interested in Buddhism in general, and particular how it is changing in the West, this is a good book to begin your investigation into this fascinating subject. There is not a lot of practice in this book, but there is some. Mostly, it is information on the history of Buddhism as it it being practiced in the West.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jasoncomely
Surely it was the right time for me to read this book, as it seemed to answer all my questions even as they arose in my mind, as if anticipating them. Buddhist doctrine can be a bewildering rabbit-hole but Joseph Goldstein manages to harmonize the various traditions and teachings.