Not Turning Away
Subtitle: The Practice of Engaged Buddhism
Publisher: Shambhala
Published: April 27, 2004
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 240
ISBN-13: 9781590301036
Subjects: Buddhism; Religion; Religion - World Religions; Buddhism - General; Religion / Buddhism; Religious life; Social aspects
First sentence: "In our eagerness to work for the alleviation of suffering, for peace and justice in the world, we sometimes try to leapfrog over our own situation-as if the pickle we ourselves are in doesn't count-and go straight on to saving the world."
Description: "The term "engaged Buddhism" was coined by the Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh as a way of asserting that Buddhism should not be passive or otherworldly, but on the contrary, that Buddhists should be deeply, compassionately involved in every aspect of society where suffering arises. Not Turning Away is a treasury of writings on the philosophy and practice of engaged Buddhism by some of the most well-known and respected figures in the movement, gleaned from the pages of the magazine that is the primary forum for engaged Buddhism in America and elsewhere: Turning Wheel: The Journal of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. Not Turning Away provides a history of the engaged Buddhism movement, an analysis of its underlying principles, and inspiring practical examples of real people's experiences in putting spiritual practice to the test on the personal, national, and global levels. The range of topics--from political oppression to prison work, disability, racism, poverty, nonviolence, forgiveness, the student-teacher relationship, and homelessness--demonstrates the applicability of Buddhist teaching to every concern of modern life"--Publisher description.