Favorite Buddhist Books (not Suttas) And Reference Websites

[page449]

This might already be posted and I missed it but Thich Nhat Hanh's Old Path White Clouds is a much visited favourite of mine. Good light reading for a bus trip or a vacation at the beach.

[joeuk1]

Currently I've been reading books by W.Vajiramadhi. I'm not on "Looking Death in the Eye". All the books are written by a Thai monk in both Thai and English, and show the attitude of Thai Buddhists in particular. The one that I'm reading right now is quite an eye opener.....

I have just read books 1-7 The law of Karma by Phra rajsuddhinanamonkol , asia book shops 150 baht each .

[sabaijai]

"Kingdom of Ten Thousand Things," by Gary Geddes

Sunday, July 22, 2007; Page P02

BOOK: "Kingdom of Ten Thousand Things," by Gary Geddes (Sterling, $24.95)

TARGET AUDIENCE: Readers who like foreign travel seasoned with conspiracy theory.

Proposition: Long before Columbus's voyages, the Americas were discovered from the other direction. By a Buddhist monk. From Kabul.

Canadian poet Geddes follows what might be the path of Huishen, a 5th-century scholar and explorer, by traveling through Afghanistan, Pakistan and China, then across the Pacific to the Canadian coast and down to Mexico and Guatemala, where ardent researchers have seen influences of Buddhism among Olmec and other artifacts.

But readers expecting definitive proof will be disappointed. Huishen's name turns up missing from ancient rosters; Geddes fails to anticipate office holidays and thus finds potentially helpful sources unavailable; rival scholars explain away purported evidence of "pre-Columbian Asian contact." The account is nonetheless rewarding, made so by the poet's eye that Geddes brings to his observations. Kabul is magical, "as if the idea of light originated here." An old Mexican taxi is "a triumph of faith over technology," and a container ship's cargo groans like "the bellow of the last surviving mammoth."

--Jerry V. Haines

Source: Washington Post

[camerata]

Rude Awakenings, by Ajahn Sucitto and Nick Scott.

"Synopsis: Two very different men - an earthy life-loving naturalist and an austere Buddhist monk - partner for a great six-month walking adventure: tracing the Buddha's footsteps in India. Set in each of the two author's contrasting voices, the book is half down-and-dirty adventure, complete with surprising twists and pitfalls; half inspirational spiritual memoir. This story blends self-effacing humour, philosophical explorations, drama, travel observations, and the occasional giant fruit bat."

I really enjoyed this one-of-a-kind book, especially as I'd been to India and Benares in the early 70s. It doesn't sound like it's changed much. The idea of having sections narrated alternately by the monk (from Amaravati Monastery) and the layman works very well as they have very different perspectives on what happens along the way. The pilgrimage itself is a bit of a slog until tragedy strikes near the end.

The events recorded took place in 1990 but they couldn't get the final book published. After 10 years Wisdom finally offered to publish the account of the first half of the trip. The second half - in which they travel up to Nepal and recount the lessons learned from the pilgrimage - remains unpublished.

[phloiwang]

A book entitled " Kantitam Forest Monastry " not only informs me the way Luangpu Nainkam practice meditation but some miracles on the way until he became an arahant.

Now he is only 28. He practised Dhamma when he was only 6 years old he didn't know why but he said he just liked it. He had seen lives in another realm when he went tudong in Sakolnakon province. Those in that realm told him only people with pure sila(arahant) could see them. They smelled the fragrance from the ones with pure sila.

There are even further incredible incidents in his life. I think I'm fortunate because the province he lives (Srisaket) is not too far to visit. I hope to see him in person and his monastry very soon.

[sabaijai]

I just finished reading Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies & the Truth about Reality. Excellent read.

[camerata]

Sons of the Buddha, by Kamala Tiyavanich.

Another great book from Kamala Tiyavanich and the third in her trilogy on early Thai Buddhism and its monks. This one is about three preachers from the south of Thailand, Ajahn Buddhadasa, Ajahn Jumnien, and the late Ajahn Panya. More info here. Available at Kinokuniya.

[camerata]

Nyantiloka's Buddhist Dictionary is now available from Silkworm Books.

[thaibebop]

Sons of the Buddha, by Kamala Tiyavanich.

Another great book from Kamala Tiyavanich and the third in her trilogy on early Thai Buddhism and its monks. This one is about three preachers from the south of Thailand, Ajahn Buddhadasa, Ajahn Jumnien, and the late Ajahn Panya. More info here. Available at Kinokuniya.

Oh Cool! Thanks for posting this book!!

[sabaijai]

Cleaning up a messy unconscious

By DANIEL BURKE

Religion News Service

There aren’t many Zen priests like Brad Warner.

-- RNS

Brad Warner

Before turning to Buddhism 25 years ago, the 43-year-old Californian hit the hardcore punk scene in Ohio as bassist for the Akron-based band Zero Defects.

Now a writer as well as a Buddhist priest, Warner, 43, combines his love of punk and Zen to produce straight-talking meditations on sex, death, God and the Buddha. His latest book, Sit Down and Shut Up, centers on “Shobogenzo,” a mysterious 13th-century text.

Warner talked recently about practicing Buddhism and playing in a punk band, why we need books and how meditating is like cleaning your room.

RNS: I’ve heard Buddhist teachers say you don’t need to know anything about Buddhism, if you just sit down and shut up long enough, you’ll get it. Do you think that’s true?

Warner: I think that’s basically true. The philosophical aspect of Buddhism is important, but practicing it is much more critical. A lot of Americans who are into Buddhism will study the philosophy but never do the practice. If you had to do one or the other I think the practice is more important.

Your book posits some surprising similarities between playing in a punk band and practicing Zen.

People think they are entirely different worlds. Punk rock is very noisy and in your face. Zen tends to be quiet and out of your face. They’re comparable in the sense that you have to just do the thing you’re doing. When you’re playing bass, you have to just play bass or you’ll lose the thread and make a mistake. Zazen [meditation] may be a little harder in that sense because all you’re doing is sitting. But it is a kind of action even though you’re not doing anything. It’s not like you’re just being lazy.

What’s the biggest hang-up for Zen beginners?

That you’re doing zazen wrong because you sit there and your mind is full of desire and plans and hopes and all kinds of thoughts. People imagine zazen must be this beautiful tranquil place of ease. Generally speaking, when you first start out, it’s not like that at all. It wasn’t even like that for the Buddha when he started.

How long does it take to get your mind to settle down?

Sometimes it takes ages. I’m still waiting for it to settle down.

Your book says that the old Japanese Zen masters were the original punks. How’s that so?

They went against their society. It was a socially accepted thing to be a monk but it was still a pretty weird thing to do. They were rejecting those things of society that everyone else was striving for.

You’re pretty critical of some of the books on Buddhism out there. How is yours different?

A lot of those books point to some beautiful thing that’s far away that the author has and he wants to help you achieve. I’m trying to bring it down to something more real, to combat that sense that the only way to practice meditation is to run off to India and sit on top of a mountain for 10 years.

Your book centers on “Shobogenzo,” which, from the excerpts, seems pretty tough to grasp. How long did it take you to understand it?

It’s definitely difficult. I read the book completely through three times before I “got” it. But even when I didn’t understand it, I could feel instantly that it wasn’t just some guy talking nonsense.

You’ve got an interesting metaphor in your book: how meditation practice is like cleaning your room.

Yeah, I’m a really messy person, I probably came up with that one day while I was cleaning my room. Basically, it’s that you can’t just get somebody else to shove all your stuff in the closet and you can’t clean it all at once. That’s like moving all the mess to an area of your unconscious. It’s still there. So, there’s no instant miracle. It’s a gradual process.

Your book is pretty clear, we’ve all got “it,” that is, universal truth, within us. Do we need books, then?

That’s the big question, isn’t it? A book can be a useful kick in the pants to take action and look at your surroundings. My big kick in the pants was to find a teacher; maybe, hopefully, my book will spur somebody to come on and do the practice.

National Catholic Reporter, December 14, 2007

[AYJAYDEE]

"Key To Natural Truth" by Buddhadassa

[camerata]

Buddhadasa: Theravada Buddhism and Modernist Reform in Thailand by Peter A. Jackson. This one is a keeper for anyone interested in Buddhism in Thailand. It's about Buddhadasa, why and how he tried to reform Thai Buddhism, where his ideas came from, who opposed him and why. There's lots of good stuff about orthodox Theravada Buddhism, scholarly Thai Buddhism and popular Thai Buddhism.

[Austhaied]

Visions : Gleams of a higher destiny by Phra Terry (Suratano Bhikkhu).

It was first published as Samma Ditthi - A Treatise on Right Understanding in 1962 and reprinted as the current version in 2007.

Great book for me personally. It not only mentions the Buddhas teachings on it but quotes many a great philosopher who's thought's have been similar in nearly every way.

http://triple-gem.net/Samma_Ditthi_02Nov07.pdf

Edited March 7, 2008 by Austhaied

[Groongthep]

To get a good solid foundation of knowledge on the teachings, history and various schools of Buddhism and their origins I highly recommend Peter Harvey’s “ Introduction to Buddhism”. Don’t be mislead by the title because it is more than just an introduction and goes quite in-depth in its scope. I really liked it because it approaches Buddhism objectively as a course of study. It is used by many universities throughout the world as the textbook for Buddhism courses.

For those interested specifically in the basics of Theravada Buddhism as practiced in Thailand, I recommend Sunthorn Plamintr’s “Basic Buddhism Course”. It was originally written as a Sunday school text for the children of Thais living outside of Thailand who could read English but not Thai. It is a great source of information to the adult non-Thai as well who wishes to learn the basics of Thai Buddhism just as it is taught to nearly every Thai schoolchild in Thailand. In-depth esoteric spiritual discussions aside, after having read Phra Sunthorn’s book you will be able to discuss most all aspects of Thai Buddhism knowledgeably with your Thai friends.

Once touched by the beauty and truth of the Buddha’s teachings, I loved two books already mentioned by other posters in this thread, Buddhadasa’s “Handbook for Mankind” and Walpola Rahula’s “What the Buddha Taught” as wonderful explanations of the core concepts.

[vinny]

My personal favorite: Opening The Door of Your Heart, by Ajahn Brahm. It's a collection of short stories that elucidate the 'timeless wisdom of the Buddha's teachings.' Highly recommended.

An alternative name for Opening the Door of Your Heart is Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life's Difficulties, by Ajahn Brahm.

The Thai Language edition in pdf format and other Dhamma related books may be downloaded for free!

[Austhaied]

Autobiography of a spititually incorrect mystic by Osho.

Well worth a look.

[vinny]

My personal favorite: Opening The Door of Your Heart, by Ajahn Brahm. It's a collection of short stories that elucidate the 'timeless wisdom of the Buddha's teachings.' Highly recommended.

An alternative name for Opening the Door of Your Heart is Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life's Difficulties, by Ajahn Brahm.

The Thai Language edition in pdf format and other Dhamma related books may be downloaded for free!

See also Google Book Search.

[sabaijai]

Pico Iyer’s latest book draws on personal relationship to Dalai Lama

By Amy Phan

Northwest Asian Weekly

Despite being exiled from Tibet since 1959, Tenzin Gyatso — the 14th Dalai Lama — is committed to engaging the public in a conversation of compassion and understanding. And now, Pico Iyer’s “The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama,” written from a first-person perspective, provides insight into the Dalai Lama’s ideas of how compassion begins, along with many other sides to Tibet’s unofficial leader.

But Iyer isn’t any ordinary writer — he has direct childhood ties to the Dalai Lama. Iyer’s father, an Indian academic and philosopher, met Gyatso about a year after he fled from Tibet to India, where a lifelong friendship developed, leaving the younger Iyer reaping the benefits of having intimate access to one of the world’s best-known leaders. “The Open Road” chronics Gyatso’s speaking gigs in three continents, weaving in and out of three decades of conversations cultivated from Iyer’s teenage years to adulthood. Iyer also visits the Dalai Lama’s brother, Ngari Rinpoche.

Prior to “The Open Road,” Iyer spent a large amount of time as a travel writer — his forte of setting scenes comes shining through in this book. No small detail goes unnoticed, from the minute, like the way the Dalai Lama finishes his sentences, to the grand, like Buddhism’s “wholeism” approach.

But despite this talent for description, Iyer’s commitment to detail takes digressions not always clear to the reader. Further, descriptions like, “The only real peace could arise from stilling something in yourself, going back behind the self … which reminded you that the boss you cannot abide may in fact have been your mother in a previous lifetime” briefly hint at the cycle of rebirth in Buddhism, but may be too broad a brushstroke to make any coherent sense for the average reader. (Read: myself.)

But to be fair, Buddhism as a subject isn’t the easiest to tackle. Iyer has immense pressure to translate esoteric philosophy into an easy read. “The Buddha,” writes Iyer, “came not to proclaim a new doctrine … but to remind us of what we all know and hold inside ourselves already.”

He continues, “The surface may change but the basic laws of value of compassion and the value of training our minds … to the path to freedom.” The open road, according to Iyer, is seen as the potential meeting point for compassionate and responsible human beings. Like the Dalai Lama, Iyer urges readers to “treat every human being, whether high officials or beggars — no differences, no distinctions.”

But more than anything, “The Open Road” unleashes a critical eye of the way modern culture chooses to view the Dalai Lama. Language, philosophical and cultural mistranslations result in a slew of miscommunication of Buddhism. And Iyer knows this firsthand.

According to the tenets of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is just like any other human. Attributing words like “God” or “Living Buddha” to the Dalai Lama’s title is, as the Dalai Lama says, “totally wrong!” In fact, it is considered demeaning to label the Dalai Lama as such. But despite this discussion and making the distinction clear to his editor, an article of Iyer’s was erroneously given the headline, “The God in Exile.”

In a sense, “The Open Road” is a way for Iyer to rectify many of the wrong headlines attributed his writing. But in another sense, it offers readers beginning glimpses of an increasingly popular, but yet misunderstood individual, the Dalai Lama. Iyer’s unique relationship to the Dalai Lama alone makes “The Open Road” an intriguing enough book.

Given the recent pique of Northwest interest in the Dalai Lama and the interest that will invariably continue through the Beijing 2008 Olympics, readers will no doubt benefit from reading “The Open Road” — even if, at times, that road winds and curves with no conclusion in sight.

“The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama,” by Pico Iyer. Published by Knopf, March, 2008. $24.00. The author will appear as a part of Seattle Arts and Lectures series April 29, 7:30 p.m. at Benaroya Hall. Call 206-621-2230.

[gk10002000]

Yes. That is a very good book. Should be required reading for every westerner.

I recommend "Awakening the Buddha Within", by surya lama das. The book just reads very well and I thought it was an excellent introductory book with many decent examples.

[Xangsamhua]

Pico Iyer’s latest book draws on personal relationship to Dalai Lama

By Amy Phan

Northwest Asian Weekly

Despite being exiled from Tibet since 1959, Tenzin Gyatso — the 14th Dalai Lama — is committed to engaging the public in a conversation of compassion and understanding. And now, Pico Iyer’s “The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama,” written from a first-person perspective, provides insight into the Dalai Lama’s ideas of how compassion begins, along with many other sides to Tibet’s unofficial leader.

But Iyer isn’t any ordinary writer — he has direct childhood ties to the Dalai Lama. Iyer’s father, an Indian academic and philosopher, met Gyatso about a year after he fled from Tibet to India, where a lifelong friendship developed, leaving the younger Iyer reaping the benefits of having intimate access to one of the world’s best-known leaders. “The Open Road” chronics Gyatso’s speaking gigs in three continents, weaving in and out of three decades of conversations cultivated from Iyer’s teenage years to adulthood. Iyer also visits the Dalai Lama’s brother, Ngari Rinpoche.

Prior to “The Open Road,” Iyer spent a large amount of time as a travel writer — his forte of setting scenes comes shining through in this book. No small detail goes unnoticed, from the minute, like the way the Dalai Lama finishes his sentences, to the grand, like Buddhism’s “wholeism” approach.

But despite this talent for description, Iyer’s commitment to detail takes digressions not always clear to the reader. Further, descriptions like, “The only real peace could arise from stilling something in yourself, going back behind the self … which reminded you that the boss you cannot abide may in fact have been your mother in a previous lifetime” briefly hint at the cycle of rebirth in Buddhism, but may be too broad a brushstroke to make any coherent sense for the average reader. (Read: myself.)

But to be fair, Buddhism as a subject isn’t the easiest to tackle. Iyer has immense pressure to translate esoteric philosophy into an easy read. “The Buddha,” writes Iyer, “came not to proclaim a new doctrine … but to remind us of what we all know and hold inside ourselves already.”

He continues, “The surface may change but the basic laws of value of compassion and the value of training our minds … to the path to freedom.” The open road, according to Iyer, is seen as the potential meeting point for compassionate and responsible human beings. Like the Dalai Lama, Iyer urges readers to “treat every human being, whether high officials or beggars — no differences, no distinctions.”

But more than anything, “The Open Road” unleashes a critical eye of the way modern culture chooses to view the Dalai Lama. Language, philosophical and cultural mistranslations result in a slew of miscommunication of Buddhism. And Iyer knows this firsthand.

According to the tenets of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is just like any other human. Attributing words like “God” or “Living Buddha” to the Dalai Lama’s title is, as the Dalai Lama says, “totally wrong!” In fact, it is considered demeaning to label the Dalai Lama as such. But despite this discussion and making the distinction clear to his editor, an article of Iyer’s was erroneously given the headline, “The God in Exile.”

In a sense, “The Open Road” is a way for Iyer to rectify many of the wrong headlines attributed his writing. But in another sense, it offers readers beginning glimpses of an increasingly popular, but yet misunderstood individual, the Dalai Lama. Iyer’s unique relationship to the Dalai Lama alone makes “The Open Road” an intriguing enough book.

Given the recent pique of Northwest interest in the Dalai Lama and the interest that will invariably continue through the Beijing 2008 Olympics, readers will no doubt benefit from reading “The Open Road” — even if, at times, that road winds and curves with no conclusion in sight.

“The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama,” by Pico Iyer. Published by Knopf, March, 2008. $24.00. The author will appear as a part of Seattle Arts and Lectures series April 29, 7:30 p.m. at Benaroya Hall. Call 206-621-2230.

Thanks sabaijai. I'm off to Kinokuniya today and will look for it.

[Xangsamhua]

Pico Iyer’s latest book draws on personal relationship to Dalai Lama

By Amy Phan

Northwest Asian Weekly

Despite being exiled from Tibet since 1959, Tenzin Gyatso — the 14th Dalai Lama — is committed to engaging the public in a conversation of compassion and understanding. And now, Pico Iyer’s “The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama,” written from a first-person perspective, provides insight into the Dalai Lama’s ideas of how compassion begins, along with many other sides to Tibet’s unofficial leader.

But Iyer isn’t any ordinary writer — he has direct childhood ties to the Dalai Lama. Iyer’s father, an Indian academic and philosopher, met Gyatso about a year after he fled from Tibet to India, where a lifelong friendship developed, leaving the younger Iyer reaping the benefits of having intimate access to one of the world’s best-known leaders. “The Open Road” chronics Gyatso’s speaking gigs in three continents, weaving in and out of three decades of conversations cultivated from Iyer’s teenage years to adulthood. Iyer also visits the Dalai Lama’s brother, Ngari Rinpoche.

Prior to “The Open Road,” Iyer spent a large amount of time as a travel writer — his forte of setting scenes comes shining through in this book. No small detail goes unnoticed, from the minute, like the way the Dalai Lama finishes his sentences, to the grand, like Buddhism’s “wholeism” approach.

But despite this talent for description, Iyer’s commitment to detail takes digressions not always clear to the reader. Further, descriptions like, “The only real peace could arise from stilling something in yourself, going back behind the self … which reminded you that the boss you cannot abide may in fact have been your mother in a previous lifetime” briefly hint at the cycle of rebirth in Buddhism, but may be too broad a brushstroke to make any coherent sense for the average reader. (Read: myself.)

But to be fair, Buddhism as a subject isn’t the easiest to tackle. Iyer has immense pressure to translate esoteric philosophy into an easy read. “The Buddha,” writes Iyer, “came not to proclaim a new doctrine … but to remind us of what we all know and hold inside ourselves already.”

He continues, “The surface may change but the basic laws of value of compassion and the value of training our minds … to the path to freedom.” The open road, according to Iyer, is seen as the potential meeting point for compassionate and responsible human beings. Like the Dalai Lama, Iyer urges readers to “treat every human being, whether high officials or beggars — no differences, no distinctions.”

But more than anything, “The Open Road” unleashes a critical eye of the way modern culture chooses to view the Dalai Lama. Language, philosophical and cultural mistranslations result in a slew of miscommunication of Buddhism. And Iyer knows this firsthand.

According to the tenets of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is just like any other human. Attributing words like “God” or “Living Buddha” to the Dalai Lama’s title is, as the Dalai Lama says, “totally wrong!” In fact, it is considered demeaning to label the Dalai Lama as such. But despite this discussion and making the distinction clear to his editor, an article of Iyer’s was erroneously given the headline, “The God in Exile.”

In a sense, “The Open Road” is a way for Iyer to rectify many of the wrong headlines attributed his writing. But in another sense, it offers readers beginning glimpses of an increasingly popular, but yet misunderstood individual, the Dalai Lama. Iyer’s unique relationship to the Dalai Lama alone makes “The Open Road” an intriguing enough book.

Given the recent pique of Northwest interest in the Dalai Lama and the interest that will invariably continue through the Beijing 2008 Olympics, readers will no doubt benefit from reading “The Open Road” — even if, at times, that road winds and curves with no conclusion in sight.

“The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama,” by Pico Iyer. Published by Knopf, March, 2008. $24.00. The author will appear as a part of Seattle Arts and Lectures series April 29, 7:30 p.m. at Benaroya Hall. Call 206-621-2230.

Thanks sabaijai. I'm off to Kinokuniya today and will look for it.

Not available in Kinokuniya (Emporium) - at least not in the Buddhism shelves. Maybe I should have looked in the Biography section.

[craig]

My attraction to Buddhism has been increasing. I am not religious and am a secular humanist. I highly recommend "The New Buddhism" by David Brazier.

[Austhaied]

My attraction to Buddhism has been increasing. I am not religious and am a secular humanist. I highly recommend "The New Buddhism" by David Brazier.

Hi there Craig.

Great to hear your attraction to Buddhism / Dhamma / Truth is increasing.

The more the merrier.

If you get a chance check out Bhikkhu P.A. Payutto's book Toward Sustainable science.

Very insightful. It cuts to the chase without all the "intellectual" stuff that can get a bit much for those not familiar with The Buddhas teachings.

A great east meets west guide to the future.

Regards.

http://www.ethicaladvisory.com/nucase/libr...able/index.html

Edited May 8, 2008 by Austhaied

[2Da1]

Hey. I'm very fond of all the books by Mark Epstein. Check 'em out !

Peace !

2Da1

[devitt]

I received this in my email today and thought that I should share it with other Buddhists who may not be aware about what is happening in many Buddhist majority countries and societies around the world, particularly in Asia. It is a book review of the Christian evangelist publication "Peoples of the Buddhist World." It is quite a long read, but worthwhile.

Planning the Demise of Buddhism

Peoples of the Buddhist World by Paul Hattaway, Piquant Editions, Carlisle, 2004.

Reviewed by Allen Carr

Some Western drug companies spend millions of dollars developing and marketing a new drug only to have the health authorities later discover that it has dangerous side-effects and then ban it. Needing to recover their investment and unable to sell their drug in the West some of these companies try to market their dangerous products in the Third World where public awareness of health issues is low and indifferent governments can be brought off. Some might say that Christianity is a bit like this.

Having lost much of their following in the West, churches are now beginning to look for opportunities elsewhere. Of course the Islamic world is out of the question. Even the most optimistic evangelist knows that the chance of spreading the Gospel amongst Muslims is nil. The obvious targets are Africa, India and the Buddhist countries of Asia. There are now several evangelical organizations dedicated just to evangelizing Buddhists. The Asia Pacific Institute of Buddhist Studies in the Philippines offers missionaries in-depth courses in Buddhist doctrine, the languages of Buddhist countries and the sociology of various Buddhist communities – the better to know the enemy.

The Central Asia Fellowship is geared specifically to spreading the Gospel amongst Tibetans. The Overseas Missionary Fellowship is 'an acknowledged authority on Buddhism' and 'is available to conduct training sessions and seminars, give presentations and speak on how Christians can work effectively in the Buddhist world.' The Sonrise Centre for Buddhist Studies and the South Asia Network are both on-line communities providing missionaries with detailed, accurate and up-to-date information useful for evangelizing Buddhists. Make no mistake, these are not small ad-hock groups. They are large, well-financed, superbly run organizations staffed by highly motivated and totally dedicated people and they are in it for the long haul.

A book called Peoples of the Buddhist World has recently been published by one of the leaders of this new evangelical assault on Buddhism. The book's 453 pages offer missionaries and interested Christians a complete profile of 316 Buddhist ethnic and linguistic groups in Asia, from the Nyenpa of central Bhutan to the Kui of northern Cambodia, from the Buriats of the Russian Far East to the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka.

There is a detailed breakdown of the size of each group, how many call themselves Buddhists and how many actually know and practice it, which languages they speak, their strengths and how to overcome them, their weaknesses and how to take advantage of them, an overview of their history, their culture and the best ways to evangelize them.

The book is filled with fascinating and beautiful color photos of all of these peoples, many of them little-known. It makes one very sad to think that these gentle, smiling, innocent folk are in now in the sights of worldly-wise missionaries determined to undermine their faith and destroy their ancient cultures. However, Hattaway book is also interesting for the lurid glimpse it gives into the bizarre mentality and the equally bizarre theology of the evangelical Christians. In the preface Hattaway asks, "Does it break God's heart today that hundreds of millions of Buddhists are marching to hel_l with little or no gospel witness? Does it break the Savior's heart that millions worship lifeless idols instead of the true, glorious Heavenly Father?"

No wonder the evangelicals are always so angry and defensive, so self-conscious and full of nervous energy. Every day they live with the contradictory belief that their God is full of love and yet throws people into eternal hel_l-fire, even people who have never heard of him. That must be a real strain. Like a man who has to continually pump air into a leaking balloon to keep it inflated, they have to keep insisting that Buddhism is just an empty worthless idolatry when they know very well that this is not true. That must be a real strain too. Throughout his book Hattaway repeats all the old lies, slanders and half-truths that missionaries peddled in the 19th century but which mainline Christians gave up on a hundred years ago.

Hattaway claims that Buddhists, like other non-Christians, are leading empty meaningless lives and are actually just waiting to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not surprisingly, the statistics he presents to his readers do not always bare this out. He shows that some Buddhist groups have been subjected to quite intense evangelization for years and yet have chosen to keep their faith. For example 32% of Kyerung of Nepal have heard the Gospel but 'few have understood the heart of the message.' Hattaway tells us that 'the American Baptists worked in the Tovyan area (of Burma) for many decades, but most of the converts they made were among the Karen people. They found the Tovyan people 'slow to respond to the gospel – a pattern that continues to this day.' Dedicated and self-sacrificing missionaries have labored in Thailand for over 140 years but have made only miniscule numbers of converts. According to Hattaway there are 2000 foreign missionaries operating in Chiangmai - more than the actual number of Christians in the city.

It is hearting to know that amongst evangelicals Thailand has been dubbed 'the graveyard of missionaries.' Twenty one percent of Lao Ga people have been evangelized but 'Christianity has yet to make any impact on this people group.' Forty two percent of the Lemo have been told about Jesus but their 'strong belief in Buddhism and their isolated cultural mindset have prevented them from accepting the Gospel.' Of course Hattaway's 'isolated cultural mindset' prevents him from even considering that these people might have decided not to become Christians because Buddhism gives them the emotional, intellectual and spiritual sustenance they need. So he has to explain why so many Buddhists remain what he calls 'resistant peoples' some other way. To him it is because of fear (p.217), intellectual laziness (p.149), greed and blindness (p.172) and or course 'demonic opposition' (p.190). Another cause is delusion, as for example amongst the Palaung of northern Burma, who are so completely deluded that 'they believe they have the truth in Buddhism'(p.217).

Of course, Hattaway is also crafty enough to know that the stability and cultural integrity of traditional Buddhist societies is a major hindrance to their evangelization. Civil wars such as in Sri Lanka and Cambodia are literally a god-send for the missionaries. Hatthaway calls the disruption and displacement of the Loba people of Nepal by several huge floods 'a God-given opportunity' (p.168). Like blowflies to a dying animal evangelical missionaries swarm around communities in need so they can win converts while disguising their efforts as 'aid work' and 'humanitarian relief.'

Unfortunately, many genuine and decent Christians in the West, unaware of this hidden agenda, give money to World Vision and similar organizations that use aid as a conversion technique. But while many Buddhists have rejected the missionaries' message others have succumbed to it. Thirty one percent of the Tamangs of Nepal have now become Christians. The first missionaries arrived in Mongolia in 1990 and within a few years they had made thousands of converts, mainly among the young. This phenomenal growth has now slowed considerably but the number of evangelical agencies operating within the country has grown enormously and there are still almost no books on Buddhism in Mongolian.

In China today Christianity is growing so fast that they can hardly build the churches quick enough to hold all the new converts. The gentle hill tribes people of Thailand and Laos are falling prey to the missionaries one by one. These and the numerous other successes are not just because the missionaries have been so unscrupulous and persistent but because Buddhists have been so indifferent, so slow to see the danger and even more slow to respond to it in any effective manner.

In Thailand millions are spent on glittering ceremonies, huge Buddha statues and gold leaf for covering stupas but almost nothing on Buddhist literature, religious education and social services for the hill tribes. Another 'God-given opportunity' for the missionaries is the general lackadaisical attitude within the much of the Sangha. In one of the most revealing (about the mentality of both missionaries and the bhikkhus) and troubling parts of this book is Bryan Lurry's account of the four months he stayed in a monastery in the Shan states in north-eastern Burma. He was there to assess the prospects of converting Buddhist bhikkhus and he went away full of optimism. I fear that his optimism was not entirely misplaced. The abbot where Lurry stayed allowed him to teach the bhikkhus English (using the Bible as a text of course), show a film on the life of Christ and later even conduct regular Bible classes for the bhikkhus. Uninformed Western Buddhists might laud this as yet another example of Buddhist tolerance, albeit misplaced tolerance. I suspect that it was actually due to ignorance and to that indifference to everything that does not rock the boat or contravene traditional patterns of behavior that is so prevalent in much of the Sangha.

As a part of his strategy to understand their thinking, Lurry asked his 'friends' a series of questions. To the question 'What is the most difficult Buddhist teaching to follow?' some bhikkhus answered not eating after noon, not being able to drink alcohol and one said to attain nirvana. To the question 'If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?' The replies included to be stronger, taller, to change the shape of the nose and to have more pale skin. When asked why they had joined the monastery not one of the bhikkhus mentioned an interest in the Dhamma, in meditation or in the religious life in general. As is usual in much of the Buddhist world they had probably ordained simply because it is the tradition to do so. When Lurry asked the bhikkhus if they would ever disrobe for any reason 'my students expressed their desire to leave the temple in order to be soldiers in the Shan Independence army...They did not see a contradiction in the fact that, as monks, they are literally not supposed to kill a mosquito, much less another human being.' Lurry admits that he was really surprised that so few of the replies he got suggested any deep knowledge of Buddhism or an apparent genuine religiosity.

Having lived in Thai monasteries for eight years I am sad to say that none of the bhikkhus' replies surprised me in the least. All too often today the Buddhist monastic life consists of little more than rote learning, unthinking acceptance of traditional beliefs, an endless round of mind-numbing rituals, going to danas and having long naps. Fortunately, many Buddhist communities are holding out against missionary efforts but with poor religious education and little leadership from a sedate Sangha how long will they continue to be able to continue to do so? Something has to be done and it has to be done soon.

Another old missionary calumny repeated throughout Hattaway's book is that Buddhists live in constant terror of devils and demons. This accusation is rather amusing coming from the evangelical Christians who see almost everything they don't like as the machinations of Satan and his minions. Lurry says of his experience, 'I must admit that the temples intimidated me. I saw many items that discouraged me from entering. At some temples, fierce-looking statues of creatures with long fangs and sharp claws guard the entrance. Guarding the main hall of many temples are two large statues of dragons with multiple heads on either side of the staircase...If such images were on the outside of the temple, what would I find on the inside? I half imagined that these creatures would somehow come to life and attempt to harm me' (p.234).

I can understand how simple, often illiterate hill tribesmen in the backblocks of Burma could be frightened of malevolent spirits. But Mr. Lurry is a graduate of the University of North Texas and he is frightened of bits of painted cement and plaster used to decorate Buddhist temples. How easy it is to scare evangelical Christians!

Nine pages in Peoples of the Buddhist World are devoted to the Sinhalese, the native people of Sri Lanka, long a target of missionary endeavors. Despite nearly 500 years of close contact with Christianity only 4% of Sinhalese are Christian and this is despite periods when their religion was severely disadvantaged and even actively persecuted. It both perplexes and infuriates the evangelists that they have had so little success in this staunchly Buddhist island.

Since the late 1950's the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has tacitly accepted its minority status and for the most part adapted a live and let live attitude towards Buddhism. It has continued its conversion efforts but in a low-key and respectful way. But starting in the 1990's evangelical organizations have literally swamped Sri Lanka and they have a 'no quarter asked for, none given' attitude. So far most of their converts have been amongst Catholics, to the consternation of the Catholic Church, but of course the real target is the Buddhists. Buddhist bhikkhus are calling on the government to enact laws against conversion. But is this really the best solution?

It is quite understandable that the Sinhalese do not like their religion being referred to as 'Satanic devil worship' especially by foreigners, which is what most of the missionaries in the country are. Some years ago a deeply respected Sinhalese bhikkhu died and there was a veritable outpouring of grief among the Buddhist public. At the very time of this bhikkhu's funeral the leader of a house church in an outer suburb of Colombo, let off fireworks, the usual way people express delight or celebration in Sri Lanka. Naturally, the Buddhists around this church were deeply offended and although no violence occurred some very angry words were exchanged. I happened to witness the locals' confrontation with this church leader. He insisted that his crackers had nothing to do with the bhikkhu's funeral but was unable to give a convincing reason why he had ignited them. Throughout his encounter with his neighbors he was brazen, unapologetic about his actions and dismissive of the peoples' hurt feelings. I can only say that he gave me the distinct impression that he would have welcomed being manhandled or beaten so that he could claim for himself the title that evangelicals so long to have – that of martyr for their Lord.

Hattaway's book highlights incidents of violence against Christians in Sri Lanka and elsewhere which have unfortunately started to become all too common. Of course, what he fails to mention is that it is only the evangelicals, not Catholics or mainline Christians, who attract such negative reactions. And of course he fails to mention why people sometimes get so angry at the evangelicals. The fact is that it is their bad-mannered pushiness and their complete insensitivity to the religious feelings of others that is the cause of such violence. This is not to excuse the violence but only to explain why it happens.

It is also true that some of the more extreme evangelists even sometimes deliberately provoke confrontations. I have two evangelical tracts from Sri Lanka – one insists that villages must become 'a battlefield for souls' and the other says that Christians must 'confront the unsaved, yes even forcibly confront them, and compel them to make a decision.' And it is not just Buddhists who are offended by the evangelicals' rude aggressive behavior. A Chinese Thai born-again Christian once informed me that the Pope is actually 'the prostitute of the Anti-Christ' and showed me the Bible passage that proved it. I could only laugh at his half-baked hermeneutics. But how would a devout Catholic have felt being told such a thing?

The section on Sri Lanka in Hattaway's book is written by Tilak Rupasinghe and Vijaya Karunaratna, two well-known evangelical preachers. They gleefully highlight Sri Lanka's many woes – civil war, high suicide rate, corruption, insurrection – and of course present this as just more evidence that Buddhism is false. Then they make the bold claim, 'In Christ there can be healing from the wounds of injustice, oppression and ethnic hatred...In Christ there can be hope for the redemption of the nation, its land, its language, its culture and its people.' This is a seductive promise and one that some people might be willing to listen to. But of course it is the same old spurious and empty promise missionaries have always made in the lands they try to evangelize; 'What a mess your country is in! Your gods have failed. Accept Jesus Christ and everything will be wonderful.'

But does Christianity really do a better job of solving social problems? The evidence that it does is very thin. Christianity failed miserably to bring peace to northern Ireland, in fact, it was the main cause of the problem. Germany's long tradition of Catholicism and Protestantism did not prevent Nazism taking root there. South Africa's Dutch Reformed Church was an ardent supporter of apartheid and all its oppression and cruelty. The prevalence of evangelical Christianity in the southern United States, the so-called 'Bible Belt,' has not prevented it being the poorest and most raciest part of that country. And the racial segregation in the south is never more obvious than on Sunday morning when black and white people still go to separate churches; 'Hallelujha and praise the Lord but worship him in your own church!'

Hattaway's book is or at least should be a wake-up call for we Buddhists. Unless we reform the Sangha, better organize ourselves and make more of an effort to both know and apply our religion the Light of Asia may be snuffed out.

Edited June 24, 2008 by devitt

[garro]

If modern day Buddhism is so weak and rotten that it can be destroyed by these missionaries then maybe it is a good thing. As the Buddha pointed out all is impermanent and weak Buddhism hardly seems better than no Buddhism.

[Brucenkhamen]

Hattaway's book is or at least should be a wake-up call for we Buddhists. Unless we reform the Sangha, better organize ourselves and make more of an effort to both know and apply our religion the Light of Asia may be snuffed out.

An interesting read.

I disagree with the last paragraph though. I would have thought that the light of Asia has already passed to the West. This is evidenced by the enthusiasm for the teachings of western practitioners compared with the lax attitude common in Asia as described in this article, also that most of the remaining accomplished Asian teachers prefer to teach westerners.

I think in many ways the people of Asia would be better off being enthusiatic Christians than a lax Buddhists (obnoxious evangelical attitudes aside).

The thing the people of faith based religions do not understand is that Buddhism is not faith based. If you look at the core of the Buddhas teachings these are universal truths that don't just apply to people who believe in the Buddha. To the degree that someone applies the principals of awakening and gaining freedom from Greed, Hatred, a Delusion is the degree to which they are applying the Buddha's principals. It doesn't matter whether that person is a Buddhist, Christian, Athiest, or Muslim etc.

Of course there are other factors that hinder the above, like narrow minded fundamentalist attitudes, blind belief, but we all have hindrences in our practice to overcome, just some have more than others.

[Xangsamhua]

A very interesting review and rather depressing in the picture it describes.

I would recommend that people read the review right through, as the earlier paragraphs can give the impression that Christians in general are engaged in these ghastly evangelising activities and have the same pathological mentality. The second half of the review makes it quite clear that the object of concern is not Catholics or mainstream Christians but the literalist and fundamentalist types.

I'm not always sure what the difference is between fundamentalists and evangelical Christians. The former are obviously very literal and doctrinaire and more likely to be "in your face". I think the latter start from a position of taking the Bible at its face value, but will modify their views if given good reason to do so. Perhaps some won't accept any reason for doing so and, hence, are really fundamentalists. The popular author on religious matters, Phillip Yancey, himself an evangelical, but a very reasonable one, says that fundamentalists are "evangelicals who are angry", therefore inclined to say and do stupid things.

I like Brucenkhamen's comment above: "If you look at the core of the Buddhas teachings these are universal truths that don't just apply to people who believe in the Buddha. To the degree that someone applies the principals of awakening and gaining freedom from Greed, Hatred, a Delusion is the degree to which they are applying the Buddha's principals. It doesn't matter whether that person is a Buddhist, Christian, Athiest, or Muslim etc."

I'm trying to apply these principles without giving up on my own Christian heritage, but it's difficult sometimes, and the constant embarrassment of being associated with Christians of literalist and dogmatic enthusiasms doesn't make it any easier.

[sabaijai]

Thought-provoking. In Sri Lanka many Buddhists are extremely paranoid about Christian incursions there, while in Thailand no one gives it much thought at all. The Thais seem much more secure in their beliefs than the Sinhalese, by comparison.

Seeking to reform Buddhism in order to save it seems to me to run counter to basic Buddhist philosophy.

When you take things it is because of a thirst, a clinging, and a grasping.

You should lose that and lose it altogether, above, below, around, and within.

It makes no difference what it is you are grasping. When you grasp, you are losing your freedom.

Realize this and grasp at nothing.

Then you will cease being a creature of attachment, tied to the powers of death.

-Sutta Nipata

[Samuian]

So what?

then Krishnamurti said "the other day": If the "Buddhist" would have understood what "the Buddha" tried to teach, there would be no Buddhism!

there are people out there who get paid for writing up such utter non-sense!

there are as many "Buddhists" out there as there are "Christians" in the "Christian World"... non-sense..!

Edited June 25, 2008 by Samuian