Engaged Buddhism in the West

If Buddhism ever needed to prove itself in the field of social activism, the men and women featured in Engaged Buddhism in the West have gone beyond a shadow of a doubt. In sober, unadorned accounts, read about the dramatic life of Thich Nhat Hanh and the development of his worldwide Order of Interbeing, now numbering about 300 communities; learn about the acclaimed former mathematician turned Zen priest Bernie Glassman and his Peacemaker Order that works with the destitute and downtrodden; enter Naropa Institute, America's first accredited Buddhist-inspired college and its special program in Engaged Buddhism. Prison meditation groups, the Free Tibet Movement, walking for peace--the expressions of Buddhist activism turn out to be as varied and vibrant as the communities that spawn them. That goes for the communities of Europe, Africa, and Australia, in addition to those made up of women and gays, each of which is addressed here in a separate chapter. A collection of essays, many by academics, the tone of Engaged Buddhism in the West, can tend to the stale and analytic, with "three categories of this" and "four reasons for that." But the revelations outnumber the stumbling blocks and are sure to open many eyes. --Brian Bruya