TRANSFORMING SUFFERING: Reflections on Finding Peace in Troubled Times

In 2002, dozens of Buddhist and Christian teachers of spirituality from around the globe gathered at the Abbey of Gethsemani (Thomas Merton's former monastery) for an interfaith dialogue to share perspectives that each faith has to offer in engaging, learning from and transforming human suffering. Though neither the Dalai Lama nor Pope John Paul II attended the conference, each contributed a brief written statement on the nature of suffering. These statements and amplifications from Buddhist and Christian attendees begin the book by clarifying each faith's perspective on the character of suffering. Subsequent chapters explore various types of suffering—including distress over personal feelings of unworthiness and alienation; being trapped in attachment to material goods in a consumer culture; violence and anger; and the challenges of aging, sickness and death—and suggestions for coping with such suffering. In the spirit of "a listening heart," and with a clear focus on what the two traditions have in common, the brief dialogues—culled from conference transcripts and edited to often a page long or less—engage one another respectfully and sometimes playfully, and are presented in a logical and enlightening way. With dialogues coming from some 49 contributors, the book fails to develop any sustained arguments or pragmatic solutions. Still, the nature of dialogue is exploration, and the book achieves its strategic goal of being a "healing source of guidance" for those trying "to build a more peaceful and united humankind." (Aug. 19)