The Best Buddhist Writing 2006

The third annual "best of" anthology of Buddhist writing demonstrates the wide applications of Buddhist insights among today's English-speaking practitioners. From parenting and dying to forgiving a murderer, Buddhism has something to say about awareness and impermanence. The usual thinkers—Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama—are included with 30 other writers. Selections from various teachers constitute the backbone of the anthology, and they are clear and useful for practitioners. But a number of writers are not teachers, which enhances the variety of perspectives and subjects. All anthologies have their hits and misses. "Dr. King's Refrigerator" by Charles Johnson quickly and imaginatively engages. "After the Flood" by Erik Hansen injects Buddhist compassion into the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. On the other hand, "Coming to Our Senses" by respected mind-body researcher and meditation teacher Jon Kabatt-Zinn is a disappointingly stale alarm sounded about a crisis on the planet. Carolyn Gimian's "The Three Lords of Materialism" lacks precision ("There is that kind of co-emergent quality to life altogether"). This series continues as a great window on the world of a small and articulate community shaping contemporary American spiritual practices. (Oct.)