If you haven't yet read...
..."The Gods Drink Whiskey: Stumbling Toward Enlightment in the Land of the Tattered Buddha," you may want to pick it up.
It is a interesting blend of a book. On the back where it lists the book's genre, it says TRAVEL/BUDDHISM. And how accurate! That's exactly what it is: mix one part travel adventure, one part cultural study, and one part buddhist philosophy/theory and out pops a book that is a little diluted on all three fronts, but is nonetheless thought-provoking and enjoyable.
The author is Stephen Asma, a young professor from Chicago, who travels to Cambodia to teach buddhism in a local university and experience Theravada Buddhism firsthand. His purpose in the book, among other things, is to kill all our notions of some magical and exotic enlightened land and to clarify real buddhism from hippie / New Age / California buddhism - which bears little resemblence to the native kind.
It's a great page turner... fun to read, (mostly) deep in theory, and both profound and profane. Consider picking up a copy!
Category:
books
Posts
5 comments:
Hola! I'll definitely give it a read. :)
Me too. Thanks for the recommendation.
Further to California Buddhism, a friend of mine once said, brilliantly, "California Buddhism is to real Buddhism what California rolls are to real sushi."
Will have to check this out. I already bought the punk Zen book to give to my DH for Christmas, was it you who recommended it? You or Isaiah, can't remember. I also got the Sabbath book, that one is good too.
Sounds like something really needed! I've met so many young, half-educated types who've read Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, and maybe another book, but are suddenly experts on the horrible, evil, violent West and the ever-blissful, serene, and loving East!
Thanks, Trev- it looks like a great read! Love the title!
Post a Comment