Compares teachings of Buddhism with principles of modern biology, revealing many significant points of compatibility.

In Living Buddhism, Julia Cassaniti explores Buddhist ideas of impermanence, nonattachment, and intention as they are translated into everyday practice in contemporary Thailand. Although most lay people find these philosophical concepts difficult to grasp, Cassaniti shows that people do in fact make an effort to comprehend them and integrate them as guides for their everyday lives. In doing so, she makes a convincing case that complex philosophical concepts are not the sole property of religious specialists and that ordinary lay Buddhists find in them a means for dealing with life's difficulties. More broadly, the book speaks to the ways that culturally informed ideas are part of the psychological processes that we all use to make sense of the world around us.In an approachable first-person narrative style that combines interview and participant-observation material gathered over the course of two years in the community, Cassaniti shows how Buddhist ideas are understood, interrelated, and reinforced through secular and religious practices in everyday life. She compares the emotional experiences of Buddhist villagers with religious and cultural practices in a nearby Christian village. Living Buddhism highlights the importance of change, calmness (as captured in the Thai phrase jai yen, or a cool heart), and karma; Cassaniti's narrative untangles the Thai villagers' feelings and problems and the solutions they seek.

In the second half of the twentieth century, the failure of Enlightenment rationalism and the spiritual bankruptcy of Western materialism have opened the door for Eastern religions, especially the nontheistic religions that promise enlightenment and peace of mind. Any major bookstore today has copies of the I Ching, the Tao Te Ching, and books on Taoism, Zen, and other forms of Buddhism. This volume and the volume on Hinduism in this series together present a comprehensive overview of Eastern religions, their views, and their impact on contemporary North America. This book includes - A concise introduction to Eastern religions - An overview of the movement's theology -- in their own words - A biblical response - Tips for witnessing effectively - A bibliography with sources for further study - A chart comparing the groups' beliefs with biblical Christianity - A glossary

Buddhist Monastic Discipline contains two significant Buddhist monastic disciplinary texts for the first time, translated into English. They are printed on facing pages for ease of comparison. One of the texts is that of a very early Buddhist school fi

What would Buddha do? Whether it's the end of a marriage, a romance or a friendship, break-ups are an unfortunate part of life. They can stir up horrible emotions and make you want to do crazy things. But when comedian Meshel Laurie faced the end of her nineteen-year marriage, Buddhist philosophy helped her turn her biggest challenge into an opportunity for personal growth and greater happiness. Now Meshel shows readers how Buddhism can be a roadmap for navigating the fear, loneliness and grief of a broken heart. Sharing her own story with humour and honesty, she explains: how the Buddhist concepts of Emptiness and Impermanence can free us to see things clearly (and calm the heck down ) how to love without attachment the difference between loneliness and aloneness how to work through all those disturbing emotions how to embrace change how to harness wisdom and compassion in order to heal. Way cheaper than hours of therapy, Buddhism for Break-ups is your go-to guide for zen Meshel Laurie is a comedian and radio and television personality. She has appeared on Spicks and Specks, Good News Week and Rove. On KIIS 101.1 she hosts Matt & Meshel with Matt Tilley and The 3PM Pick-Up with Katie 'Monty' Dimond. She writes for Mamamia and is the author of The Fence-Painting Fortnight of Destiny.