by Mary Ann | Oct 23, 2011 | Study Resources
Mutual Causality in Buddhism and General Systems Theory: The Dharma of Natural Systems, by Joanna Macy
Reviewed by Peter Carlson
Joanna Macy has been a well-respected voice regarding ecology for many years; not many people are aware of her deep roots in Buddhist practice. This book compares the Buddhist concept called paticca samuppada, translated most often as dependent origination. It’s a core concept of Buddhism, describing the development of mind-states as very rapidly aggregating conditions of the mind in response to the dynamic changes of the world. Most commentaries on dependent origination seem to describe the process as linear—that is, one condition of the mind leads to another, which creates the conditions for the next, and so on.
She describes modern systems theory, which has become recognized as a core concept of modern science in the disciplines of physics, biology, ecology, and psychology, to name just some applications. Systems theory emphasizes non-linear processes—that is, that complex systems such as human metabolism, must be understood as many subsystems interacting, mutually influencing each other to produce a metabolic effect. She relates systems theory to the arising of self-states through dependent origination.
Her writing is extremely thorough in describing the concepts, which doesn’t make this an easy read, but I found her insights and the way she describes them very interesting. If you have a basic understanding of dependent origination and systems theory, this book could be quite delightful. I wish you well.
Browse the OIMG Bookstore for other titles of interest.
by Mary Ann | Sep 30, 2011 | Study Resources
Minding Closely: The Four Applications of Mindfulness, by B. Alan Wallace, 2011, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York. (Also available on Kindle
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Reviewed by Peter Carlson
There are many excellent books that are commentaries on the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the core teachings of Theravada Buddhism. This one is written by someone who is a well respected author in the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, the Vajrayana. Alan Wallace has the insights about this sutta from both the Theravada practices (he sat retreats with several acknowledged teachers of this tradition, including S. N. Goenka and Balangoda Ananda Maitreya) and from the teachings he received from his Tibetan teachers, including the Dalai Lama.
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by Mary Ann | Sep 22, 2011 | Compassionate Action
Please take the time to encourage your representatives to attend Thich Nhat Hanh’s Congressional Retreat October 27-28, 2011 and Thay’s Lecture, “Path Toward Peace: Cultivating Clarity, Compassion, and Courage in Political Life” at The Library of Congress October 26, 2011. Members of Congress, their spouses and families, and selected Congressional staffers (both current and former) are eligible to attend this retreat. The retreat begins at 5pm on Thursday evening, October 27th and concludes after lunch on Friday October 28th. It will be held close to DC at a beautiful overnight facility with superb meeting space and a picturesque campus on which to walk and enjoy a wide array of trees and flowers. It is the first time since 2003 that Thay returns to D.C.
Click here for more information and for materials you can use to contact your representative.
by Mary Ann | Aug 21, 2011 | Study Resources
Some years ago, I wrote an article for our newsletter entitled “Riding the Waves of Change,” reflecting on the basic Buddhist practice of noting impermanence. Because the practice is so central to the Buddhist path to liberation from suffering, I began to use this name for the one week retreats we produce. Since another of those retreats is coming up at the end of October, I thought that it might be helpful to revisit the topic and revise the article, which is below.
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by Mary Ann | Aug 21, 2011 | Study Resources
Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening
Reviewed by: Lillian Perez
In this concise book, Stephen Batchelor, a former monk in the Zen and Tibetan traditions, presents an existential and agnostic interpretation of Buddhism that is provocative, well thought out and lucid. Those seeking to learn or be reminded of the precepts of Buddhism will welcome Batchelor’s unambiguous and compelling writing. Writing in simple terms, Batchelor reminds us that the Buddha’s most important legacy was to teach a way of being, as opposed to something to believe in. Batchelor observes that “there is nothing particularly religious or spiritual about this path.” It is a way of life that encompasses everything in its constant state of flux. “The four ennobling truths are not propositions to believe; they are challenges to act” that lay the ethical groundwork for living authentically.
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