The Road Home

March 16, 2015
Nichtern (One City) points out that the contemporary search for a place to call "home" never comes to fruition, because the search has been misguided. He turns readers inward to discover that home is, in fact, within themselves all along. He prescribes a path of connecting with one's "heartmind" through the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana schools of Buddhist tradition. One begins working on the self, examining the ways in which meditation, karma, ethics, and self-transformation are intricately connected. Next, one infuses that understanding with awareness of emptiness and compassion to more genuinely connect with other people. This view is then expanded so that the everyday world becomes suffused with the sacred, where anything is a possibility for learning and for furthering practice. Finally, because this work reveals the fundamental interdependence of humanity, Nichtern offers discussions on integrating these personal discoveries on a communal and societal level. Grounded in compassion, Nichtern's teaching offers a profound, lucid, and complex education in self-awareness, interdependence, and enlightenment. Agent: Lisa Weinert, Lisa Weinert Consulting.

February 15, 2015
"The pond never stops rippling." Buddhist teacher Nichtern (One City: A Declaration of Interdependence, 2007) offers a wise, humane, and deeply sympathetic introduction to the practice of Buddhism. The pond never stops rippling indeed, which means that each of us must be mindful of the stones we throw into it. As the author writes elsewhere in his vade mecum, karma may not quite work as the popular conception has it, but what we get out of life certainly depends on what we put into it. Karma hinges on the acceptance of responsibility for how things turn out, though without interpreting it as "a kind of spiritual libertarianism, a way to praise the privileged and blame the oppressed." (Take that, Ayn Rand!) Embracing the celebratory, friendly spirit of Thich Nhat Hanh rather than the austere solemnity of Robert Aitken, Nichtern examines the question of emptiness, which he insists is anything but nihilistic, and detachment, which is anything but uncaring, as well as the hows and whys of meditation and self-cultivation ("no fast food in this garden"). He also looks at such things as whether Buddhism is a religion, his finding that it is essentially humanistic being a matter of dispute among the many schools of thought that make it up, and at the problem of being mindful in an age of continuous partial attention. Longtime practitioners may find Nichtern's approach a touch simplistic, but those wondering what Buddhism is all about will find plenty to think about in these pages, which make for a gentle and user-friendly invitation to explore further-understanding, of course, that there are many flavors of Buddhism, some of which would reject the author's interpretations out of hand, others of which would embrace them wholeheartedly.Not to be confused with Jim Harrison's book of the same name, the product of another bodhisattva, though both are steeped in the same spirit. Thoughtful and helpful alike.

Starred review from February 15, 2015

Nichtern (founder, Interdependence Workshop; A Declaration of Interdependence) writes that "Buddhist teachings are only meaningful if they positively inform the way we live our lives." With this in mind, the author makes ancient Buddhist teachings and texts approachable, contemporary, and relevant. Using an informal and engaging style, Nichtern applies the metaphor of a commuter to describe the way people often feel when trying to become more present in their daily lives or feel at home in their minds: as though they are always trying to get to a different place. The content is grounded in meditation practice, although this book will not serve as a how-to guide to meditation. Rather, Nichtern presents the bigger picture as to why such techniques are important to cultivating meaningful and compassionate relationships with self, others, and society in our fast-paced and hyperconnected world. The author provides a helpful list of suggested readings for more in-depth exploration into Buddhism and meditation practice. VERDICT Valuable for readers looking for an introduction to Buddhist teachings as they relate to meditation practice or for those searching for ways to live their lives in the here and now.--Amanda Folk, Univ. of Pittsburgh Lib., Greensburg

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