In the Lap of the Buddha

August 15, 1994
With its emphasis on emptiness and detachment, Buddhism's path sometimes seems an esoteric, disengaged, distant trek removed from the realities of life in the emotionally, physically, culturally crowded world. White South African Gavin Harrison's loving manual, however, casts light on the application of meditation to real-life conditions like HIV and AIDS, memories of childhood sexual abuse and the less dire fear and pain of daily life. The heartfelt prose rings true, as do the parallels between the lives of contemporary Americans and the life of Siddartha Gautauma; and Harrision's life itself, here documented, convincingly makes the case that Buddhist meditation practices are not a path away from life but rather a road into and through it.

July 1, 1994
In this courageous and articulate personal testimony, a gay man uses Buddhist insight meditation to deal with the suffering he has experienced from child abuse and from being HIV positive. He describes how he has been able to open himself to the suffering as he follows the five Buddhist precepts of refraining from harming, stealing, using false speech, engaging in sexual misconduct, and using intoxicants. Many subsections within the six chapters begin with accounts of the Buddha's life and teachings taken from Buddhist scriptures. These are followed by Harrison's reflections on how we deal-usually ineffectively-with suffering. Instructions are also given on the way Buddhist meditation practice is done. This is a powerful presentation by an effective writer who uses Buddhist teaching and meditative practice to effect a triumph of the human spirit. Highly recommended for libraries whose patrons need books to help them cope with the universal experience of human suffering.-David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino