Books on Asia’s Take:
From Pureland to Wasteland: Reflections on the Path to Awakening explains, in layman’s terms, what Buddhism is and how we can manifest its teachings into our daily lives (and why we should). Terms such as emptiness, mindfulness, duality and suffering are explained in an easy-to-understand format and with numerous examples. It was particularly gratifying to see how the authors related Buddhist practices to psychology and the works of Carl Jung. Buddhism has been using such techniques for centuries! Re-channeling negative energy to positive, for example, may sound otherworldly, but can also be considered a form of anger-management.
This book encourages us to be open to better ways of controlling our emotions and desires and to reconsider what a “successful life” means. There are so many good examples in here, based on the two authors’ experiences, that I found myself underlining quite a bit. I look forward to going back over these highlights and relishing in their wisdom.