The Buddha's Apprentices More Voices of Young Buddhists

by Loundon, Sumi; Salzberg, Sharon

• ISBN13: 9780861713325
• ISBN10: 086171332X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-09
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications

Summary

Sumi Loundon's Blue Jean Buddha was hailed by the New York Times Review of Books as "a bellwether anthology"--mapping the spiritual trails followed by a generation of American Buddhist youths. The Buddha's Apprentices examines that territory in fuller detail, telling twenty-six more stories of this powerful spiritual path, including the stories of many teenagers. The book shows us the common challenges that spiritually hungry young adults of today might face, with a focus on the identity issues around personality, profession, and lifestyle. Also included are several affirming essays from prominent older Buddhists, recalling their first encounters with Buddhism. The Buddha's Apprentices inspires, examining the tectonic shifts that young, spiritually-inclined people undergo as they leave home, search for partners, consider commitment and marriage, and build their lives. Furthermore, they tell of how Buddhism changes and enhances their abilities to face life's difficulties.

Sumi Loundon's rich and youthful commentary lets us appreciate each contributor's individual voice, and helps us to see how they contribute to the always-evolving chorus of modern Buddhism.

The Buddha's Apprentices can be considered a sequel to Sumi Loundon's Blue Jean Buddha, but goes beyond that work by giving extra attention to teens and young adults and including pieces from Thich Nhat Hanh, Lama Surya Das, and a truly diverse array of younger author/contributors.

Author Biography

Rev. Sumi Loundon Kim is the Buddhist chaplain at Duke University and minister for the Buddhist Families of Durham. She has published two anthologies, Blue Jean Buddha: Voices of Young Buddhists and The Buddha's Apprentices: More Voices of Young Buddhists. Following a master's degree in Buddhist studies and Sanskrit from the Harvard Divinity School, she was the associate director for the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts. She lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband and two children.

Sharon Salzberg, a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1971 and has been teaching worldwide since 1974. She is the author of Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience, Lovingkindness, and A Heart As Wide As The World. She lives in Barre, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi
Editor's Preface	xiii
Acknowledgments	xix
I. TEENS
``I Try''	3	(4)
Hilary Miller
``Yes, I'm a Buddhist''	7	(3)
Anne Skuza
The Fuss Over Suffering	10	(4)
J. Marion
The Little Things in Life	14	(4)
Maya Putra
That Sighing Feeling	18	(4)
Andrew B. Howk
Buddhism Is My Constant	22	(9)
Tenzin Youdon Takshamtsang
II. TWENTIES AND THIRTIES
Practice
Nothing Special	31	(6)
Sumana Bhikkhu
Fortune Baby?	37	(5)
Alexis Trass
Home-Leaving and Home-Making	42	(7)
Myoju Meg Levie
The Dharma of Identity	49	(5)
Viveka Chen
Studying the Menu	54	(5)
Alan G. Wagner
Crossing Over	59	(6)
Jeff Wilson
Pushing Forward and Standing Still	65	(10)
Phillip Cryan
Relationships
Mean Street Monk	75	(6)
Ajahn Keerati Chatkaew
Black Is Buddhafull	81	(8)
Bhiksuni Thich Chan Chau Nghiem
Born to a Born-Again Mother	89	(7)
Kim Collins Moreno
Dangerous Thoughts	96	(5)
Tenzin Dorjee
What's Crazy, Really?	101	(7)
Layla Mason
``Are You Joining a Cult?''	108	(7)
Donna Lovong
Clouds and Water	115	(10)
Jimmy Yu
III. LONGTIME BUDDHISTS
When I Was Young, No One Had Plans	125	(9)
Zoketsu Norman Fischer
Full Circle	134	(9)
Kathleen Millane Olesky
The Long and Winding Road	143	(9)
Lama Surya Das
How I Became a Buddhist Nun	152	(7)
Venerable Yifa
Stories of a Young Zen Monk	159	(16)
Thich Nhat Hanh
Journey to Mindfulness	175	(14)
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
IV. LOOKING AHEAD
Looking Ahead	189	(16)
Sumi Loundon
Glossary	205	(4)
Contributors	209	(10)
About the Editor	219