Lawrence Pintak

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Lawrence Pintak

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June 2020


Lawrence Pintak has spent his life grounded in facts while fascinated by the ethereal. An award-winning former CBS News Middle East correspondent with a PhD in Islamic Studies, Pintak has been a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism for three decades and is an avid student of the perennial truths at the core of the world’s religions.
The author of seven books at the intersection of religion, media, and policy, his reporting and analysis on religion and international affairs has been published by The New York Times, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post, and many of the world’s leading media organizations. He also wrote about Buddhism and Eastern traditions for Shambhala Sun/Lion’s Roar, Buddhadharma, Beliefnet.com and others before 9/11 drew his f
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Lawrence Pintak Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad. I read it in my teens, then saw the movie, which starred Peter O'Toole. Books can trigger karma and synchronicity and boy …more Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad. I read it in my teens, then saw the movie, which starred Peter O'Toole. Books can trigger karma and synchronicity and boy did that one. Aside from thinking that when I die it would be really cool to have my body consumed in a funeral pyre on the beach of a jungle island (as did Jim), I was left with 1) a strong feeling of being drawn to the Malay archipelago (where I would meet my wife decades later); 2) a desire to live a life of international adventure (and ended up a war correspondent), and 3) an intention to eventually become a writer (and you can see how that panned out).

So...having spent the last few years immersed in books on religion and spirituality as I wrote my new book, Lessons from the Mountaintop (please put it on your TBR!), I wanted to clear my head with something completely unrelated, came across Lord Jim in my browsing, and thought, "Why not reread it!).(less)
Lawrence Pintak I just plow through it. Some people -- like my wife -- get mad at me when they ask how they should deal with writer's block. She'll tell you that I'm …moreI just plow through it. Some people -- like my wife -- get mad at me when they ask how they should deal with writer's block. She'll tell you that I'm just not empathetic, but I genuinely can't give any advice than to just sit down and start writing. About anything! It may be crap at first, but eventually, you break through and get into the flow. Them you just delete all the junk.(less)
Average rating: 3.91 · 66 ratings · 5 reviews · 7 distinct works
Reflections in a Bloodshot ...

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Seeds of Hate: How America'...

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The New Arab Journalist: Mi...

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America & Islam: Soundbites...

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Lessons from the Mountainto...

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Target: Hollywood

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More books by Lawrence Pintak…

The Miracle of Mindfulness

The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Many decades ago, when I was first "flirting" with Buddhism, this was one of the first books I read. For my new book, Lessons from the Mountaintop, I wrote about Sister Clear Grace Dayananda, a BIPOC "nunk" from California ordained in the late Thich Nhat Hahn's Zen tradition. I r Read more of this blog post »
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Published on May 23, 2025 06:42 Tags: buddhism, meditation, mindfulness, thich-nhat-hahn
The Odyssey
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Reincarnation
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The Magical Adventures of the Sixth Dalai Lama by Annie Bien
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Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad. I read it in my teens, then saw the movie, which starred Peter O'Toole. Books can trigger karma and synchronicity and boy did that one. Aside from thinking that when I die it would be really cool to have my body consumed i See Full Answer
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The Light We Give by Simran Jeet Singh
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I was so moved and gratified that Simran Jeet Singh was gracious enough to offer a warm "blurb" for my new book, Lessons from the Mountaintop, writing:

“We forget sometimes that spiritual and religious giants live amongst us. This book is a beautifu
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The Diamond Sutra by Red Pine
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This is a wonderful sutra, or teaching from the historic Buddha, expertly presented by the accomplished translator Red Pine, It goes to the essence of Buddhism. It's often at the root of my meditation and I quoted from it in my new book, Lessons fro ...more
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The Druids by Rudolf Steiner
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There are no known written records from the Druids. As I learned writing the profile of Emma Restall Orr, one of the leaders of Druidry in the UK, for my new book Lessons from the Mountaintop,
many of the core beliefs are drawn from this early book b
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The Light We Give by Simran Jeet Singh
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I was so moved and gratified that Simran Jeet Singh was gracious enough to offer a warm "blurb" for my new book, Lessons from the Mountaintop, writing:

“We forget sometimes that spiritual and religious giants live amongst us. This book is a beautifu
...more
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How to Live with Dragons by Caroline  Mitchell
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