Not Turning Away: The Practice of Engaged Buddhism

by Susan Moon (Editor)

The term "engaged Buddhism" was coined by the Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh as a way of asserting that Buddhism should not be passive or otherworldly, but on the contrary, that Buddhists should be deeply, compassionately involved in every aspect of society where suffering arises. Not Turning Away is a treasury of writings on the philosophy and practice of engaged Buddhism by some of the most well-known and respected figures in the movement, gleaned from the pages of the magazine that is the primary forum for engaged Buddhism in America and elsewhere: Turning Wheel: The Journal of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.

Not Turning Away provides a history of the engaged Buddhism movement, an analysis of its underlying principles, and inspiring practical examples of real people's experiences in putting spiritual practice to the test on the personal, national, and global levels. The range of topics—from political oppression to prison work, disability, racism, poverty, nonviolence, forgiveness, the student-teacher relationship, and homelessness—demonstrates the applicability of Buddhist teaching to every concern of modern life.



Contributors include:

Robert Aitken
Jan Chozen Bays
Melody Ermachild Chavis
Zoketsu Norman Fischer
Thich Nhat Hanh
Jack Kornfield
Kenneth Kraft
Joanna Macy
Jarvis Jay Masters
Fleet Maull
Susan Moon
Wendy Egyoku Nakao
Maylie Scott
Gary Snyder
Robert Thurman
Joan Tollifson
Diana Winston

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 2004

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having heard of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, I picked this one up on a whim at a used book store and ended up really liking it. There are maybe two dozen pieces in this book, all of which were taken from a publication of the BPF. Some weren't really of interest me--the theoretical stuff, which is fine, but not what I found engaging. What captured my attention are the stories of people trying to put Buddhist ideals, principles, and practices into use in very challenging real life situations. Talk about keeping shit real: a woman who barely survived the Holocaust and was orphaned. A man who works with the mentally ill, addicted, and homeless in San Francisco. A person who found a way to forgive the man who killed her father. People in prison. People in war-torn countries. Their stories were honest, astonishing, and humbling. People facing racism, ableism, discrimination...just raw, hard stuff viewed through the lens of the Dharma. I was captivated.

There was a quote in the book that knocked me back on my heels, especially in the wake of so much unpleasantness in my country (shooting, political turmoil, the impacts of climate change). It sounds so simple, as many teachings of the Buddha do, but their simplicity can mask the power of these words, because they are True: "Because there is this, there is that. Because this is not, that is not." That cracks my mind open. Think on that. Apply it. That is truth. That is True. Language cannot convey the depths of that observation. "The Tao that can be named is not the Tao..."

One final thing: one of the authors spoke about how her life's contradictions became a bit of a koan for her. I don't love a lot of the Zen stuff, but this observation spoke to me on a deeply personal level as I have been know to struggle with contradictions in my own mind. Very helpful.

I didn't set out to become a Buddhist, but having studied and read and practiced these things for more than seven years now, it seems like I have kind of stumbled into it.

[Noreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essays in living Buddhist Part 1: Practicing in the Home and Hearth: Dealing with the anger caused by Racism Robin Hart. On Beggars by Susan Moon. Bad Dog by Lin Jensen . Difficult essays to read. Part 2: Taking the practice into the world. There was a gun in the house. Best emotional arguments for gun control? Couple essays in living in prison and getting out. Part 3: Food for thought. Buddhist activism? Well done Susan Moon.

[Rita Walton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was reading this to see if it had good articles for a discussion group. This is a good group, and there's an excellent article in here by Joanna Macy about "despairwork" about the climate crisis. I didn't give it more stars just because it's a little dated.

[Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally didn't expect to like this anthology as much as I did. Being a collection of stories, there was a range of topics and accessibility, but some of the stories put me to tears they were so compelling, beautiful, and or inspirational.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book will make you want to take up the arms of loving kindness and peace to change the world

[Nikki Morse · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few stand out pieces but I found this anthology uneven and not very engaging.