YOU ARE HERE – THICH NHAT HANH

RATING - C-

 

It is very different to the books I have been reading and Buddhism I have been working on of late, and is therefore somewhat confusing. Suited more to the average Westerner than to one who never fit the system to begin with,I would recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring Buddhist principles – if they were a Westerner with a Westerners' mind.

Personally, I find it very hard to follow, as I have to firstly remember how I am supposed to think, act, and live, and then take the advice suited to that and transfer it back into my own way of being as I do not think, act, or live in this way, so it is not of as much help to me as to the conventional Westerner.

I did however locate several gems hidden amongst the confusion with which to update my outlook.

DAKINI'S WARM BREATH – JUDITH SIMMER-BROWN

RATING: B

With a dry start, this book became increasingly interesting as it progressed. There is a lot of information about dakinis contained within the book, covering every aspect thinkable from the 'what' to 'who' to 'how' to 'when' and 'where'. If you have never heard of a dakini, or are not exactly sure what they are/might be, this book covers everything you need to know to fix your knowledge gap. Specifically of interest to me were the latter chapters, dealing with human dakinis and encounters with dakinis.

Thorough research is evident from the multiple references, making it a trustable source of information. Now, why don't they have a book like this for EVERY Buddhist oddity, from devas and deities to hungry ghosts, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas....