THE BUDDHA AT THE GATE

ABSTRACT

This opening chapter takes the hand of suffering, looks deeply into the causes of violence, and applies methods of mindfulness to the individual, national and international levels. Talking to America and Talking to the Arab Islamic World are passages on this voyage, which seeks to understand the fractured relationships that have created global conflict. What unfolds is the recognition that both sides contribute to current crises. Yet, at the same time there are pockets of wisdom and understanding on either side of the barriers of hatred and vengeance. Global confrontation, the shadows of fundamentalism, a corporate hegemony without conscience, the methods of mindfulness practice - these are threads in a tapestry woven together as a means to meet the Buddha at the Gate. This meeting requires an inward process of reflection and understanding. This may not occur until the deeply flawed paradigm of dualism is exposed for its detrimental effects on humanity and the planet. Such exposure is there in the unfolding of September. A clear alternative must be outlined.

This is the opening chapter of a new book by the same title