The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition

The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition





Today, many in western society find themselves seeking more satisfying spiritual lives. Faiths formerly seen as exotic have suddenly become attractive alternatives in our multicultural society. This is especially true of Buddhism, which is the focus of constant media attention, thanks in part to celebrity converts, major motion pictures, and the popularity of the Dalai Lama. Following this recent trend, James Coleman argues that a new and radically different form of this ancient faith is emerging. Investigating the contemporary scene, Coleman finds that Western teachers have borrowed liberally from different Buddhist traditions that have had little interaction with each other in Asia, that men and women practice together as equals, and that the path of meditation and spiritual practice is offered to everyone, not just an elite cadre of monks. Drawing on interviews with noted teachers and lay practitioners, as well as a survey completed by members of seven North American Buddhist centers, Coleman depicts the colorful variety of new Buddhists today, from dilettantes to devoted students and the dedicated teachers who guide their spiritual progress. He also details the problems that have arisen ,especially with regard to gender roles, sex, and power. Exploring the appeal of this exotic faith in postmodern society and questioning its future in a global consumer culture, The New Buddhism provides a thorough and fascinating guide to Western Buddhism today.The newcomer to Buddhism is often confused at the variety of forms it takes, from spare and strict Zen to flamboyant Tibetan Buddhism. Sociologist James William Coleman's The New Buddhism does us all a favor by breaking down Buddhism as practiced in the West. He begins with a concise but inclusive history of Buddhism's many faces in Asia. A summary of Buddhism's transplant to the West and subsequent growth there brings us right up to present-day teachers and movements. He then combines his 15 years of personal experience with wide reading, personal interviews, and hundreds of questionnaires to show us who Western Buddhists are--where they come from, why they are attracted to Buddhism, and what they do in their practice. Coleman also focuses his magnifying lens on specific groups, noting the dynamics of the different organizations as well as the pressures that they have faced, from succession controversies to sex scandals. Anyone interested in Buddhism should pick up a few titles on the how-tos of meditation and the wherefores of Buddhist philosophy, and at the same time, they should pick up The New Buddhism for a clear picture of the contemporary reality behind the ancient teachings. --Brian Bruya









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Healing by Heart: Clinical and Ethical Case Stories of Hmong Families and Western Providers





Healing by Heart is a book of stories--stories of people's search for culturally responsive health care from U.S. providers. It offers resources to providers and institutions committed to delivering culturally responsive health care, paying special attention to building successful relationships with traditional Hmong patients and families. It makes available extensive information about the health-related beliefs, practices, and values of the Hmong people, including photographs of traditional healing methods.

Ranging in age from young infants to older adults, the patients in the stories present a wide range of health problems. The clinicians are from family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, surgery, obstetrics-gynecology, psychiatry/psychology, and hospice.

Each of the fourteen case stories is accompanied by discussion questions as well as two or three commentaries. The commentaries--written by patients, family members, shaman, Western clinicians (including Hmong physicians, nurses, and social workers), medical anthropologists, health care ethicists, social workers, psychologists, and clergy--are rich in personal reflections on cross-cultural health care experiences. Readers are rewarded with a combination of perspectives, including those of Hmong authors who have not previously published in English and scholars with years of professional experience working with the Hmong in Laos, Thailand, and the United States.

The editors offer a model for delivering culturally responsive health care with special attention to matters of cross-cultural health care ethics. The model identifies questions health care providers can focus on as they seek to understand the health-related moral commitments and practices prevalent in the cultural groups they serve, ethical questions that arise frequently and with great poignancy in cross-cultural health care relationships, and points to consider when a patient's treatment wish challenges the provider's professional integrity.

By sharing stories of suffering, confusion, and success, Healing by Heart couples an accessible method of learning about others with concrete recommendations about how to enhance cross-cultural health care relationships.









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