Benedict's Dharma

By Steindl-Rast, David & Henry, Patrick

Publishers Summary:
When four senior Buddhists sit down to discuss the rules of Christian monasticism, ideas fly. In Benedict's Dharma, Zen priest Norman Fisher, meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein, professor Judith Simmer-Brown, and Yifa, a nun of the Chinese Buddhist tradition, flesh out The Rule of Saint Benedict, which has guided the organization and daily life of the Western Christian monastic tradition since the ninth century. Time after time, these Buddhists find in The Rule of Saint Benedict, which is included in its entirety, points that resonate with the their own experiences--points such as an emphasis on reverence, a pragmatic mindset, and the need for hard work and practice. From these agreements, as well as out of some marked differences, come lively evaluations of both Buddhist and Christian practices. And in the end, as the Christian monk David Steindl-Rast says in his "Afterword," the resources of the monastic tradition, for lay people as much as for monks, still have much to offer everyday life. Taking a Christian text as a source of inspiration for Buddhism offers a new rapprochement for those who have fled to Buddhism from a Christian upbringing. And for the Christian faithful, it offers a fresh perspective on a revered but musty classic. --Brian Bruya

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ISBN
978-1-57322-190-0
Publisher
Riverhead Hardcover


REVIEWS

Library Journal

Reviewed on August 3, 2001

In 1996, the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue brought together 25 Buddhist and 25 Christian monastics "for the purpose of mutual spiritual benefit and communion." Inspired by that engagement, four prominent Buddhist scholars from different traditions penned essays responding to some of the chapters in the Rule of Sain...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

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