Benedict's Dharma - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 082646193X ISBN 13: 9780826461933

Publisher: Continuum, 2002

Synopsis

St Benedict's Rule is a set of guidelines that has governed Christian monastic life since the 6th century. Those who live according to the Rule regard it as the bedrock of their lives and feel great affection for its author. In this book four prominent Buddhist scholars turn their attention to the Rule. Through personal anecdotes, lively debate and thoughtful comparison, they reveal how the wisdom of each tradition can revitalise the other and how their own spiritual practices have been enriched through familiarity with the Rule. Their insights are written not only for Buddhists and Christians but for anyone interested in the ancient discipline of monasticism and what it might offer a materially glutted and spiritually famished culture. This book also includes a new translation of the Rule by the former Abbot of Ampleforth, Patrick Barry.

About this title

Review

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

About the Author

Patrick Henry was Professor of Religion at Swarthmore College. Norman Fischer is a Zen Priest. Joseph Goldstein is cofounder of the Insight Meditation Centre. Judith Summer Brown is Professor and Chair of Buddhist studies at Naropa University, USA. Yi Fa is a Buddhist nun and Professor at Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan. Patrick Barry was until recently Abbot of Ampleforth.

About this edition

• Publisher: Continuum
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 082646193X
• ISBN 13: 9780826461933
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240
• Editor: Henry Patrick