Lunch with Buddha
Language: English
Published by Authors' Tranquility Press Nov 2012, 2012
- Hardcover
- New
Seller: AHA-BUCH GmbH, Einbeck, GermanyAHA-BUCH GmbH
AbeBooks seller since August 14, 2006
Condition: New
US$ 60.17
Quantity: 2 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Neuware - On the surface, LUNCH WITH BUDDHA is a story about family. Otto Ringling and his sister Cecelia could not be more different. He's just turned 50, an editor of food books at a prestigious New York publishing house, a man with a nice home in the suburbs, children he adores, and a sense of himself as being a mainstream, upper-middle-class American. Cecelia is the last thing from mainstream. For two decades she's made a living reading palms and performing past-life regressions. She believes firmly in our ability to communicate with those who have passed on. It will turn out, though, that they have more in common than just their North Dakota roots. In LUNCH WITH BUDDHA, when Otto faces what might be the greatest of life's difficulties, it is Cecelia who knows how to help him. As she did years earlier in this book's predecessor, BREAKFAST WITH BUDDHA, she arranges for her brother to travel with Volya Rinpoche, a famous spiritual teacher - who now also happens to be her husband. After early chapters in which the family gathers for an important event, the novel portrays a road trip made by Otto and Rinpoche, in a rattling pickup, from Seattle to the family farm in North Dakota. Along the way the brothers-in-law have a series of experiences - some hilarious, some poignant - all aimed at bringing Otto a deeper peace of mind. They visit American landmarks; they have a variety of meals, both excellent and awful; they meet a cast of minor characters, each of whom enables Rinpoche to impart some new spiritual lesson. Their conversations range from questions about life and death to talk of history, marijuana, child-rearing, sexuality, Native Americans, and outdoor swimming. In the end, with the help of their miraculous daughter, Shelsa, and the prodding of Otto's own almost-adult children, Rinpoche and Cecelia push this decent, middle-of-the-road American into a more profound understanding of the purpose of his life. His sense of the line between possible and impossible is altered, and the story's ending points him toward a very different way of being in this world. …
Seller Inventory # 9780984834563
- Title
- Lunch with Buddha
- Author
- Roland Merullo
- Publisher
- Authors' Tranquility Press Nov 2012
- Publication year
- 2012
- Condition
- Neu
- Binding
- Buch
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0984834567
- ISBN 13
- 9780984834563
- Item weight
- 630 grams
- Dimensions
- 216x140x25 mm
- Series
- Book 2 of 4: Breakfast with Buddha
Heartbreaking in places, hilarious in others, Lunch with Buddha takes its readers on a quintessentially American road trip across the Northwest. That outer journey, complete with good and bad meals, various outdoor adventures, and an amusing cast of quirky characters, mirrors a more interior journey--a quest for meaning in the hectic routine of modern life.
Otto Ringling, who's just turned 50, is an editor of food books at a prestigious New York publishing house, a middle-of-the-road father with a nice home in the suburbs, children he adores, and a sense of himself as being a mainstream,middle-class American. His sister, Cecelia, is the last thing from mainstream.For two decades she's made a living reading palms and performing past-life regressions.She believes firmly in our ability to communicate with those who have passed on.
In Lunch with Buddha, when Otto faces what might be the greatest of life's emotional challenges, it is Cecelia who knows how to help him.As she did years earlier-- in this book's best-selling predecessor, Breakfast with Buddha--she arranges for her brother to travel with Volya Rinpoche, a famous spiritual teacher--who now also happens to be her husband. After early chapters in which the family gathers for an important event, the novel portrays the road trip made by Otto and Rinpoche, in a rattling pickup, from Seattle, across the Idaho panhandle and the vast Montana prairie, to the family farm in North Dakota. Along the way, the brothers-in-law have a series of experiences--some hilarious, some poignant--all aimed at bringing Otto a deeper peace of mind.
During visits to American landmarks, they meet a cast of minor characters, each of whom enables Rinpoche to impart some new spiritual lesson.Their conversations range from questions about life and death to talk of history, marijuana, marriage and child-rearing, sexuality, Native Americans, and outdoor swimming. In the end, with the help of their miraculous daughter, Shelsa, and the prodding of Otto's own almost-adult children, Rinpoche and Cecelia push this decent, middle-of-the-road American into a more profound understanding of the purpose of his life.His sense of the line between possible and impossible is altered, and the story's ending points him toward a very different way of being in this world.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Author
A DISCUSSION OF LUNCH WITH BUDDHA
(Abridged version of a conversation between authors Roland Merullo & Matthew Quick that is included with the novel.)
Matthew Quick: We've known each other for 5 or so years, during which we've discussed writing, publishing, spirituality, and life in general. Your fiction often explores the questions and concerns that are most important to you. What led you to write Lunch with Buddha?
Roland Merullo: From my earliest years, when I was a devout Catholic boy living in a world where the rules and traditions of Catholicism were the air we all breathed, I've been puzzling over what I'll call, for lack of a better term, "the meaning of life". Why do people suffer? Why is the suffering spread around so unevenly? What are we doing here in the first place? What happens to a person's spirit after he or she dies? In my 20's, my eyes were opened to answers that came from places other than the Christian tradition. Rather than seeming like a challenge to that tradition, the wisdom of the East has always seemed to me like an expansion of it. Buddhism, especially, but also Sufism, Hinduism, and Taoism made the story of Jesus more understandable and believable to me, not less. I tend to write about what I'm most focused on, in my interior life. I've had a daily meditation practice for 30-some years and still do a lot of reading across the spiritual spectrum. I love to drive and see new places, love to eat different kinds of food, love to see the humor in life and make people laugh. So it was natural that all these things would find their way into a novel. And it was surprisingly easy for me, after a 7-year hiatus, to get right back into the mindsets of these characters.
MQ: I've loved every Roland Merullo book I've read, and Lunch with Buddha may be my favorite yet. Why do you think that is?
RM: I don't know. I'm too close to the book right now to have any kind of perspective on it at all. But I know from your fine writing, and from our talks, that you have the same great curiosity about life that I have. You wonder why people behave the way they do. You try to bring some light into the world when you can. And you make up stories that contain both the puzzlement and curiosity, and your idea of an answer to the big questions. We are mining that same vein, or maybe similar veins in the same mine. I really believe that every soul is put on earth with a certain set of skills and interests, and a certain purpose or purposes. I think we've both found what we're supposed to be doing here, and our job is simply to do it as well as we can, deal with whatever obstacles we face, and let the chips fall.
MQ: Early in the novel you write: "Rinpoche seemed to live on the far side of some line that marked the boundary of ordinary American reality." Is that where you want to live?
RM: I'm a very down-to-earth kind of person. I like realistic fiction and films. I like people who can cook, or hammer a nail, or fix a bleeding wound, or comfort a crying child. But I'm also not completely convinced that our assumptions are always 100% accurate. A few centuries ago people tormented Galileo for daring to say that the earth moved around the sun. For how many centuries before that was the assumption incorrect? Einstein's theories similarly challenged the prevailing "wisdom" of the day. So I think it's wise to be a little skeptical about our laws and truths. Maybe, for instance, at least some of the psychics who claim to be in contact with the dead are actually in contact with the dead. I don't know. I have very sensible friends whose late spouses "spoke" to them. Surely there are a lot of phonies and scammers out there, a lot of people who "see" the end of the world, or speak in tongues, or have visions, but are simply fooling themselves or someone who is paying them. Still, I leave the door open just a bit to the idea that there's more to life than the things we can measure and explain. In Breakfast, Otto starts out totally skeptical of Rinpoche's interest in meditation and the interior life. By the end of the novel he's been moved off that position a short ways. In Lunch, though he doesn't really want it to be so, he suspects that death is final, and he'll never have any communication with his beloved wife again. By the end of the novel that assumption, too, has been shaken just a bit. It's a tightrope walk. I'm a realist. I don't want to write flaky books. But I am all about pushing the boundaries of the interior life - which is the heart and soul of Rinpoche's talk in Spokane.
MQ: "Why didn't good prevail?" your character asks. It's a question you and I have talked about many times. In most of your books, good usually does prevail, if only in some small way. Would you say that your fiction is a vehicle of hope? Is that why you write?"
RM: Yes, a vehicle of hope. I think we both work that way, no? And, yes, that does reflect my view of life. I'm fascinated - and I think this shows itself in every single one of my books, even the golf books - with the way people deal with difficulty, hardship, pain, disappointment, tragedy and life's seeming inequities. And in the last few books it's been: how do people deal with the spiritual search, in the face of life's hardships? Some people indulge their pain and pass it on. Some fight it to a draw. And some people transcend. My goal - reflected in many of my characters - is to transcend. I'm not there yet.
MQ: Otto says, "Whole libraries of subjects were off limits now, at least in my circles." Many of the ideas in Lunch with Buddha are "off limits" to so many people here in America, and yet, your work seems to provide a much needed bridge. Why does America need Buddha and Eastern thought?
RM: As to the first part: Otto's speaking to the way conversations about certain subjects have become stultified in this society. The national discussion has turned into two camps ridiculing each other. Bigotry on the one hand, political correctness on the other. Thank God we still have comedians.
To make a bad generalization, I think Eastern thought is primarily inner-focused. The pejorative term is "navel gazing." Well, I think we could use a bit more navel gazing in our society. We do so many wonderful things in the external world - photos from Mars, medicines for AIDS and other illnesses, remarkable surgeries, incredible technological gizmos. But when Steve Jobs (I may be wrong, but I believe he had a Buddhist practice) was dying he is reputed to have said, "Oh, wow!" As if he saw something. I somehow doubt that what he saw was the next generation of the iPad. I think it was some interior experience, some wider understanding of the miracle of life. Except in its mystical tradition - which is vast and of long standing but largely ignored in this society - Christianity is outer-focused. It's too often all about behavior and sin and loud prayer. Okay. But what Rinpoche does for Otto is to take that foundation of good behavior and show him that it is a starting point, not an end point. "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you." Jesus said that, not Buddha. But it's the Easterners who pursue it more avidly, and I think we would benefit from that pursuit.
MQ: Please tell me there will be a Dinner with Buddha and that I will be able to read it relatively soon.
RM: First, thank you for these superb questions, and for your friendship and your books. As for Dinner, well, I have laid the groundwork for that at the end of Lunch. Just need to come up with another route, a part of the country we haven't covered. I'm open to suggestion.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping rates from Germany to U.S.A.
| Item | 7 to 10 business days | 5 to 7 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | US$ 38.94 | US$ 50.07 |
Payment methods
- Bank Wire Transfer
- Check
- Paypal
Store description
Das Unternehmen AHA-BUCH GmbH: Seit der Gründung von AHA-BUCH im Juli 2005 ist unser Hauptziel, zufriedenen Kunden so schnell und so preisgünstig wie möglich ihren Bücherwunsch zu erfüllen. Unsere Firma beschäftigt 16 Mitarbeiter, die nur ein Ziel kennen: den Kunden und seine Wünsche! Auf über 3700 m2 Fläche haben wir über 100.000 Bücher, Modernes Antiquariat und Spiele auf Lager.
Specialty
Kinderbücher & Kinderhör Casetten, German Books, Software, Natur & Tiere, Ratgeber, Sachbücher, Englische Bücher, Medizin & Gesundheit, Universität & StudiumSeller's business information
AHA-BUCH GmbH
Garlebsen 48
Einbeck, Germany 37574
Terms of sale
General Terms and Conditions and Customer Information / Privacy Policy
I. General Terms and Conditions
§ 1 Basic provisions
(1) The following terms and conditions apply to all contracts that you conclude with us as a provider (AHA-BUCH GmbH) via the Internet platforms AbeBooks and/or ZVAB. Unless otherwise agreed, the inclusion of any of your own terms and conditions used by you will be objected to
(2) A consumer within the meaning of the following regulations is any natural person who concludes a legal transaction for purposes that can predominantly be attributed neither to their commercial nor their independent professional activity. An entrepreneur is any natural or legal person or a partnership with legal capacity who, when concluding a legal transaction, acts in the exercise of his independent professional or commercial activity.
§ 2 Conclusion of the contract
(1) The object of the contract is the sale of goods.
(2) If an article is listed by us at AbeBooks or ZVAB, the activation of the offer page at AbeBooks or ZVAB constitutes the binding offer to conclude a contract under the conditions contained in the article page.
(3) The contract is concluded via the online shopping cart system as follows:
The goods intended for purchase are stored in the "shopping cart". Via the corresponding button in the navigation bar you can call up the "shopping cart" and make changes there at any time.
After calling up the "Checkout" page and entering the personal data as well as the payment and shipping conditions, all order data will be displayed again on the order overview page.
Before sending the order, you have the option of checking all information again, changing it (also via the "back" function of the Internet browser) or cancelling the purchase.
By submitting the order via the "Buy now" button, you declare the acceptance of the offer in a legally binding manner, whereby the contract is concluded.
(4) The processing of the order and transmission of all information required in connection with the conclusion of the contract is partly automated by e-mail. You must therefore ensure that the e-mail address you have stored with us is correct, that the receipt of the e-mails is technically ensured and, in particular, that spam filters do not prevent it.
§ 3 Right of retention, retention of title
(1) You can only exercise a right of retention if it concerns claims from the same contractual relationship.
(2) The goods remain our property until full payment of the purchase price.
§ 4 Warranty
(1) The statutory warranty rights exist.
(2) In the case of used goods, the warranty period is one year from delivery of the item, deviating from the statutory regulation. The shortening of the deadline does not apply:
- culpably caused damages attributable to us from injury to life, limb or health and in the case of other damages caused intentionally or through gross negligence;
- insofar as we have fraudulently concealed the defect or have assumed a guarantee for the quality of the item.
(3) As a consumer, you are requested to check the item immediately upon delivery for completeness, obvious defects and transport damage and to inform us and the freight forwarder of any complaints as soon as possible. If you do not comply with this, this will have no effect on your statutory warranty claims.
§ 5 Choice of law, place of performance, place of jurisdiction
(1) German law shall apply. In the case of consumers, this choice of law shall only apply insofar as this does not withdraw the protection afforded by mandatory provisions of the law of the state of the consumer's habitual residence (principle of favourability).
(2) The place of performance for all services arising from the existing business relationships with us as well as the place of jurisdiction is our registered office, insofar as you are not a consumer, but a merchant, a legal entity under public law or a special fund under public law. The same applies if you do not have a general place of jurisdiction in Germany or the EU or if the domicile or habitual residence is not known at the time the action is brought. The right to appeal to the court at another statutory place of jurisdiction remains unaffected by this.
(3) The provisions of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods shall expressly not apply.
II. Customer Information
- Identity of the Seller
AHA-BUCH GmbH
Garlebsen 48
D-37574 Einbeck
Germany
Telephone: 055639996039
E-mail: abebooks@aha-buch.de.
Alternative dispute resolution:
The European Commission provides a platform for out-of-court online dispute resolution (ODR platform), which can be accessed under https://ec.europa.eu/odr.
- Information on the conclusion of the contract
The technical steps for the conclusion of the contract, the conclusion of the contract itself and the correction options are carried out in accordance with the provisions "Conclusion of the contract" of our General Terms and Conditions (Part I.).
- Contract language, contract text storage
3.1. The contract language is german.
3.2. The complete text of the contract will not be stored by us. Before sending the order, the contract data can be printed out or electronically saved via the print function of the browser. After receipt of the order by us, the order data, the legally prescribed information for distance contracts and the General Terms and Conditions will be sent to you again by e-mail.
- Essential characteristics of the goods or services
The essential characteristics of the goods and/or services can be found in the respective offer.
- Prices and terms of payment
5.1. The prices stated in the respective offers as well as the shipping costs represent total prices. They include all price components including all applicable taxes.
5.2. The shipping costs incurred are not included in the purchase price. They can be called up via a correspondingly designated button on our website or in the respective offer, are shown separately in the course of the ordering process and are to be borne by you in addition, unless free shipping has been promised.
5.3. If the delivery is made to countries outside the European Union, we may incur additional costs for which we are not responsible, such as.B customs duties, taxes or money transfer fees (transfer or exchange rate fees of the credit institutions), which are to be borne by you. Any costs incurred for the transfer of money shall also be borne by you in cases where the delivery is made to an EU member state, but the payment was initiated outside the European Union.
5.4. The payment methods available to you are indicated under a corresponding button on our website or in the respective offer.
5.5. Unless otherwise stated for the individual payment methods, the payment claims from the concluded contract are due for payment immediately.
- Terms of delivery
6.1. The terms of delivery, the delivery date and, if applicable, existing delivery restrictions can be found under a correspondingly designated button on our website or in the respective offer.
Insofar as no other deadline is specified in the respective offer or under the correspondingly designated button, the delivery of the goods will take place within 3-5 days after conclusion of the contract (in the case of agreed advance payment, however, only after the time of your payment instruction).
6.2. Insofar as you are a consumer, it is regulated by law that the risk of accidental loss and accidental deterioration of the sold item during dispatch shall only pass to you upon handover of the goods, regardless of whether the shipment is insured or uninsured. This does not apply if you have independently commissioned a transport company not named by the entrepreneur or a person otherwise designated to carry out the shipment.
- Statutory liability for defects
Liability for defects is governed by the "Warranty" provision in our General Terms and Conditions (Part I).
last update: 01/06/2022
Privacy policy
Unless otherwise stated below, the provision of your personal data is neither required by law or contract, nor is it necessary for the conclusion of a contract. You are not obliged to provide the data. Failure to provide this will have no consequences. This only applies if no other information is provided in the subsequent processing operations.
Collection, processing and disclosure of personal data when placing orders
When ordering, we collect and process your personal data only to the extent necessary to fulfil and process your order and to process your enquiries. The provision of the data is necessary for the conclusion of the contract. Failure to provide this provision means that no contract can be concluded. The processing takes place on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit.b GDPR and is necessary for the performance of a contract with you.
Your data will be passed on, for example, to the shipping companies and dropshipping providers selected by you, payment service providers, service providers for order processing and IT service providers.
In all cases, we strictly observe the legal requirements. The scope of data transmission is limited to a minimum.
Duration of storage
After completion of the contract, the data will first be stored for the duration of the warranty period, then taking into account legal, in particular tax and commercial retention periods and then deleted after expiry of the period, unless you have consented to further processing and use.
Rights of the data subject
If the legal requirements are met, you have the following rights under Articles 15 to 20 GDPR: Right to information, to correction, to erasure, to restriction of processing, to data portability.
In addition, pursuant to Article 21 (1) GDPR, you have the right to object to processing based on Article 6 (1) f GDPR and to processing for direct marketing purposes.
Contact us on request. The contact details can be found in our imprint.
Right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority
In accordance with Article 77 GDPR, you have the right to complain to the supervisory authority if you believe that the processing of your personal data is not lawful.
Right to object
If the personal data processing listed here is based on our legitimate interest pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR, you have the right to object to this processing at any time with effect for the future for reasons arising from your particular situation.
Shipping terms
We ship your order after we received them
for articles on hand latest 24 hours,
for articles with overnight supply latest 48 hours.
In case we need to order an article from our supplier our dispatch time depends on the reception date of the articles, but the articles will be shipped on the same day.
Our goal is to send the ordered articles in the fastest, but also most efficient and secure way to our customers.