The Dharma of the West: Buddhist Lessons From Western Religion

Buddhism is not a faith-based religion, but one that teaches a particular way of thinking. Like any skill, one must practice in order to improve. In order to understand the Dharma, it is important to be able to make associations that speak to the practitioner's heart. However, many Buddhist teachers hail from Asia, where the cultural milieu is quite dissimilar from the Western mindset. The stories, allusions, and basic cultural assumptions are very different. This book attempts to explain Buddhist teaching by using stories familiar to Western readers in hopes that they will be able to internalize the analogies and make progress in their Dharma practice.