With so many authors writing on the topic of Buddhism, what else is there to offer an audience of mostly American readers?

Teachers are a great thing, and so are retreats to the mountains, and of course visits to anywhere the Dalai Lama shows up are great too, but how is the average ‘American Buddhist’ participating in these events?

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It occurs to me that there may be many ‘American Buddhists’, like me, who don’t have the time or the inclination to travel to far off places, heck even travel to someplace local ( if local is 50 miles away depending on where you live) to receive Buddhist teachings.

Is meditation and study enough, can a normal everyday Buddhist starved for the teachings of one of the great masters achieve enlightenment?

If it can be achieved, I believe it would be through the works of authors like: Trungpa, Chodron, Goldstein, and Salzberg. The straight forward writing of these authors inspires me and I feel their techniques can be incorporated into a busy American lifestyle. I practice the Loving Kindness, Tonglen, and insight meditations these writers describe with clarity and great care in their books. This practice has had a profound impact on my life.

I have read many books on Buddhism and I think where most writers miss the mark, is audience. Buddhism is a solid path whether it’s used to make life more enjoyable and poignant, or for the purpose of ‘Enlightenment’, American society could benefit greatly from its wisdom. Perhaps writing from a practical perspective, with concepts reduced to something we all could understand would better integrate Buddhism with American society.

Ambud

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