[.ca] Landscapes of Wonder: Discovering Buddhist Dhamma in the ... (ISBN 0861711424)

From Amazon.com:
Don't let the knotty name of this American monk put you off. Nyanasobhano is one of the most melodious new voices in Western Buddhism to come along in some while. He is Thoreau in robes, and he takes us walking into the woods of present wonder. At bottom, Nyanasobhano teaches us the basics of Buddhism: Theravada Buddhism, the Sri Lankan storehouse of India's ancient tradition. Landscapes of Wonder is a primer on the basics of Buddhism: the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, karma, meditation, and such. But the lessons are to be discovered in fallen trees, soaring birds, and winter landscapes. "Our pilgrimage need not be long, as the world counts distance, but epic nonetheless: over the barriers of habit, through the forests of doubt, beyond our circumscribed consciousness toward a freedom as yet scarcely imagined." There is still an occasional rawness and creeping pedantry in Nyanasobhano's voice, but his eloquence overshadows them and introduces us to truly wondrous landscapes. --Brian Bruya

an animating book:
There are times when the Pali Canon can seem dry, detached and distant. Landscapes of Wonder, however, builds a fire under the Buddha's discourses by animating the heart and stimulating resolve. This is done by urging us to examine our everyday experiences and appreciating those experiences as teachers. Particularly useful for any one who is a little less young today than he or she was yesterday, is the essay "Aging and Wisdom." If you find yourself troubled by aging, read this carefully. Another piercing essay is "The Private Version." Feel tempted to take the pleasurable, consoling aspects of Buddhism, and discard the difficult? Read it! The whole book is a wonderful exhortation to practice. If you find your practice growing stale and too head-oriented, this book will be helpful to you.

Creative and contemplative:
I enjoyed this book very much, and paused often along the way to ponder the many great little insights tucked in among the mindful observations of nature. I must admit that I agree with the Amazon.com review that notes the "occasional... creeping pedantry," but perhaps that's inevitable in a work like this. The writing style and appreciation of the details of nature can sometimes call to mind Thoreau (or perhaps Barry Lopez or Annie Dillard), but at heart this is a didactic book, a presentation of the basic understandings of Buddhism. When those philosophical and practical explanations occasionally become a little more explicit or overt, it can create that "pedantic" effect. All in all, though, this is a very creative and literate presentation of the Buddhist teachings, and certainly gives the reader plenty to contemplate.

An unmatched ability to truly see:
Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano has a delicate gift: He uses the natural world, which after all is what we spend our lives in, to illustrate and remind us of the dhamma. It is a book best sipped, although I couldn't resist plowing through the whole thing and then rereading it slowly. A magnificent achievement.

A joy to read:
I have read many Buddhist books, but this one is definately unique. It is hard to put down once you start. The author takes us through forests and hills to point how the Buddhist Dhamma is all around and can be realized if we only put forth the effort. This book really makes me want to further my own understanding of Buddhism on a personal level.

A fulfilling read at bedtime!:
I have not read more than a handful of texts on any religion. Most seemed to focus on a straighforward educational approach to the religion and its history. This is a refreshing departure. Instead of the typical classroom text approach, class is dismissed. Instead we walk with Naynasobhano through the seasons, through nature as this playright describes how he as a Buddhist lives Buddhism. Suddenly he'll pause, admiring a bird in the distance. This triggers a flashback on some tenet of Buddhism or a snippet from Buddha. (It seemed to me at times like one of Grasshopper's flashbacks in the Kung Fu show.) Trite though this may seem, the book really worked for me. I really appreciated visiting the religion directly. Staying in the native's hut as it were. And having the native be as eloquent as this is a certain boon. While this may serve as a good introduction for some, perhaps it would be better to read something like Lama Suryam Dass's "Awakening the Buddha Within" and then this to see how principles are wedded to life.