Landscapes of Wonder: Discovering Buddhist Dhamma in the World Around Us

Rating:
Summary: An unmatched ability to truly see
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Creative and contemplative
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: an animating book
Review: 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.