For anyone seeking an interesting delve into the basics of Buddhism then Kulananda’s “Western Buddhism” is surely a good beginning.
The book focuses upon introducing Buddhist ideas and teachings in a systematic manner that is suitable for the layperson, using plain and easy-to-grasp language. It also seeks to introduce the flavor and content of Western Buddhism in particular, and the author is at some pains to differentiate between Western and other forms of Buddhist thought and practice.
The Good Stuff
Seeking to keep my review brief and to the point, let’s look at what I particularly liked and found helpful.
Firstly, the opening chapter introduces the Buddhist principle of conditionality with some clarity and through a very clear set of examples. The author then places Siddhartha Gautama within an historical context and introduces an outline of his life and key teachings. All of this is immediately understandable and pulls the reader deeply into the rest of the book.
Secondly, the book continues in the same readable style to introduce Buddhist core ideas – such as the nature of existence, karma, and the like – before developing a presentation of Buddhist ethics. The book steadily works towards introducing the practical outliving of Buddhist ideas, especially in relation to experience in Western Europe and the USA.
Thirdly, the book introduces the place of meditation and ritual, as well as that of other practitioners, within the Western Buddhist traditions that have been unfolding throughout the mid- to late-twentieth century. There is a general sense of overview to the many and various practices that have been imported from the variety of Eastern traditions. This is, quite simply, helpful.
All in all, the book is readable and assessable to the beginner. This is the strength of the work, especially as it is not overly academic, wordy, or detailed. I was reminded of the Goldilocks Principle in that this book feels, “just right”.
The Less Than Good Stuff
I have two criticisms of the book which the reader of this review is free to discard if they consider them not relevant to their own quest for understanding.
As the book develops there comes a point, specifically around chapter 8, where the discussion turns a little more dry. In short, the author reviews the various key Buddhist traditions from the standpoint of their imported forms in the West. To be honest, the chapter was less than engaging for me and almost prevented me from persevering to the last two chapters. It’s worth plowing through, but you have been warned.
My other complaint lies in relation to the representation of other faiths by Kulananda. In short, the examples and presentation of Christian and Jewish beliefs is very limited, even myopic in scope. For example, Christian views are expressed through almost exclusively Roman Catholic practices – a position that, in my view, grossly distorts the viewpoint of the wider Christian faith. Similarly comments about Jewish world views feel very limited, as does the very cursory nod given to the influence of Hinduism upon Buddhist ideas.
All of that aside, however, the book is well worth a look if you would like to explore Buddhist teachings from the perspective of Western experience and application to life.
A Personal Comment
In terms of my own spiritual journey, this book stands as a strong point at which I was able to critically assess my own faith and ideas in the light of key Buddhist teachings.
There is very great value on a personal level to such challenge and the author was very good at poking just the right and necessary questions to get me thinking. For this alone I am very pleased to have had the chance to discover the work. I wonder if it might do the same for you.
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“Western Buddhism”, Kulananda, Thorsons, 1997.
