#14: Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh

[b-writes.livejournal.com]

Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism contains the principles, with annotations, that organize Thich Nhat Hanh's Order of Interbeing, a Buddhist sect that developed in the tumult of the Vietnam war. It's more a book for those who are interested in his order than for laypeople interested in Buddhism. The first half of the book are the principles and commentary, and the second half is a detailed description of the ceremonies the Order engages in.

Of special interest to me were Nhat Hanh's explicit and repeated rejection of dogmatic thinking-- his Buddhism contains plenty of room for every precept to be questioned and evolved-- and his discussions of anger. Nhat Hanh wrote Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames, so it's no surprise he pays attention to anger here. For Nhat Hanh, anger is not to be channeled or quenched, but to be transformed into positive action. I'm going to be trying to take his advice (wish me luck with that, heh).

Recommended, but only for people with a real interest in Thich Nhat Hanh's spiritual advice and/or the Order of Interbeing.