"The
front cover describes this book as 'the most comprehensive introduction to
Buddhism in America – with dozens of articles by leading Buddhist
teachers, scholars, and students, and detailed listings to over a thousand
Buddhist meditation centers in the United States and Canada.'
Cross-indexed by name as well as location, this volume functions well as a
guidebook, though it will not fit into your pocket. The book is divided into
four sections, reflecting the major paths of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana,
Vajrayana, and a fourth called 'Buddhayan: Nonsectarian Buddhism and Mixed
Traditions.' Here you will find a very brief description of BPF and a
somewhat longer passage on the BASE program.
"There's
more than one lifetime of possibilities listed here for investigation.
Wonderful photographs of many of the authors and a clear design make this an
invaluable tool for any seeker, useful for search, research, and tasting the
many flavors of contemporary western Buddhism. Both the reality of
so
muchness
and of putting it between covers is an awesome accomplishment."—Turning
Wheel,
Summer 1998, p.40
"More
than a simple directory of Buddhist centers, this book offers an in-depth guide
to Buddhist practices in America and to the crucial role meditation centers
across the country are playing in shaping a uniquely American Buddhism.
A
Complete Guide to Buddhist America
offers ample evidence that the lotus of the Buddha-dharma has not only taken
root in the rocky soil of America but has blossomed with wondrous variety and
profusion."—Rick Fields, author of
How
the Swans Came to the Lake: A History of Buddhism in America