Turning Words: Transformative Encounters with Buddhist Teachers

“When you’re a true student, everyone and everything is a teacher—this is the underlying lesson of this beautiful, engrossing book that invites us all, in turn, to become students in this way. Alan Senauke tells us of many encounters with many people, from those he has known intimately—his father, his main Buddhist teacher—to people he has encountered only indirectly, such as the seventh-century Chinese sage Huineng and the character The Dude from The Big Lebowski (but you have to read the book to figure that one out).”

“In most of our lives there are bends in the road. Turning Words honors those curves that stop us, if only for a moment, to take another look at how we are living this life. The encounters along the way of Senauke Roshi’s walk with teachers, family, and friends are intimately shared here. If nothing else, the gems that were laid on the ground before him are made available to lead you in a new direction—or perhaps to a new road altogether that you never knew existed.”

“Humble and sincere, Alan listens to people he encounters and allows them to change him. Moment by moment, touching others, he is a new person. Can’t we all do that?”

“A humble and striking acknowledgment of the wholeness that affects us all. Like a tree who hears the birds chattering, Alan Senauke brings to life the eccentric, wise, and odd words of teachers and ordinary folks—words that turned into wisdom as they reached Alan’s own heart-mind.”

“Like the waters of a tumbling mountain creek, these ‘turning words’ flow naturally and are a joy to read. What Alan learned from his teachers not only provides us with nuggets of wisdom for our own learning but also informs us about Alan’s own journey as a Dharma traveler, which has culminated in his role as Abbot Hozan of Berkeley Zen Center. I couldn’t help but smile in reading: it was a hamburger that grabbed his meditating mind during his first daylong sitting; Chino Roshi falling asleep while delivering his own Dharma talk; and his partner, Laurie, coming up with the phrase, ‘I will not abandon you’ to all those who sought their help. The book confirms for me the vibrant and authentic qualities of American Buddhism.”

“Alan Senauke has been a leader in the field of socially engaged Buddhism for decades, writing and teaching on the intersection of Buddhism and social change. Weaving a history of his life and teachings, this book gives us an intimate window into the people who profoundly affected him and made him who he is. This delightful set of stories moved me, made me laugh, and inspired ongoing reflection and insight. I love this book!”

“A touching treasury of Buddhist wisdom.”

“Turning words from over thirty teachers that can be revisited when you’re in need of a breakthrough.”