[.uk] Landscapes of Wonder: Discovering Buddhist Dhamma in the ... (ISBN 0861711424)

Amazon.com Review:
Don't let the knotty name of this American monk put you off. Nyanasobhano is one of the most melodious new voices in Western Buddhism to come along in some while. He is Thoreau in robes, and he takes us walking into the woods of present wonder. At bottom, Nyanasobhano teaches us the basics of Buddhism: Theravada Buddhism, the Sri Lankan storehouse of India's ancient tradition. Landscapes of Wonder is a primer on the basics of Buddhism: the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, karma, meditation, and such. But the lessons are to be discovered in fallen trees, soaring birds, and winter landscapes. "Our pilgrimage need not be long, as the world counts distance, but epic nonetheless: over the barriers of habit, through the forests of doubt, beyond our circumscribed consciousness toward a freedom as yet scarcely imagined." There is still an occasional rawness and creeping pedantry in Nyanasobhano's voice, but his eloquence overshadows them and introduces us to truly wondrous landscapes. --Brian Bruya

Creative and contemplative:
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.

A Buddhist Thoreau:
If the notion of a Buddhist Thoreau intrigues you, pull up a chair. You have just found your book in "Landscapes of Wonder." This is a fine collection of essays by a gifted writer who uses nature as a springboard for reflections on the key tenets of Buddhist thought. People have been observing nature and her secrets for thousands of years and have opened themselves to startling and soulful reflections as a result. The rivers and streams, the mountains and woods, the trees and the seasons, all have a wisdom to impart to us if we allow them to work their magic and stay attentive. The author of "Landscapes of Wonder," a former monk in the Bhikkhu Sangha, covers a wide gamut of Buddhist teachings. In the contemplation of nature's gradual decay, he sees the Buddha's teaching of impermanence. Everyone of us knows that we wlll all go the way of the wilting flower or the fallen oak, yet how many of us ever act on that knowledge in a way that motivates us to love and live each day to the fullest? Nyanasobhano also extends the observation of nature's changing seasons to the Buddhist emphasis on daily mindfulness when he writes on page 120: "We must try not to be thrown off by the marvels of appearance but to investigate deeper reality, not just with intellect...but with the intuitive tool of mindfulness, which reaches past bumbling cogitation and theorizing and deals with events directly. In the seen there will be just what is seen, in the heard, just what is heard. This is how we can train the mind, how we can make possible the arising of insight." These are just two examples of the many ways in which the author ties the events in nature to the universal and eternal truths of his Buddhist heritage. The seasoned practitioner of Buddhism will likely discover a renewed and refined appreciation for the Buddha's timeless truths, while the novice might well be compelled to investigate further. Beyond this, there is a deep and penetrating wisdom to many of the Buddha's insights, irrespective of a person's religious persuasion. The book is almost an extended meditation in its own right, and should be read as such, with frequent pauses and reflections. I enjoyed reading it as much for the lyrical and eloquent quality of the writing as for its exploration of Buddhism. There is much here to ponder, yet the writing itself is never ponderous. In some respects, "Landscapes of Wonder," itself "an intuition of majesty and wonder," reminds me of Annie Dillard's, "Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek," though with a decidely Buddhist bent. If you are attracted to Thoreau, Whitman, Emerson's essay, "Nature," Annie Dillard, William Wordsworth, or the like, or appreciate the eternal verities of Buddhism itself, you owe it to yourself to read "Landscapes of Wonder."

an animating book:
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.

An unmatched ability to truly see:
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.

Pedantic and ponderous:
I don't mean to be rude--I'm sure the author is sincere in his intentions. But this collection of essays is not much fun to read, and at times downright morose. There is little joy to be found here and much emphasis on decay. I suppose a certain personality type is drawn to this viewpoint. But I had to read some Thich Nhat Hanh afterwards just to feel good again. There are a few good moments and some wisdom to be gleaned here-- but I could not recommend purchasing this book.