A Buddhist interpretation of Western history that shows civilization shaped by the self's desire for groundedness. Buddhism teaches that to become happy, greed, ill-will, and delusion must be transformed into their positive counterparts: generosity, compassion, and wisdom. The history of the West, like all histories, has been plagued by the consequences of greed, ill-will, and delusion. A Buddhist History of the West investigates how individuals have tried to ground themselves to make themselves feel more real. To be self-conscious is to experience ungroundedness as a sense of lack, but what is lacking has been understood differently in different historical periods. Author David R. Loy examines how the understanding of lack changes at historical junctures and shows how those junctures were so crucial in the development of the West.

A Buddhist History of the West: Studies in Lack (SUNY Series in Religious Studies)

History

Loy, David R.

World

State Univ of New York Pr

A Buddhist interpretation of Western history that shows civilization shaped by the self's desire for groundedness. Buddhism teaches that to become happy, greed, ill-will, and delusion must be transformed into their positive counterparts: generosity, compassion, and wisdom. The history of the West, like all histories, has been plagued by the consequences of greed, ill-will, and delusion. A Buddhist History of the West investigates how individuals have tried to ground themselves to make themselves feel more real. To be self-conscious is to experience ungroundedness as a sense of lack, but what is lacking has been understood differently in different historical periods. Author David R. Loy examines how the understanding of lack changes at historical junctures and shows how those junctures were so crucial in the development of the West. “A polymath’s tour through intellectual and social history, David Loy’s Buddhist retelling goes far in revealing the historically conditioned limitations of many dominant Western terms, metaphors, and assumptions. By reinterpreting greed, ill will, and delusion as structural rather than personal problems, Loy offers a compassionate account of ways that we make ourselves unhappy and a trenchant critique of market capitalism’s manipulation of these habits of mind.” — The Journal of Asian Studies “…his study of European history from what he calls the perspective of lack reveals astonishing yet previously barely highlighted insights into European thought … Loy’s book is filled with observations and indictments of common myths that are not only provocative in nature but sure to challenge many of the presuppositions that the proponents of the so-called Western World hold dear.” Philosophy East &amp; West This book expands the dialog, enlarges the vocabulary, takes instruction from other cultural traditions, and throws light on our own Occidental problems. I like its clarity in a territory that is of critical importance and is intrinsically difficult. The book has to do with ways of coming to a better understanding of civilization, history, politics, and our own human psyches, and how it is that certain sets of problemswar and exploitation among themkeep arising. David Loy is opening up new territory that is of great value. He is a very exciting thinker. Gary Snyder, author of The Gary Snyder Reader: Prose, Poetry, and Translations, 19521998

A Buddhist History of the West (Suny Series in Religious Studies)

Americas

State University of New York Press

The most essential insight that Buddhism offers is that all our individual suffering arises from three and only three sources, known in Buddhism as the three poisons: greed, ill-will, and delusion. In The Great Awakening, scholar and Zen teacher David Loy examines how these three poisons, embodied in society's institutions, lie at the root of all social maladies as well. The teachings of Buddhism present a way that the individual can counteract these to alleviate personal suffering, and in the The Great Awakening Loy boldly examines how these teachings can be applied to institutions and even whole cultures for the alleviation of suffering on a collective level. This book will help both Buddhists and non-Buddhists to realize the social importance of Buddhist teachings, while providing a theoretical framework for socially engaged members of society to apply their spiritual principles to collective social issues. The Great Awakening shows how Buddhism can help our postmodern world develop liberative possibilities otherwise obscured by the anti-religious bias of so much contemporary social theory.

The Great Awakening: A Buddhist Social Theory

Literature & Fiction

Essays & Correspondence

Wisdom Publications

In order to live, we need air, water, food, shelter…and stories. This book is about Buddhist stories: not about stories to be found in Buddhism, but about the “Buddhism” to be found in some of the classics of contemporary fantasy including the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Hayao Miyazaki, Michael Ende, Philip Pullman, and Ursula K. LeGuin. Many books are called groundbreaking, but this one is truly unique and sure to appeal to anyone with an interest in fantasy literature. It employs a Buddhist perspective to appreciate some of the major works of modern fantasy--and uses modern fantasy fiction to elucidate Buddhist teachings. In the tradition of David Loy's cutting-edge presentation of a Buddhist social theory in The Great Awakening, this pioneering work of Buddhist literary analysis, renown scholar David Loy and Linda Goodhew offer ways of reading modern fantasy-genre fiction that illuminate both the stories themselves, and the universal qualities of Buddhist teachings. Authors examined include J.R.R. Tolkien, Philip Pullman (of The Amber Spyglass trilogy, from whose works the word "daemon" is borrowed in the title), Ursula K. LeGuin, and the anime movie Princess Mononoke.

The Dharma of Dragons and Daemons: Buddhist Themes in Modern Fantasy

Goodhew, Linda

Linda Goodhew

History & Criticism

<ul>
<li>What's Wrong with Sex?</li> <li>How to Drive Your Karma</li> <li>Consciousness Commodified</li> <li>The Karma of Food</li> <li>The Three Poisons, Institutionalized</li> <li>Why We Love War</li> </ul>
 These are just some of the chapters in this brilliant book from David R. Loy. In little time, Loy has become one of the most powerful advocates of the Buddhist worldview, explaining like no one else its ability to transform the sociopolitical landscape of the modern world. In this, his most accessible work to date, he offers sharp and even shockingly clear presentations of oft-misunderstood Buddhist staples-the working of karma, the nature of self, the causes of trouble on both the individual and societal levels-and the real reasons behind our collective sense of "never enough," whether it's time, money, sex, security... even war. Loy's "Buddhist Revolution" is nothing less than a radical change in the ways we can approach our lives, our planet, the collective delusions that pervade our language, culture, and even our spirituality.

Money, Sex, War, Karma: Notes for a Buddhist Revolution

Self-Help

Happiness

In this dynamic and utterly novel presentation, David Loy explores the fascinating proposition that the stories we tell--about what is and is not possible, about ourselves, about right and wrong, life and death, about the world and everything in it--become the very building blocks of our experience and of reality itself. Loy uses an intriguing mixture of quotations from familiar and less-familiar sources and brief stand-alone micro-essays, engaging the reader in challenging and illuminating dialogue. As we come to see that the world is made--in a word--of stories, we come to a richer understanding of that most elusive of Buddhist ideas: shunyata, the "generative emptiness" that is the all-pervading quality inherent to all mental and physical forms in our ever-changing world. Reminiscent of Zen koans and works of sophisticated poetry, this book will reward both a casual read and deep reflection.

The World Is Made of Stories

Personal Transformation

Awareness Bound and Unbound: Buddhist Essays

Essays from the singular experience of Buddhist social critic and philosopher David R. Loy on classic and contemporary concerns. What do we need to do to become truly comfortable―at one―with our lives here and now? In these essays, Buddhist social critic and philosopher David R. Loy discusses liberation not from the world, but into it. Loy’s lens is a wide one, encompassing the classic and the contemporary, the Asian, the Western, and the comparative. Loy seeks to distinguish what is vital from what is culturally conditioned and perhaps outdated in Buddhism and also to bring fresh worldviews to a Western world in crisis. Some basic Buddhist teachings are reconsidered and thinkers such as Nagarjuna, Dogen, Eckhart, Swedenborg, and Zhuangzi are discussed. Particularly contemporary concerns include the effects of a computerized society, the notion of karma and the position of women, terrorism and the failure of secular modernity, and a Buddhist response to the notion of a clash of civilizations. With his unique mix of Buddhist philosophical insight and passion for social justice, Loy asks us to consider when our awareness, or attention, is bound in delusion and when it is unbound and awakened.

Politics & Social Sciences

Philosophy

Essays from the singular experience of Buddhist social critic and philosopher David R. Loy on classic and contemporary concerns. What do we need to do to become truly comfortable—at one—with our lives here and now? In these essays, Buddhist social critic and philosopher David R. Loy discusses liberation not from the world, but into it. Loy’s lens is a wide one, encompassing the classic and the contemporary, the Asian, the Western, and the comparative. Loy seeks to distinguish what is vital from what is culturally conditioned and perhaps outdated in Buddhism and also to bring fresh worldviews to a Western world in crisis. Some basic Buddhist teachings are reconsidered and thinkers such as Nagarjuna, Dogen, Eckhart, Swedenborg, and Zhuangzi are discussed. Particularly contemporary concerns include the effects of a computerized society, the notion of karma and the position of women, terrorism and the failure of secular modernity, and a Buddhist response to the notion of a clash of civilizations. With his unique mix of Buddhist philosophical insight and passion for social justice, Loy asks us to consider when our awareness, or attention, is bound in delusion and when it is unbound and awakened. "Loy … writes from a comparative perspective to determine what is vital and what is culturally outdated in Buddhism and Western worldviews. The ethical challenges hindering liberation are, in his opinion, the human propensity to cling to dualistic modes of thought and behavior, which, he argues convincingly, is the source of the violence, poverty, and exploitation that are presently destroying the human community and the life-forms with which humankind shares planet Earth." — CHOICE “These essays, each one in its own right, are extremely thought-provoking. The various topics addressed are indeed significant, timely, and crucial toward understanding events and situations in our contemporary global scene.” — Ruben L. F. Habito, author of Experiencing Buddhism: Ways of Wisdom and Compassion

Engage with a new vision of Buddhism and the modern world with the bestselling author of Money Sex War Karma: Notes for a Buddhist Revolution. David R. Loy addresses head-on the most pressing issues of Buddhist philosophy in our time. What is the meaning of enlightenment--is it an escape from the world, or is it a form of psychological healing? How can one reconcile modern scientific theory with ancient religious teachings? What is our role in the universe? Loy shows us that neither Buddhism nor secular society by itself is sufficient to answer these questions. Instead, he investigates the unexpected intersections of the two. Through this exchange, he uncovers a new Buddhist way, one that is faithful to the important traditions of Buddhism but compatible with modernity. This way, we can see the world as it is truly is, realize our indivisibility from it, and learn that the world's problems are our problems. This is a new path for a new world.

A New Buddhist Path: Enlightenment, Evolution, and Ethics in the Modern World

Religion & Spirituality

Buddhism

David R. Loy draws from giants of psychotherapy and existentialism, from Nietzsche to Kierkegaard to Sartre, to explore the fundamental issues of life, death, and what motivates us. Psychotherapy, existentialism, and Buddhism are all concerned with the same fundamental issues of life and death—and death-in-life. David R. Loy’s groundbreaking claim is that the unifying feature connecting these perspectives is a sense of pervasive sense of dissatisfaction—or, in a word, lack. In Lack &amp; Transcendence, he brings all three traditions together in a way that casts new light on each, as he draws from giants of psychotherapy, particularly Freud, Ernest Becker, Rollo May, Irvin Yalom, and Otto Rank; great existentialist thinkers, like Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre; and the teachings of Buddhism, especially as interpreted by Nagarjuna, Huineng, and Dogen. Written in accessible style that does not assume prior familiarity with any of its subjects, this book will appeal to readers of all backgrounds, including psychotherapists and psychoanalysts, religious scholars, Continental philosophers, and anyone seeking clarity on the Great Matter itself. The reader will come away with fresh perspectives on ancient questions and deeper insights into the human predilection to be unhappy—and what the liberating alternative may be.

Lack & Transcendence: The Problem of Death and Life in Psychotherapy, Existentialism, and Buddhism

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Loy, David R.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Loy, David R.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Loy, David R.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A Buddhist History of the West: Studies in Lack (SUNY Series in Religious Studies)

A Buddhist History of the West (Suny Series in Religious Studies)

The Great Awakening: A Buddhist Social Theory

The Dharma of Dragons and Daemons: Buddhist Themes in Modern Fantasy

Money, Sex, War, Karma: Notes for a Buddhist Revolution

The World Is Made of Stories

Awareness Bound and Unbound: Buddhist Essays

Awareness Bound and Unbound: Buddhist Essays

A New Buddhist Path: Enlightenment, Evolution, and Ethics in the Modern World

Lack & Transcendence: The Problem of Death and Life in Psychotherapy, Existentialism, and Buddhism