You Don't Have to Sit on the Floor: Making Buddhism Part of Your Everyday Life

Rating:
Summary: A PRECIOUS GIFT FOR A SUFFERING PLANET!
Review: I had never heard of Jim Pym (nor he of me, I'm sure), but when I found this book while browsing, I couldn't believe it. I had FINALLY found an introductory book on Buddhism that covered all the bases while accenting the aspects of this wonderful Way that I most believe in--practice, compassion (including vegetarianism, although he touches on this very lightly, so don't be put off), and self-discovery. Just an amazing book, and one of which I will buy many copies. I wish I could buy one for every person in the world; it would go a long way toward helping alleviate the hatred and suffering that has gripped our planet. Thank you, Jim Pym!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful introduction to Buddhism
Review: I reviewed this book for "Sacred Journey" and was amazed at the simplicty of Pym's explanations.I always Buddhism was an extremely complicated religion and found that most books about it were difficult to understand. This book breaks everythign down into the most simple terms. Pym utilizes fantastic parallels to common everyday things and provides a sound, yet easy to understand introduction to Buddhism. His writing style is lively and entertaining, keeping you turning pages and moving forward through the book.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful introduction to Buddhism
Review: I reviewed this book for "Sacred Journey" and was amazed at the simplicty of Pym's explanations.I always Buddhism was an extremely complicated religion and found that most books about it were difficult to understand. This book breaks everythign down into the most simple terms. Pym utilizes fantastic parallels to common everyday things and provides a sound, yet easy to understand introduction to Buddhism. His writing style is lively and entertaining, keeping you turning pages and moving forward through the book.

Rating:
Summary: could have been much better
Review: Jim Pym seems like a very nice man, and I do not wish to appear to be criticizing him personally, or to presume to dictate his path, nor to impugn his motives. We are all, afterall, foolish beings. I must say, though, that as a life-long Buddhist (and for years a student of Jodo Shinshu) the book is a disappointment in several respects. First of all, the question of how Buddhism can maintain its spiritual core while adapting to modernity, especially in the West, is a serious, difficult and multi-faceted question. Pym gives no especially useful perspective on this. We do not need a book to tell us to keep what is useful and discard what is not -- we need insight as to how to tell the difference, not feel-good fluff. I also found Pym to consistently use a double-standard, as regards responding to his own critics, versus criticizing others. He often uses specious reasoning to defend Buddhist teachings that deserve much better treatment (I am reminded of Kierkegaard's lament about "spiritual plagiarism"). Finally, the reader should understand that Pym's perspective is one of blending Shin Buddhism with Christianity, and his presentation of Shin Buddhism is always colored by this personal perspective. Pym is not the only person on this blended path, and I am not criticizing him for that! But for the reader who wants to understand Shin Buddhism in its own right, including its everyday applications, Pym's book would not be the best introduction. There are wonderfully written books, accessible to the general reader, by Taitetsu Unno, Alfred Bloom, Kenneth Tanaka, and even D.T. Suzuki. Those books do a far better job of diving to the bottom, not just swimming on the surface.