Buddhism as I Heard It

Buddhism's messages are timeless. Yet they're often obscure. How do we best uncover them?

• In his third Buddhist-themed book, author J.M. Walsh peels away the layers of conflicting doctrine and supernaturalism to expose the tradition's most profound and basic tenets. He does so through a carefully researched four-way conversation among a surprising cast of characters: a non-Buddhist of our time, the Buddha, and two later teachers, Nagarjuna and Nichiren. The voices of the three sages reflect Buddhist discourses and writings.
• Although the discussion is fictional, its content isn't entirely imagined. The modern participant poses the challenging questions that must be asked of an ancient tradition.
• Through dialogue you'll participate in a deepening understanding of emptiness, non-dualism, denial of views, awakening, the makeup of Buddhist texts, nirvana, conventional and ultimate truth, forms of practice, and Buddhism's social dimension.
• The content is relevant for anyone investigating Buddhism for the first time as well as for seasoned travelers of the path. For those in the latter group, while the book takes its deepest dive into Mahayana and its later interpretation by Nichiren, you'll find many insights applicable to Buddhism in all its diversity.
• In the Foreword, J.D. Gilbert, author of The Evolving Buddha, comments as follows: "Ambitious, daring, and unique, Buddhism as I Heard It is like no other book on the subject. It tackles some big questions relevant to all forms of Buddhism and, whilst being a detailed and refined scholarly work, remains accessible and readable through the format of a dynamic dialogue ... I would defy anyone to read this book and not learn something new, something refreshing."

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