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62 EASTERN HORIZON | BOOKS IN BRIEF

BOOKS IN BRIEF

including usefulness, mildness, humility, contentment,
receptivity, and others. Ayya Khema expertly guides
us through each individual condition, along with ten
guided visualization meditation practices, using her
trademark humor and personal narrative to help each
reader shape their own path to self-transformation

This book is therefore an excellent starter and a
resource for anyone interested in developing a
Ayya Khema, The Path to Peace. A Buddhist Guide to meditation routine around metta, or in general, bringing
Cultivating Loving Kindness. USA: Shambhala. 2022. pp an aspect of compassion to daily life. Perhaps the
159. US$18.95 simplicity is felt from the conversational tone - the
www.shambhala.com transcribed talks of Ayya Khema forms the bulk of the
book - and the practical instructions.
The Venerable Ayya Khema was beloved for her crystal-
clear presentation, the extremely practical guidance After exploring the 15 characteristics that are almost
she always gave, and the open-hearted quality of her a pre-requisite for being a “wholesome” person - each
teachings. In The Path to Peace, she presents a complete one described in a pithy chapter, the book provides
course in the active and intentional process to cultivate one of the most practical set of metta visualizations
peace through metta, unconditional love. Peace is the that can form the basis for any meditation routine. The
sum of many parts, namely the fifteen wholesome metaphors and the descriptions for these visualizations
are by itself well worth investing in this book. EH
qualities the Buddha himself noted in the Metta Sutta,

Buddhism is one of the religious traditions best
known for asserting rebirth, the history and scope of
Buddhist approaches to this belief have not received
comprehensive treatment—until now.

This first-ever guide to rebirth in Buddhism covers
the historical context for the Buddha’s teachings on
the topic; explains what Buddhists believe is actually
Roger Jackson, Rebirth. A Guide to Mind, Karma, and reborn; and considers the wide range of Buddhist
Cosmos in the Buddhist World. USA: Shambhala. 2022. views about what happens after death. The author also
pp 327. US$27.95 addresses interpretations of rebirth in modern Buddhist
www.shambhala.com contexts as well as the implications of recent scientific
attempts to document evidence of reincarnation. It is, in
The possibility that we have lived before and may be short, the first truly complete overview of rebirth across
born again, whether as a human or in some other form major Buddhist traditions, written by a leading scholar
of existence, continues to be a source of fascination and teacher of Buddhism. It is therefore a definitive
across cultures and across millennia. Although work on the topic of rebirth. EH