Product Details
The Accidental Buddhist

The Accidental Buddhist
By Dinty W. Moore

List Price: $13.95
Price: $11.16 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com

98 new or used available from $1.65

Average customer review:

Product Description

When Dinty Moore was fifteen and on a Catholic Youth retreat weekend at a monastery in upstate New York, he thought for a brief moment he might grow up to be a priest. Instead, over the years, he lost his faith. "Twenty-five years later, I found myself at the doorway of a different monastery," Moore writes. " And the monks? Well, this time the monks were Buddhists."

The Accidental Buddhist is the funny, provocative story of how Dinty Moore, as American as Huckleberry Finn, went looking for the faith he'd lost in what might seem the most unlikely of places: the ancient Eastern tradition of Buddhism. Like George Plimpton venturing into the world of professional sports, Dinty Moore enters the retreat centers, zendos, and meditation halls that have been taking root in every corner of America.

Moore takes the time to see what Buddhism has to offer the harried, hassled American of the new century. He explores the different varieties of American Buddhism, attends rallies, even tracks down and questions the Dalai Lama. In the process, much to his own surprise, he finds himself fascinated and moved by what he encounters.

For anyone who has wondered about the gorwing visibility of Buddhism, Dinty Moore demystifies and explains the contradictions and concepts of this most mystic-seeming of religious traditions, while putting it into an American context. Those already interested in Buddhism will find The Accidental Buddhist a plain-spoken, insightful look at the dharma in America.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #62122 in Books
  • Published on: 1999-02-16
  • Released on: 1999-02-16
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 224 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
In this succinct reading by Jack Hawkins, author Moore relates how persistent dissatisfaction and a hollowness in his life led him, a college writing professor, to investigate the resurgence of Buddhism (Algonquin, 1997). His self-styled American Buddhism Project led him to visit several diverse monasteries and retreats and delve into the wealth of contemporary literature. His insouciant account of these experiences makes the oftentimes impenetrable concepts of Buddhism accessible to the reader and contains striking, and important, parallels and contrasts between his own Catholic upbringing and ancient Buddhist traditions. Highly recommended.?Linda Bredengerd, Univ. of Pittsburgh Lib., Bradford, Pa.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
A self-absorbed but still instructive trek through the many varieties of American Buddhism. Moore (The Emperor's Virtual Clothes, 1995) claims a predicament with which many Americans are familiar: Life along the information superhighway can seem a hurried, tense affair. Like other seekers, Moore turns to Buddhism to soothe his angst and fill the meaningless void. Thus, another book about yet another Baby Boomer who skeptically embraces an Eastern religion--and who thinks that his spiritual quest is fascinating enough to relate to all the world. The quest is hackneyed, the humor irritating (``Why do Tibetan Buddhists have trouble with their vacuum cleaners? They lack attachments''). That said, Moore's tale is valuable on an entirely different, perhaps unintended, count: as a travelogue detailing the tremendous diversity within American Buddhism. His anecdotes make it clear that the umbrella term ``Buddhist'' encompasses strict Zen monks, laid-back Tibetan politicos, and beatnik holdover Allen Ginsberg. In his travels, Moore attends weekend retreats, chronicles the Dalai Lama's 1996 visit to Indiana, and grooves to Change Your Mind Day, a meditative Buddha- fest in New York City's Central Park. Along the way he asks whether American Buddhism is ``the real thing or just shallow amusement''; his own experiences seem to indicate that it is both. In the end, Moore's wanderings come full circle, as he quite accidentally discovers a group of practicing Buddhists in his own rural town. He finds that his family is his sangha (monastery), and while he still feels he is ``probably a fairly lousy Buddhist,'' he will eclectically combine his various forms of new knowledge to find a path that makes sense to him. Now that may be an authentic American Buddhism. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review
"Moore's hilarious and sometimes irreverent look at Buddhism is a perfect primer for the budding Buddhist." - Publishers Weekly (Sept 15, 1997)
-- Review

Customer Reviews

DailyBuddhism Review: Monkey Mind's Revenge?5
This is a fun book, and I"ve read it a couple of times. It explores the state of Buddhism in America today, following the author as he travels around America visiting and talking to various Buddhist groups. He visits a Zen monastery, a Catholic priest who teaches Buddhism, Buddhist magazine publishers, Tibetan freedom advocates, zafu makers, and even an interview with the Dalai Lama himself.

What are the problems and joys of being a Buddhist in America? And what will the neighbors think? Buddhism evolved in the East, and the East evolved around Buddhism, but that's not the case in America. It's not a perfect fit, and there are many dilemmas and problems that the author humorously notes.

Although the book is not really a "what is Buddhism" book, you'll glean a lot of insight into all things Buddhistic in this one. I would definitely call it appropriate for any beginning-level Buddhist, and anyone who has been reading the Daily Buddhism for any length of time should have no problem at all with any of the terminology.

The book is filled with humor; the author has some of the best (and funniest) quotes about "monkey mind" that I've ever come across. But the book also has a serious undertone to it. Why would the Dalai Lama suggest that maybe Americans shouldn't become Buddhists? How can monks in America support themselves?

And will that monkey ever shut up?

Again, this is not a "how to" book, but I strongly recommend it.

American Buddhism: An Oxymoron?4
Buddhism in America may strike you as a square peg ramming into a round hole, but if that's the case, why has the "religion" attracted so many Americans? Something about our way of life must drive it... something about the fast pace and materialism of our culture must be whetting the appetite of these seekers. Thus, the premise of Dinty Moore's THE ACCIDENTAL BUDDHIST. Though now 10 years old, the book's chronicling of one man's search for Buddhist truth in America still flies because, well, neither America nor certainly Buddhism has changed much.

Moore visits monasteries, priests, Buddhist "concerts," retreats, and even individuals in his journey. All of this, of course, is flavored heavily with his own observations and doubts. Brought up a Catholic who was terrorized (in a sense) by his nun teachers in school, Moore wanted a gentler, kinder "God" over the punitive one he had come to know. He especially wanted a belief system that discounts Hell. Thus, Buddhism.

As it turns out, the idea and the book itself are a win/win proposition because the answer turns out to be no answer (proving the protean nature of Zen). Yes, Moore's definitions of common Buddhist terms (including a glossary at the end) are instructive, but his frustrations and compromises are even more so. With its sense of humor and self-effacing (Eureka!) manner, THE ACCIDENTAL BUDDHIST is a perfect fit for beginning Buddhists and those simply curious about its precepts alike. We are the book and the book is us, in other words. Enjoy.

Thank you Mr. Moore5
I started reading this yesterday, and just finished it a few minutes ago. It pretty much sums up what I've gone through myself in personal Buddhist research. Tibetan buddhism seems browbeating, Zen is more palatable, but still can be a bit too strict - but the core points always hit home. Still your mind, that's all. It was nice to see that others search for the same thing, and also that there are so many others interested in Buddhism in the US. Mr. Moore shares his experiences of going to different Buddhist retreats and meeting with various kinds of Buddhists from different parts of the US, and its much more varied than one might think. I'm not sure that religion will ever really take off in this country, because for something to take off here, it has to be somewhat organized, which is NOT the case with Buddhism here - I bet most who are truely Buddhists here at heart are very hesitant to say that they are, for various reasons.

Thank you, Mr. Moore for sharing your experiences with us. Your book has really helped me digest everything I've tried unsuccessfully to piece together over the years.