The Buddha Walks into a Bar . . .

December 12, 2011
Can the younger generation discover Buddhism more easily if Siddhartha Gautama is referred to as Sid? That is an open question in this guide by Rinzler, a 28-year-old teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition. Aiming at young people who “like to have a beer once in a while, enjoy sex, have figured out that parents are crazy, or get frustrated at work,” Rinzler explores classic Buddhist techniques and concepts such as shamatha (calm abiding) and vipashyana (insight) meditation, the five kleshas (afflictive emotions), and the six paramitas (perfections). His lens for doing so is the “four dignities” (tiger, snow lion, garuda , and dragon) of Shambhala Buddhism, based on teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and currently led by his son Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Examples are drawn from situations that might be encountered by 20-somethings coping with work and relationship challenges; practices are included. Rinzler’s focus on distinctive aspects of the warrior training taught by Shambhala Buddhism may narrow this guide’s appeal compared to more comprehensive introductions to this Eastern philosophy.

January 1, 2012

Huffington Post columnist Rinzler can certainly be said to speak for the twentysomething generation, since he is not yet 30. This volume is far beyond a compilation of his columns or prior work; it is a genuine introduction to living a Buddhist life without immersion in Buddhism's more esoteric practices and without the heavy weight of academicism or politics that tends to affect the experience of Buddhism in America today. While Rinzler's dauntless confidence suggests his relative lack of experience, that very voice is likely to speak effectively to young adults. VERDICT A fine beginning resource for younger adults ready to try the approaches of Buddhism; this is Eastern spirituality for the Harry Potter generation.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2011
Is there a punch line to Rinzler's jokelike title? Not one, but many. Yet this is in no way a superficial treatise. A young, New York-based Buddhist teacher who will connect especially well with readers in their twenties and thirties, Rinzler is able to take a relaxed, colloquial approach to meditation and its many benefits because he's so well versed in Shambhala and Tibetan Buddhism. As sophisticated as his knowledge is, however, he addresses the basics with energizing specificity, beginning with how to make time to meditate and discern one's core motivation. With the four dignities of Shambhalathe tiger, snow lion, dragon, and garuda (half bird, half man), representing different paths to and aspects of wisdom and compassionas his organizing figures, Rinzler cogently explains how the cultivation of generosity, discipline, patience, joyous exertion, tenderness, and social consciousness can help individuals resolve conflicts associated with work, family, romance, sex, money, and health. With examples ranging from superheroes to YouTube videos, Rinzler brings timeless teachings to the buzz of now in an engaging, richly instructive, genuinely illuminating spiritual guide.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)