Mindfulness and Money

Publishers Weekly

Ignore the consumerist connotation that the "abundance" of the book's subtitle unfortunately carries, and enjoy this basic text on how to live happily and mindfully as a householder Buddhist. This is a book for Buddhists with jobs to keep and bills to pay-people who are always mindlessly getting and spending, yet never attaining satisfaction. Kulananda and Houlder, entrepreneurs and teachers of both Buddhism and business, skillfully interpret the traditional Buddhist image of the Wheel of Life to analyze work, consumption and other real-life contemporary economic behaviors. Throughout, they suggest ways to live as mindful, generous, contented financial beings. Both authors live and work in the U.K., which gives them functional distance from the tentacles of American consumerism; members of the Western Buddhist Order, they are also familiar with the economic exigencies faced by their order's Asian Buddhist members. Their ethic elaborates on the traditional five Buddhist precepts used by monastics and householders alike: don't kill, steal, lie, become intoxicated, or engage in sexual misconduct. Kulananda and Houlder persuasively argue that these precepts are liberating when applied to the world of economic choice, and can lead to greater mindfulness and equanimity. They include exercises to help raise awareness and numerous examples to illustrate. A fresh antidote to consumerism and guilt and a sharply realistic tool, this provocative and practical book belongs not just on Buddhist nightstands, but on office desks as an essential reminder to emulate the Buddha in the workplace. (Dec. 24) Forecast: January is the traditional season for self-help and personal finance books, and this substantive and spiritual guide could well find a loyal audience of readers who are looking for something more satisfying than the usual fare. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

A Buddhist teacher and founder of a successful consulting firm, respectively, the authors of this self-help business book build on Buddhist teaching, hoping to show how best to integrate one's material and spiritual needs in order to "find ways to lead a whole life." The book provides a basic primer on Buddhism, showing that its "wheel of life" can "shed light on any aspect of human behavior." By offering genuine examples and easily understood exercises, the authors make it clear that their work is more than just another New Age tonic. It's really a way to a "path of abundance," and whether or not one believes in the power of Buddhism is beside the point. There is no question that the harsh realities of capitalism will always be with us, but the authors suggest that by following the basic precepts outlined here (kindness, generosity, contentment, honesty, and awareness), we may make ourselves better people, thus contributing to a better world. It's not an entirely new message but one that should resonate with many readers. Appropriate for larger public libraries.-Richard Drezen, Washington Post, New York City Bureau Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.