Buddha's Nature: A Practical Guide to Enlightenment Through Evolution

I recommend this book, especially after first reading Thomas Berry's book, "Dream of the Earth" (1990). Berry's deep-ecology classic, which should be included in Nisker's list of "Recommended Reading," but is not, examines the reasons for rethinking our connection with the earth, and encourages us to take responsibility. Nisker provides advice from a buddhist perspective on how to put Berry's "dream" into daily practice. Nisker, like Berry, first shows "how deeply embedded and interwoven humans are with all of life and nature" (p. 3), and then offers a number of "deep-ecology practices" which "can establish us in our connection with each other, and with all other forms of life on earth" (p. 30). G. Merritt

I liked this book. It is written in a an everyday conversational style, and it gave me a lot of food for thought. It also provided exercises to help you get examine your spiritual relationship to your evolutionary ancestry.

The main reason I picked up this book was I've listened to KFOG for years and have always enjoyed the "Weekly (now occasional) Scoop" -- Mr. Nisker's penetrating news and commentary. I have really enjoyed learning about more Buddhism and meditation from this extremely well written book. Mr. Nisker does an wonderful job of explaining meditation and spirituality in a way that speaks effectively to someone raised in the rationalist, Western mode of thought. It make you want to stop reading about meditating and do it. Thanks for a great book! I think that if you enjoyed Concilience by E.O. Wilson, you'd enjoy this book.

Wes Nisker, a vipassana Buddhist teacher, carefully and playfully integrates Western science's contemporary understanding of evolution and biology, with an emphasis on the neurosciences, with the Buddha's Four Foundations of Mindfulness. The book is well-organized, well-written, often pithy, and a pleasure to read. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in both biology and Buddhist thought.

This book is a milestone in contemporary Buddhism...Here Wes Nisker with stunning generosity and compassion, grounds the Buddha's teaching in discoveries made by the neural and evolutionary sciences. I dare you to find a book on science that is so personal, or a book on meditation that is so funny and forgiving. Reviewed by Joanna Macy, author of World As Lover, World as Self.