Hard Travel to Sacred Places

The author and his wife have been stunned by the accidental death of their 21 year-old son. They take an assignment to capture photographically the Buddhist images of the three countries toured in the book, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Cambodia. It's very depressing, outwardly and inwardly. They cannot escape their grief, they encounter much more grief in this perverted war-ravaged part of the world. It becomes an existential malaise, no exit, quite moving. He quotes nicely different Rinpoche's, such as "All this doing has no more meaning than walking around a desert . . All this exertion produces no result." Touring the dilapidating temples of Anghor Wat the ennui becomes palpable. The book is a heroic fight against despair. Author and wife win, but at some cost. Good introduction to Buddhist scriptures that interlace and support narrative. I ended up admiring the author, thinking of buying his latest novel. He brings to life the old Buddhist story of the woman whose child died, beseeching Buddha for medicine to bring the son back to life, ending with, "Holy one, enough of this business of mustard seed. Only give me refuge."

Not for the faint of heart (or the heartless). This compassionate and compelling little book packs a mighty wollop and takes you on a deep journey to the place inside of you that asks, "What's life all about anyway?"

service was excellent and book was in condition described

I couldn't differ more with the review by T. Gilbert! Sure this book is self-absorbed - but as the author journeys into himself he finds a universal suffrage. The author's courage to face off against death is remarkable in these times of flippancy and shallow know-it-all attitudes. The author is a wonderful guide through the darkness - and to be admired. There's nothing at all sophomoric that I could find in the book, nothing. It's as serious as it gets. The way that the author divides up the journey into a lusting/ignoring/hating triad of suffering is as an intuitive an expression of Buddhism as I have ever come across in my studies. Perhaps "every one has experienced loss in their life"; but few of us dare to share the accompanying humiliation with each other, or ourselves. Thank you Mr. Wurlitzer!I also suggest Inside Thai Society: Religion, Everyday Life, Change by Niels Mulder and Bali, Sekala and Niskala: Essays on Religion, Ritual, and Art by Fred B. Eiseman for an exploration of how Buddhism can help guide us over, around, and under the many hurdles in life.

I read this because I liked the title, and thought the idea of the book - travelnig to a powerful place during a difficult time in life - was promising. The book turned out to be darker than I expected - but it was still moving and memorable. I read this book years ago but still recall passages and ideas from it. I think if I went to Cambodia or other places mentioned, I'd reread this short book - just to help give me a deep emotional context to consider while I'm there. Good - easy to read - but it might stay with you.