Why Buddhism? Westerners in Search of Wisdom

The book begins with Vicki Mackenzie’s personal account of attending her first Buddhist meditation course in Nepal in 1976, at a time when Buddhism and meditation were still considered marginal in the West. She contrasts that earlier social climate with the rapid expansion of Buddhist centres, Buddhist publishing, public interest in the Dalai Lama, and the growing acceptance of meditation and reincarnation in Western culture. The author then frames the central question of the book: why has Buddhism taken root in the West with such speed and appeal? Rather than answering through academic theory alone, she gathers a range of personal voices. The chapters profile Western Buddhists from diverse backgrounds: Robina Courtin teaching Buddhism in prison; Alison Murdoch reconciling Buddhist and Christian commitments; Sharon Salzberg teaching mindfulness; Stephen Batchelor articulating a sceptical Buddhist approach; Inta McKimm using Buddhism in the process of dying; Philip Glass, Robert Thurman, Sister Kovida, Yvonne Rand, and others reflecting on Buddhist practice in art, scholarship, monastic life, Zen, and daily transformation. The book concludes with key Buddhist terms and further reading.