The Buddha And The Terrorist

Every once in a while a profound and beautiful book comes along that speaks for all time and also to our specific time. The Buddha and the Terrorist is such a book.
" There is a virus buried deep in all violence that is contagious, that inspires an equally brutal and mindless response. You can choose not to be part of the destructive cycle, and that choice not to participate is the first step toward peace. We can begin to cultivate small acts of compassion right now."
-- from the foreword by Thomas Moore

International terrorism may have become the central specter of our time, but the threat of violence is as old as history. Among all the experiences of the Buddha, perhaps this story of his eye-to-eye encounter with a fearsome terrorist is the one most relevant and vital for us today. What happens when a man committed to violence is confronted by a man committed to nonviolence? Who is more powerful? Who can influence whom? The Buddha, Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama, have all sought to inspire us. Satish Kumar's retelling of the ancient Buddhist tale of transformation speaks to the possibility of changing the world.
This small book contains an unassailable spiritual and practical message and inspired guidance in the use of nonviolent resistance in the quest for lasting peace. The Buddha's approach is one of engagement and dialogue-- even toward those with whom he disagrees. No one can read this tale without thinking about the root causes of terrorism, about good and evil, about justice and forgiveness, about the kind of place we want the world to be, and about the most productive and practical way to get there.