This is the first book to offer Buddhist meditators a comprehensive and sympathetic examination of the differences between Asian and Western cultural and spiritual values. Harvey B. Aronson presents a constructive and practical assessment of common conflicts experiences by Westerners who look to Eastern spiritual traditions for guidance and support and find themselves confused or disappointed. Issues addressed include:

• Our cultural belief that anger should not be suppressed versus the Buddhist teaching to counter anger and hatred


• Our Psychotherapists' advice that attachment is the basis for healthy personal development and supportive relationships versus the Buddhist condemnation of attachments as the source of suffering


• Our culture's emphasis on individuality versus the Asian emphasis on interdependence and fulfillment of duties, and the Buddhist teachings on no-self, or egolessness

Buddhist Practice on Western Ground: Reconciling Eastern Ideals and Western Psychology, Harvey Aronson, Shambhala Publications, Paperback, 253 pages, $14.95

Harvey B. Aronson, Ph.D., M.S.W., is a psychotherapist in private practice and a Buddhist meditation teacher. He is founder and teacher-in-residence at the Dawn Mountain Tibetan Temple, Community Center, and Research Institute in Houston, Texas. He travels and lectures on Buddhist philosophy and psychology at universities and at academic and Buddhist conferences around the country.

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xiii

1.Light and Shadow 1
2. Eastern Ideals 10
3. The Joys and Perils of Individuality 19
4. Mirrors and Reflections 32
5. Spirituality: Local and Express 41
6. Psychotherapy in the Context of Ongoing Buddhist Practice 52
7. Ego, Ego on the Wall: What Is Ego After All? 64
8. Anger: Abandon It or Express It? 91
9. A Middle Path on Anger 113
10. Embodied Love 127
11. Attachment East and West 151
12. Traditional Approaches to Nonattachment 163
13. Making Nonattachment Real 174
14. Presence and Absence in Life and Practice 184
15. Practice, Performance, and Finding Our Voices 199
Epilogue: Life as Pilgrimage 211

Notes 213
Index 243