In the fourth century, the Christian monk Evagrius of Pontus identified a group of "obstructive thoughts" that hindered individuals from stilling their minds in communion with God. Ranging from sadness and anger to gluttony and lust, Evagrius' list would later form the basis for the Church's "seven deadly sins." Notably, early Buddhist scriptures described a similar set of mental "hindrances" to liberating insight, which included problems such as sloth and sensory desire. Christian and Buddhist traditions thus pinpointed similar obstacles for the practitioner who is pursuing contemplative practice.

In Obstacles to Stillness, Shodhin Geiman provides a comparison of these Christian and Buddhist approaches to identifying, and overcoming, hindrances to religious contemplation. Offering a fresh approach to Buddhist-Christian dialogue, this book allows readers to find common ground by pointing to the shared difficulties they face on their respective spiritual paths.

Obstacles to Stillness: Thoughts, Hindrances, and Self-Surrender in Evagarius and the Buddha; Shodhin K. Geiman; Fortress Press; Paperback; 219 pages; $32.00

Shodhin Geiman is an associate professor of philosophy at Valparaiso University, and a teacher at the Chicago Zen Center.