Buddha or Bust: In Search of Truth, Meaning, Happiness, and the Man Who Found Them All

by Perry Garfinkel

Why does an idea that’s 2,500 years old seem more relevant today than ever before? How can the Buddha’s teachings help us solve many of the world’s problems? Journalist Perry Garfinkel circumnavigated the globe to discover the heart of Buddhism and the reasons for its growing popularity—and ended up discovering himself in the process.

The assignment from National Geographic couldn’t have come at a better time for Garfinkel. Burned out, laid up with back problems, disillusioned by relationships and religion itself, he was still hoping for that big journalistic break—and the answers to life’s biggest riddles as well. So he set out on a geographic, historical and personal expedition that would lead him around the world in search of those answers, and then some.

First, to better understand the man who was born Prince Siddhartha Gautama, he followed the time-honored pilgrimage “in the footsteps of the Buddha” in India. From there, he tracked the historical course of to Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Tibet, Japan and on to San Francisco and Europe. He found that the Buddha’s teachings have spawned a worldwide movement of “engaged Buddhism,” the application of Buddhist principles to resolve social, environmental, health, political and other contemporary problems. From East to West and back to the East again, this movement has caused a Buddhism Boom.

Along the way he met a diverse array of Buddhist practitioners—Thai artists, Indian nuns, Sri Lankan school children, Zen archers in Japan, kung fu monks in China and the world’s first Buddhist comic (only in America). Among dozens of Buddhist scholars and leaders, Garfinkel interviewed His Holiness the Dalai Lama, an experience that left him speechless—almost. As just reward for his efforts, toward the end of his journey Garfinkel fell in love in the south of France at the retreat center of a leader of the engaged movement, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh—a romance that taught him as much about Buddhism as all the masters combined.

In this original, entertaining book, Garfinkel separates Buddhist fact from fiction, sharing his humorous insights and keen perceptions about everything from spiritual tourism to Asian traffic jams to the endless road to enlightenment.

Genres: Buddhism, Travel, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion, Philosophy, Memoir

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Julia Gorning · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author seems like a tool.

[Kelsey Hagenah · Rating 3 out of 5]

good but the author definatly comes off as a holier then thou baby boomer. his way of travel is best and everyone else isnt getting the experience even though hes a balding white man who spends only a short amount of time in a few places...interesting ideas and knowledge...needless backstory on him and his love life(surprise hes attracted to people 20 years younger then him)

[Jeannette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Not only was it a great travel narrative through amazing countries that I will get to eventually but it is a great journey through Buddhism from someone who is searching for more understanding.

[Rachel Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the author can be an annoying, smug baby-boomer a lot of the time, he also admits it. I'm having trouble putting this one down.

[Cyndee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The steps of the Buddha, a travelogue, a memoir. Thoroughly enjoyable and educational.

[Kevin Orth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title and cover image are deceiving. This is a rich and contemporary look at both the historical person, the philosophy he introduced to the world, and the current climate, experience, and ministries of the Buddhist community. Very much worth reading.

[Guy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garflinkel honestly shares his evolution from a back-pain filled partial cripple and bankrupt sort of 'wanna be' journalist into a mobile and openly inquisitive explorer of a wide swath of the moss that hangs atop the teachings of Buddha in some of the various sects spanning the world. Some of them are the very reason why I rejected Buddhism in the 1980s. (It suffered from the same strictures and arbitrary rules that I see that Christian religions have mostly covered Christ's teachings.)

So why did I read this book with pleasure and often enough smiles of recognition of Garfinkle's confusion and bemusement? Recently I have been learning what Gautama Buddha taught, not what the various schools preach that he taught. And that has been a breath, perhaps even a tempest of fresh air and vitality.

With my new understanding of Gautama's ideas, which are psychological not religious, I wanted to expand my understanding of the gap between what has developed in the various Buddhist guises. Garfinkle provided me that with a twinkle and with kindness, humour and often times insight.

In a nice overlap of personal discovery, he discovered (ex) Buddhist monk Bernie Glassman’s Bearing Witness Retreats during which people sit in meditation at various locations outside and inside the Auschwitz concentration and death camp. I learned of these Buddhist-style retreats open to anyone a few months ago from a talk given by Michael Stone. Garfinkle nicely extends and deepens the story by providing a concise Glassman biography and extending Stone’s introduction by beautifully sharing the profound effect that the process had on him. He also provides some well balanced introductory details of the history of Auschwitz which I found interesting.

’I feel more alive here [at Auschwitz] than anywhere else,’ confided Aleksandra Kwiatkowska, a 24-year-old photographer student. Here comment was rendered all the more incongruous because she was a vibrant, upbeat, intelligent and compassionate striking blond with a quick smile. In her spare time, she volunteered at a children’s hospice in her hometown of Wroclaw, Poland. This was her second Auschwitz retreat, she told me.
Why submit yourself to this emotionally wrenching experience twice, I wanted to know. ‘Surrounded by death at every step?’ I asked, incredulous. ‘How could you feel more alive?’
‘How could that be?’ I insisted. ‘How?’
‘I don’t know,’ she replied, taken aback by my interrogational tone, as was I. ‘It’s … just … true.’
And she left it at that.’
The answer provided me with no comfort; it perplexed and frustrated me. People often ask how this happened. How did we let 6 million people get killed? Who could be so cruel as to commit such a horrific act? The Buddhist replies ‘I don’t know.’ It sounds like a cop-out (p46-7).

Garfinkle was puzzled why Sri Lankans, and Buddhists in other countries were killing each other if they were Buddhists. And looked at the ‘engaged’ practices of Buddhists teaching children how to know landmines and keep themselves from being hurt and killed by them.

He was astounded, perhaps, when he learned that a delegation of teachers from a Thai 'Buddhist' university went to the American Naropa Buddhist University to learn how to better teach Buddhism. This seems to be something that is required, that the new eyes of 'America' will revitalise Gautama's ideas. (Michael Stone, Buddhist-Yogi scholar has said the same thing. The Inner Tradition of Yoga: A Guide to Yoga Philosophy for the Contemporary Practitioner .)

He shares a lovely enlightenment he experienced.

"Yes, we look to God," I said. "God is there even in our casual language. We say, 'God bless you, when you sneeze. We say, 'Thank God that truck didn't run me over.' 'God damn it when we stub our toe or when Matsui strikes out.'
He smiled wryly and looked over the top of his glasses at me. He did not want to play what he saw as a pointless game of intellectual masturbation.
"Who is this God you keep talking about?"
The question was so simple that it cut through all the theological bullshit and suddenly- aha- I realised that belief in God perpetuated suffering. When the Buddha explained that the universe is not divided into self and non-self, me and not-me, that it is rather one interconnected entity, he essentially disavowed the existence of God, for God would be something or someone else. Without God, all the responsibility for the stubbed toe and everything else falls back on me. That in itself may be the reason we invent God, because it is easier to point the finger than to take the blame.
But if we accept nondualism that is, that there is no difference between subject and object, between knower and that which is known – here is no blamer, no blamee. God is also a means of explaining anything we cannot explain with our less-than-omniscient minds even the good stuff. This whole theological conversation – of whether there is a God, or two gods, or even that we are God – becomes moot when tested against one of the Buddha's main theses: that we should accept only what we can experience directly or observe empirically with our five senses. What non-Buddhists do, see, feel or smell with their so-called sixth sense is up to them. Suzuki-roshi [Shunryu Suzuki’s son] was giving me the Buddhist version of "I'm from Missouri." In other words, until I could point to something the two of us could "see" in that dining room, then the subject of God remained in the realm of hypothetical, and therefore as relevant as, say, the possibility of Suzuki-roshi pinch-hitting for Hideki Matsui.
At that moment I was trumped. It was as though, with one whoosh of a breath, Suzuki-roshi had toppled the delicate deck of cards I called God, demolished my God paradigm. Yet there was no panicky feeling, no desperate free-falling without a parachute, or a paradigm. And, for once, I let go. I was out of questions (p211-212).

This extended quotation gives a nice flavour of Garflinkle’s writing and, I think, his sense of openness and curiosity to what he experienced.

And he fell in love! Of course he would, as he began to open his heart to life, life opened up to him.

A solid 4 stars.

[Dawn Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a problematic part very early on, I read some reviews and my suspicions were confirmed. So I skipped to the interview with His Holiness, then returned the book to the library.

5 stars for the interview!! It was very enjoyable!! I appreciate getting to read it.

My 2-star rating is for the parts of the rest of the book that I did read, and the fact that it so quickly turned me off.

[Danial Tanvir · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really enjoyed reading this book.
it is actually a book on Buddhism as you can tell from the title.
it is by an american man called Perry Garfinkel.
he works for the national geographic magazine and travels to many many countries in search of the buddha.
for instance to India , Sri Lanka, Thailand and japan.
it is about his search for buddha and his travels to countries in the far east.
it is about how Buddhism is the world fourth most fastest growing religion and about the buddha.
Buddhism is a religion which is 2,500 year old religion.
it is about the mans travels and getting to know more about the buddha and what the Buddha says about suffering.
in the end he talks about the Dalia lama.
the book is all bout the teachings of the buddha and about the mans travels and life!.

[Blake Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice travelogue about Buddhism, though there are many other (and better) books that weave something similar. Still, as one reviewer says it the cover doesn't do the depth of the book justice. I do agree though the writer is a bit full of himself. An aging baby boomer with privilege but at the last he seems to know it and doesn't take his own life too seriously. At the end of the day that's a bit of the Buddha's message anyway.

[Robert Kluson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a world traveler with a lifelong interest in Buddhism, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as a traveler’s encounters with, as well as an account of, the history of Buddhism. The author offers insights, with both an entertaining and self-deprecating style, into Buddhism via the personal stories of present day influential personages along with a historical context of their conditions. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone who is both curious of and practicing Buddhism.

[Gena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fascinating exploration of how Buddhism looks around the world, and it definitely makes you question your assumptions. Although I enjoyed the book, sometimes it read like a textbook with so much information to take in and it made it difficult for me to get through.

[Rory Eisele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Did not identify with the author.

[Alan Rohwer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book about ten years ago but go back and pick it up again and again.
It is a very entertaining format and introduction to The Buddha and the practice of Buddhism in its various forms in various places. The author takes the reader on his journey as he the visits the sites in the life of The Buddha and to various places where Buddhism is practiced.
I'm not a religious scholar but I find his explanation of Buddhism to be very believable and left me certainly with a better understanding of Buddhism than I had before.
Garfinkel has a self deprecating writing style and makes the journey very enjoyable.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

quotes#611730 Buddha or Bust

"You must each be a lamp unto yourselves," he said in the last hours of his life. p120

"My case is not progressing," he went on, eager to share his experience, "but I am much more detached. It's the craving that causes miseries. This is what we learn. I actually feel blessed to be at Tihar. Otherwise, I would never have learned about vipassana." p98

quotes#647393 Buddha or bust

"You cannot travel on the path until you become the path itself. -- THE BUDDHA" p49

"But I was made privy to a more relevant mantra that would follow me around the world, like my own private Jiminy Cricket. Come close and breaking the privacy rules of the Cult of Rehab, I will whisper it: "Core-trunk stablization." This regime of simple floor exercises, designed to strengthen the muscles surrounding the whole pelvic region, were demonstrated by a physical therapist in Encino, one of those look-alike towns along Ventura Boulevard in the Valley. Core-trunk stablization kept me in the vertical position for the duration of my travels and does to this day. Every time I did the exercises - on the bare floor of some very funky hotel in India, on the richly carpeted floor of the Four Seasons George V in Paris - I thought of that Encino therapist stuck in a strip mall upstairs from a Pep Boys and a Taco Bell, and I sent her lotuses of gratitude." p9

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I technically only read half of this book. The first 25% and the last 25%, and I skipped through the entire middle section. Don't get me wrong -- I tried to read the middle section, but I simply couldn't. It bored me to death. That being said, the beginning is OK and the end is better than neutral. :-P

Essentially, it starts with the guy talking about why he's going on this trip and what he's trying to find out. Following the initial development of Buddhism (which I read), he travels to a smattering of Asian countries, reporting on the local variations of Buddhism (this is the part I couldn't get through) and then he goes on to talk about Buddhism in the US, France, and his interview with the Dalai Lama (I also read this.) You could probably pick it up and read the last 3 chapters and be done with it, I think. So long as you know a bit about Buddhism to begin with.

I thought it might have something in common with Eat, Pray, Love, and I'm into Buddhism in general, so I expected to enjoy it more. But when it comes down to it, it's just not that interesting to hear about local variations on Buddhist practice unless you are a serious Buddhist yourself.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. I picked it up because I had seen it several times and each time the combination of the cover and title caught me. The story has several different themes throughout and while it is not always clear which one is the most important in the moment, they are all valid and well expressed.

I appreciated the honesty that Garfinkel expressed. He admitted to his weaknesses as well as his strengths all the way through. He often discussed his downfalls, even towards the 'end' of his journey.

His writing style was easy to follow and he clearly cared about getting and giving accurate information. He spoke to and referenced so many interesting people and while he seemed fairly biased towards Buddhism being favorable, he does admit various downfalls within different sects of Buddhism.

Towards the end of the book (when you think it is about to wind down) he discovers that he has been given in interview with the Dalai Lama. The way in which he spoke about his interview was so captivating. He describes how he felt, the emotion and calm of the Dalai Lama.

The end left me with a sense of calm, feeling that his journey took him somewhere and in turn I felt that I had gained some new knowledge and understanding.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are 2 chapters in this book that I had found the most interesting. Chapter 2, "Finding the Buddha's Truth of Suffering in Poland", which is the unlikely onset of Perry Garfinkel's trek on following the path of the Buddha, and the very unlikely fact that Buddha even stepped foot onto European soil. Auschwitz, a place where unbelievable pain and suffering took place, a horrific time in history. Then the 12th chapter, "On Interviewing the Dalai Lama". I was intrigued by this whole chapter however, one paragraph stood out for me, the Dalai Lama's explanation of the contradiction of forces, " Like once you recognize anger is bad- for myself, my body, my peace of mind, for my friend and the whole world on a global level- then you consider what is the opposite force? Compassion, love. Try to increase love and compassion. And why do I need loving kindness toward others? Because it brings increased benefit to me. Not for next life but even in the moment. The more compassionate mind becomes something fuller: self-confidence, fearless determination."-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up form the library with some suspicion based on the partial title "......Found Them All" ! That's quite a statement. It wasn't long into the book that I realized the author in a most engaging manner was speaking very much ..tongue firmly in his cheek! Its a very engaging and honest assessment of the confused (to an outsider) history of Buddhism and most importantly how the West has embraced and in many ways improved (?) and clarified some of the Eastern tenants of the, dare I call it, "Religion". The author asks hard questions of all he meets in his journey of discovery, but mostly he asks questions of himself in his personal journey (on and of Meditation Cushion!). As a book for the armchair traveler, the budding Buddhist and those who wish for just a good read I highly recommend this book.

[Frank Jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perry Garfinkel presents a pilgrimage in search of Buddhism. From the West to the East and Back, he traces Buddhism, most tellingly in it's "Engaged" aspect. Garfinkel is not unwilling to question the tradition, sometimes offering sardonic criticism mixed with authentic reverence and appreciation where due. He is also not afraid of self-revelations that are often humorous as well as poignant.

I think this book would be both a wonderful introduction the the sometimes confusing world of Buddhist teaching and history, as well as a much needed tonic for those with a perhaps overly idealized perception -- or is that perspective? -- of Buddhism.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment. I thought it would be really good, because I like personal narratives, and it's a subject that interests me. The book was good when he was using his National Geographic voice, but he lost me because he used a lot of terrible cliches and very stupid generalizations about other people. At the end of the book, he says that the whole thing has been this great personal journey and it helped him deal with girls. That came as a total surprise, because the rest of the book is really just a set of internal dialogs about how nervous he is to meet the Dalai Lama, etc. I do not recommend this book for anyone.

[Mike Angelillo · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had some interesting parts, the western influence on buddhism in the east, the meditation practices among prisoners and prison guards in India and the meditation sessions at Birkenau, but the book seemed to lack cohesion. It jumped from point to pint around the globe without ever really connecting the events.

The author struggles at times with what he experiences, the buddhist-hindu political violence in Sri Lanka for example, but he never expands upon the conversation beyond his intial reaction.

[Bridget]

I have to admit that traveling in Southeast Asia, gave fuel to a curiosity about Buddhism. The friend we were traveling with used this book as a guide for study and I serendipitously found it at a discount store. Perry Garfinkle tell of his search for the true path (literally and figuratively) of Buddha's life with humor and accuracy. The book jacket synopsis touts the book as part text and part beach read. This is true and inevitable. I currently feel that I would read this book once for Garfinkle's humorous and candid stories of his travels and again to study.

[dora · Rating 3 out of 5]

with this title i was expecting a bit more of a personal and lively writing style i guess. as it was, it was informational in a good way but also kind of dragged in the slog of some info that was not what i wanted to read. i really had hoped for a more personal story i guess... though i have to say he got to go places and do things your avg trekker would not because it was for a national geographic article that he was doing this trip, so he did get some impressive interviews etc.

[Elyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had the potential to be very interesting given its rich material. The author traveled around the world (on National Geographic's dime) learning about all facets of Buddhism, ranging from its history to an actual interview with The Dalai Lama. Despite this, the book is surprisinlgy boring and it was a struggle to slog through some of the chapters. I wish this research and writing opportunity had been given to a more adept author.

[Ellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like travelogues and am intersted in Buddhism so I thought this book would be a slam dunk. But it turned out to be a tedious pedantic chronicle of a boring trip. (yeah, how could a trip to India, Sri Lanka etc be boring?) I guess the problem is that the author is a journalist and writes in a dry unimaginative style. I could only get half way through before I gave up and took it back to the library.

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what I was expecting or hoping for in this book, but it didn't live up to it, whatever it was. It read like a giant, endless National Geographic article. I love NG, but the style of their articles doesn't translate into book form very well; it was rather tedious, over-descriptive. But it wasn't all bad, had some good info, especially the stuff about the state of Buddhism in China and in Japan.

[Anita George · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the idea of this book, especially as I am keenly interested in Buddhism, but I found the execution of it somewhat dry. This has to do with the author's style, and not the material. This may just be down to my personal preference; if you're curious about Buddhism around the world, you may want to give this one a try.

[Jade Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

pros: so much easy to digest historical information and insight about different countries.

cons: i wasn't a huge fan of his humor. usually, i enjoy pithy comments but his didn't work for me. totally personal opinion though. of his quips, 1 out of 5 resonated with me and gave me a smile. the other four were a little annoying.

[Staci Magnolia]

A Jewish aspiring Buddhist researches Buddhism's rise in the West by traveling through the East and back again.
Filled with some very poignant thoughts and provoking experiences. Anyone curious as to how Buddha became so popular here should surely pick this up.