Faces of Compassion introduces us to enlightened beings, the bodhisattvas of Buddhist lore. They're not otherworldly gods with superhuman qualities but shining examples of our own highest potential. Archetypes of wisdom and compassion, the bodhisattvas of Buddhism are powerful and compelling images of awakening. Scholar and Zen teacher Taigen Dan Leighton engagingly explores the imagery and lore of the seven most important of these archetypal figures, bringing them alive as psychological and spiritual wellsprings.
Emphasizing the universality of spiritual ideas, Leighton finds aspects of bodhisattvas expressed in a variety of familiar modern personages - from Muhammad Ali to Mahatma Gandhi, from Bob Dylan to Henry Thoreau, and from Gertrude Stein to Mother Teresa. This edition contains a revised and expanded introduction that frames the book as a exciting and broad-scoped view of Mahayana Buddhism. It's updated throughout to make it of more use to scholars and a perfect companion to survey courses of world religions or a 200-level course on Buddhism.
"Faces of Compassion captures the poignant truth that that a bodhisattva may appear in the form of a pirate or a spiritual leader and modernizes it, bringing the bodhisattva ideal into the present."
"In his wonderful book Leighton animates the history of Buddhism and offers insight into human nature and contemporary culture."
"What Leighton offers is the living tradition of Mahayana Buddhism: diverse, mysterious, vibrant, real."
"Edifying and imaginative..A modern spiritual classic."
