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Show N0N F I QT IlOl-- N THE WAY OF AIKIDO Life Lessons from an American Sensei By George Leonard Dutton, $22.95 as one then becomes in harmony with the universe and conflict is not possible. Leonard breathes new life into confilm cepts as familiar as chop-sock- y cliches. In asserting that conflict with others is essentially conflict with oneself, he recounts events in which an aikidoist prevents an attack merely by standing, calm and centered, while the inner turmoil turns to impoaggressors HARRIS GREGORY BY REVIEW tence. He returns frequently to the cenMartial artists in movies often overtral concept of ki, or spirit (the ki in come overwhelming odds to meet their Aikido), the reservoir of energy that d hordes of on from taking goals, martial artists envision as residing in the stuntmen to fighting a deadly bodys center of gravity. showdown with a megaloAnd theres action, too, maniac master. In The as aikido masters seem to of Aikido, George r h t w Way v oi from in front disappear Leonard overcomes an of slashing sword attacks obstacle no less daunting: or a circle of charging sidestepping the media-fuele- d gmmmmmm black belts, only to be marof perceptions seen standing calmly to tial arts to describe the the side as the attackers its use way practitioners look up from where their training every day theyve fallen. without fighting. In this Readers unfamiliar slim volume, Leonard i i It i' v. with martial arts may be benthe out lays spiritual surprised to read efits gained by practicing Leonards emphasis on the Japanese art of avoiding conflict by Aikido, which he blending with an adversary. Leonard describes as protecting both the defendrecounts numerous martial artists who er and the attacker. And he presents overcome adversaries both on the practhese benefits in a way that anyone can tice floor and in tense business meetings incorporate into their lives to achieve by seeming to yield, but in actuality spiritual equilibrium. allowing aggressive thrusts to dissipate The do in aikido means way, far from them. is a that martial a art of study indicating Leonard urges his readers, martial lifelong path. Leonard pulls no punches artists and otherwise, to apply the prinin describing the intensive physical ciples of blending and centeredness to training required to achieve competence everyday life. Simple experiments in what is considered one of the most demonstrate the power a change in mendifficult martial arts. But the real lesson tal focus can provide, e is the sense of inner peace and confidence that comes with following the Gregory Harris, a writer and editor way. In this philosophy, seeing oneself living in Indianapolis, is a third degree as the center of the universe is not an black belt and instructor in Taekwondo. but of the ultimate act ego trip, humility. ISBN 0525944133 black-garbe- AKI!0 MTaHRKlLLEK QUICKSILVER By Judith and Garfield Reeves-Steven- s Pocket Books, $23 ISBN 0671028537 REVIEW BY JOHN MESSER Judith and Garfield combine intrigue with an impressive extrapolation of the state of the art in orbital weapons. What begins as a project to increase the countrys surveillance satellite capabilities suddenly emerges as a weapon of unprecedented destructive power. Most of the action takes place in the Pentagon, one of the nations most secure buildings. The new National Infrastructure Agency is located well below the basement. The physical security of this latest command node is as great as the secrecy surrounding its activities protection that includes placing blast doors throughout the building and making In Quicksilver, Reeves-Steve- efforts to root out terrorists. This is the situation faced by the President when well-arme- d terrorists take over the Pentagon. Their infiltration takes advan- tage of a ceremony celebrating Russia's entry into NATO. Bureaucratic reflexes among the Presidents advisors frustrate his ability to deal with the crisis. Quicksilver demonstrates the authors grasp of scientific theory and security measures surrounding the country's military space program. Beyond the ingenuity that allows the terrorists to penetrate the Pentagons most secret project is the awesome power they demonstrate by destroying the center directing the nation's military satellites, including Quicksilver. The tension builds as the President directs the country's most powerful weapons to hone in on the terrorists g result is a The headquarters. tale and a new standard for technothrillers. e spell-bindin- John Messer once sen ed in the Pentagon. SiB 11 R I T UAi L I TY AWAKENING TO THE SACRED Creating a Spiritual Life from Scratch By Lama Surya Das Broadway Books, $26 ISBN 0767902742 REVIEW BY DOUGLAS I. DURHAM Awakening to the Sacred is further proof that Eastern thought continues to influence a certain kind of American mind one formed by Western religious values, but not content with the usual Western answers to key questions of meaning. In the 19th century similar aspects of Indian thought influenced Emerson and Thoreau, as they attempted to deepen their spiritual lives. With this book Indian thought has gone through a Tibetan filter and returned again to New England (where the author lives) and to American mainstream spiritual seekers: readers of all faiths who seek a deeper spiritual life, who, like Emerson and Thoreau, are looking for answers to lifes big questions. Author of the Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das started as a Jewish American seeking spiritual growth. He spent several years in India training as a Tibetan Buddhist monk and also trained in Japan as a Zen monk. Dass purpose in this book is to help the reader see if some aspects of Tibetan Buddhism might encourage spiritual growth. Because different people have diverse spiritual needs and dissimilar backgrounds. Das provides an exceptionally wide range of behaviors and practices from which to choose. All the practices are based on a simple perspective: enlightenment is about the daily experience of reality, not some otherworldly experience. For example. Das quotes the great Zen master Dogen about the value of meditation: Dont doubt its possibilities because of the simplicity of its method. If you can't find the truth right where you are, where else do you think you'll find it? For the mainstream spiritual seeker, this book has achieved its purpose to provide specific advice for the beginning steps on the path to awakening. Provided they practice the exercises, readers using this book can develop a deeper spirituality in daily life. As the Buddha said: Try it and see that is the best approach. ? g N F I N O CT I (N THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD What We Lost in the Great Suburban Migration: 1966-199- 9 By Ray Suarez The Free Press, ISBN $25 0684834022 REVIEW BY MARGARET E. VR0MAN What would you do if the new people down the block were dramatically different from you? What if you thought the local schools were going downhill? Would you pack up and leave the old neighborhood? Ray Suarez, of NPR's Talk of the Nation, says many people have done just that. In his book, The Old Neighborhood. Suarez examines the social and economic factors that have turned our oldest and largest cities into urban orphans. He discusses how changes in race, religion, and economy have transformed our comcities from clusters of close-knmunities to places where no one seems to want to live. The pedantic possibility of such a story is avoided through Suarez's artful use of personal experience and vignettes by current and former city residents. Suarez selects the cities of Chicago, Philadelphia. Cleveland, and the District it Douglas J. Durham has practiced Theravada Buddhism since 1992. of Columbia for more analysis. The common thread tying together the plight of all of these cities is the phenomenon of great white flight" and the willingness of realtors to profit from this fear and fact by "block busting" neighborhoods whenever a minority family moved in. Together with the decreased importance of the church as a cohesive mechanism and the loss of industry and the jobs it provides, we are not surprised to team that most of these cities have lost half their population in the last 50 years. It's not just the cities that have lost people, however. It is also people who have lost their cities and the feelings of identity and place they derived from them. The loss of closeness and coherence found in an urban en ironment has, according to Suarez, given way to a life which has ". . increasingly become a string of pearls, incidents and encounters staged in a wide range of almost random physical locations, strung together by the automobile. Fear not, however, because the book closes on an optimistic note by observing that the worst appears to be over for many a metropolis. Forward thinking mayors, the willingness to reinvent urban schools, and the pure stubbornness of many city residents who refuse to give up and walk away, cause Suarez to conclude that there is hope for the places that made America and Americans great. . |