Here’s an interesting piece by a lapsed Catholic who studied Tibetan Buddhism and eventually found his way back to the Catholic Church. He discusses Tibet, and the many misconceptions Westerners have about it, as well as the differences between Buddhism and Christianity.

Partly for personal reasons and partly out of curiosity I’ve been delving into the world of Buddhism a bit myself. Here are some books I’ve read over the last few weeks that I liked:

Sitting: A Guide to Buddhist Meditation, by Diana St. Ruth

Zen for Christians, by Kim Boykin

Buddhism Plain and Simple, by Steve Hagen

I’m not sure exactly where I’m going with this, but trying to practice meditation daily has been a good discipline. And at the risk of becoming some kind of cheesy Western dilettante, cultivating an awareness in and of the present moment strikes me as a good thing to do, regardless of your religious beliefs.