The Road Home : A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path

A lively exploration of contemporary Buddhism from one of its most admired teachers

Do you feel at home right now? Or do you sense a hovering anxiety or uncertainty, an underlying unease that makes you feel just a bit uncomfortable, a bit distracted and disconnected from those around you?
In The Road Home, Ethan Nichtern, a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, investigates the journey each of us takes to find where we belong. Drawing from contemporary research on meditation and mindfulness and his experience as a Buddhist teacher and practitioner, Nichtern describes in fresh and deeply resonant terms the basic existential experience that gives rise to spiritual seeking—and also to its potentially dangerous counterpart, spiritual materialism. He reveals how our individual quests for self-awareness ripple forward into relationships, communities, and society at large. And he explains exactly how, by turning our awareness to what's happening around us and inside us, we become able to enhance our sense of connection with others and, at the same time, change for the better our individual and collective patterns of greed, apathy, and inattention.
In this wise and witty invitation to Buddhist meditation, Nichtern shows how, in order to create a truly compassionate and enlightened society, we must start with ourselves. And this means beginning by working with our own minds—in whatever state we find them in.

“Ethan is the future of Buddhism.” —Sharon Salzberg (from the foreword)

“Grounded in compassion, Nichtern's teaching offers a profound, lucid, and complex education in self-awareness, interdependence, and enlightenment.” —Publishers Weekly

“A wise, humane, and deeply sympathetic introduction to the practice of Buddhism . . . Those wondering what Buddhism is all about will find plenty to think about in these pages, which make for a gentle and user-friendly invitation to explore further . . . Thoughtful and helpful alike.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Makes ancient Buddhist teachings and texts approachable, contemporary, and relevant . . . Valuable for readers looking for an introduction to Buddhist teachings as they relate to meditation practice or for those searching for ways to live their lives in the here and now.” —Library Journal (Starred Review)

“A beautiful guide and invitation to a sane life. Refreshingly straightforward, accessible, skillful and kind.” —Jack Kornfield, author of The Wise Heart

“Ethan Nichtern is as gifted and compassionate a teacher in writing as he is in person. In The Road Home, he proposes that we move past our destructive repetitive patterns not by shellacking over sadness or anger or fear with some sort of enlightened-guru positivity but by accepting them, in all their contours, as an inevitable part of what makes us human. I've dog-eared my copy so thoroughly, it's swollen to twice its normal size.” —Maud Newton

“The Road Home potently takes traditional Buddhism and makes it beautifully accessible and relevant for today's spiritual seeker and skeptic alike. This book has the power to cure apathy in today's society, and I think the world of it.” —Lodro Rinzler, author of The Buddha Walks into a Bar…