Buddha Standard Time

The new standard work and definitive biography of Tsongkhapa, one of the principle founders of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism—the school of the Dalai Lamas.

When people think of the masterpieces of art, painters such as Gauguin or Picasso might spring to mind. But thousands of years before these modern masters put brush to canvas, artists from all over the ancient world, from France to Egypt to South America, created a trove of masterpieces—artwork stunning for its opulence, its realism, its utility, and its visual drama.

A dizzying array of meditation practices have emerged in the long and culturally diverse history of Buddhism. Yet if you are seeking out meditation today in North America and Europe-and, increasingly, in the rest of the world as well-you will likely encounter one particular type, often under the label "mindfulness." You will find it taught in Zen monasteries, Insight Meditation centers, health clubs, colleges, psychologists' offices, corporations, liberal Christian churches, prisons, and the US military. Countless articles in popular magazines promote its benefits, often depicting it as a panacea for problems as wide-ranging as anxiety, depression, heart disease, eating disorders, and psoriasis. There are books on mindfulness and meditation not only by Buddhist monks but also by medical doctors, psychologists, computer engineers, business consultants, and a US congressman.

A Guide For Everyone

The album begins with ''Beauty,'' and it is Wilko Johnson, loud and clear. This song is bound to connect with fans of earlier Wilko compositions like ''Slipping and Sliding,'' ''Going Home'' (with Roger Daltrey) and, most of all, ''Sneaking Suspicion.'' They could almost be the same chords with different vocal lines (but they are not exactly). In fact, if you play ''Sneaking Suspicion'' and then ''Beauty,'' the two songs are almost interchangeable – but maybe that is the point. This track is familiar as old slippers yet solid and rocky, the lyrics are crystal clear and the chopping guitar sings out the chords. ''Beauty'' is a great rock number with that feel-good factor we have come to expect from Wilko Johnson.