Manfred Steger and Perle Besserman present their vision of grassroots Zen, which includes an interesting slant on the spiritual practice of beauty.
"The idea of limits is appalling to Americans. Think about it. Nothing and no one seems to have the right to constrain us. We spend a good part of our lives fighting against limits. We see them as challenges to overcome — poverty, illness, every dysfunction you can think of, and even some you haven't thought of. America is teeming with such champions. Sure, it shows we've got a strong will and a creative spirit, and these are necessary in confronting life-and-death challenges. But that's not what it takes in living with the limitations of our everyday experiences: not getting that vacation when you wanted it; or that course you wanted to teach so badly; or that client who seemed so ready to sign on. Limitations are our life. There is beauty in constraint, not merely in challenging it, but in becoming one with it."