Noah Levine is the author of the national bestseller Dharma Punx, a memoir in which he recounted how his personal experience of Buddhist spiritual practice and service transformed his life. The son of Stephen and Ondrea Levine, he is a Buddhist teacher who lectures and teaches meditation retreats nationally. Noah Levine is the director and co-founder of the Mind Body Awareness Project, a nonprofit organization that serves incarcerated populations. In this sturdy paperback, he provides an overview of the basics of Buddhism as an inner and outer revolution replete with meditative trainings and spiritual practices.
After looking at the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the Five Main Hindrances (laziness, restlessness, aversion, craving, and doubt), Levine examines the Buddha's teachings about generosity, compassion, loving-kindness, appreciation, and equanimity. He sees a huge part of the revolutionary path as recognizing our interconnectedness with others, practicing forgiveness, and understanding death. Levine hit high stride with his discussion of the practical issues of community, sex, money, and freedom from addiction. The real gusto of the Buddhist path leads one to defy the lies, serve the truth, be skeptical of teachers, and question everything.
