Elizabeth West, a member of the Christian Meditation Community in London, has led Buddhist/Christian retreats. This wonderful and down-to-earth paperback is a primer on the spiritual benefits of interfaith dialogue. Or as the author puts it, "When we enter into deep dialogue with another faith, the result is invariably that our own faith is both changed and deepened."

West believes that meditation is a way of contemplative prayer for the Christian. It enables the individual "to develop a silent mind, open and receptive to the Divine Mystery." The Buddhist tradition also can teach Christians about nonduality and working with opposites. The author presents some insightful teachings on the Beatitudes of Jesus and the Eightfold Path of the Buddha. They both reveal "a course in how to be happy."

West's readings of the Beatitudes contain insights into the universal experience of grief, gentleness, and self-knowledge as the fruits of spiritual practice; meekness and humility as expressions of purity of heart; and peace as the absence of greed and envy along with the ability to not take sides. West concludes with observations on the value of mindfulness (Buddhism) and living in the presence of Christ (Christianity).