Recently retired, Taitetsu Unno was the Jill Ker Conway Professor of Religion at Smith College. He travels throughout the world as a lecturer on Japanese Buddhism, religion, and culture. Dr. Unno is America's foremost authority on Pure Land Buddhism which dates back to the sixth century in Japan. While Zen developed in monasteries, this path had more appeal among the common people. The author's explanation of the subtitle is as follows: "Buddhism is a path of supreme optimism, for one of its basic tenets is that no human life or experience is to be wasted, abandoned, or forgotten, but all should be transformed into a source of vibrant life, deep wisdom, and compassionate living. This is the connotation of the classical statement that sums up the goal of Buddhist life: 'Transform delusion into enlightenment.' On the level of everyday experience, Shin Buddhists speak of this transformation as 'bits of rubble turn into gold.' "

This overview by Dr. Unno contains four parts: Transformation, Unfolding Awareness, Life as Creative Art, and Expanding Horizons. One of the central elements of Shin Buddhism is deep hearing which enables individuals to awaken to the boundless compassion that sustains all of life. The Pure Land tradition emphasizes the inner discipline of self-cultivation which aims at the unfolding of humility and generosity. The daily intoning of "I entrust myself to Amida Buddha" enables individuals to grow in the realization of the true self.

Dr. Unno writes about a common practice on New Year's Eve in Japan. People go to a Buddhist temple and strike a gong 108 times to remind themselves of the delusions that hinder the ability to see the self and the world clearly. Awakening to reality-as-it-is is another essential element of Shin Buddhism.