We are delighted to share this news from Dominique Side, a recipient of a KF Ashoka grant, about her just-published book, Discovering Buddhism, and the upcoming launch of a new website, Windows into Buddhism.

“As long as I have known Dominique Side, she has not only been a critical searcher and academic, but she has also personally seen the value of the Buddhist path and encountered many great masters of this century. That’s why her book is not like most introductory books that present Buddhism as a religion along with lots of facts, figures, and logical arguments.

“Instead, it presents a different way of looking at life and the world, and it encourages the kind of critical exploration, questioning, and reflection that can actually enrich the reader’s personal understanding. That’s why I’d sooner recommend this book than some compilation of materials based primarily on academic credentials and references.”

— Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, from the foreword to Discovering Buddhism

Would you like to learn about another culture? Are you interested in history and philosophy and how they relate to modern life? Dominique Side’s new book, Discovering Buddhism, introduces Buddhism as a culture and a civilization, a system of thought and a religion. The book presents the views and practices of all the main Buddhist traditions without bias. It addresses the history of Buddhism, the key topics taught by the Buddha, and a number of contemporary issues. It also includes critical assessments of the material, connecting traditional accounts with contemporary scholarship.