Turning Words

January 9, 2023
In this touching treasury of Buddhist wisdom, Zen priest and musician Senauke (Mental Revenge) examines the “turning words”—loosely, “words that cause you to pivot”—of 30 spiritual teachers, guides, and friends from nearly four decades of Buddhist practice. He recounts realizing the Dalai Lama is only human after seeing him tie his shoes at a conference, and hearing Thich Nhat Hanh’s commentary on human “interdependence” in the aftermath of the 1991 Rodney King riots. But the intimate portraits of closer compatriots, such as his father, wife, and primary teacher, hit hardest and reveal how they pushed Senauke to “see the universe from a different angle.” His wife’s “northstar” phrase, “I will not abandon you,” helps him better offer “care and attention” to others, while a deceptively simple question his father posed 50 years ago—“Are you happy?”—helped him reframe his notions of fulfillment and service. Stitching together insights into the spiritual and the quotidian, Senauke skillfully shows how everyday moments can “blow open the doors of perception” and exert influence even years afterward. Buddhists of all stripes will appreciate this.