And you like to stay along
You want to get the meaning
Out of each and every song
Then you find yourself a message
And some words to call your own
And take them home.

Bread, "Guitar Man"
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The book about Buddhism set against a contemporary world was a little disappointing. It only briefly describes the basis of Buddhism, which is fine, but then it goes and on and on about mindfulness, which I readily ignored because, frankly, I thought it would be humorous and ironic to do so.

Only at the end does the book finally discuss Buddhism at a crossroads with the modern world, where the philosophy is approached as a way of thinking, rather than a religion. Imagine if you called the scientific method "Scientificmethodism" and then you would have a sibling to Buddhism.

One thing that I found was that the sense of community and friendship is tied innately to Buddhism, but doesn't really get a lot of airplay, so to speak. We all think of sequestered monks and imagine that there is a bit of fraternity there, but on the whole, not much is made of the Buddhist sense of "congregation", perhaps because it's less like a mob and more like a support group. Leading a life of awareness, mindful of the anguish around you; that kind of stuff hard, and you need all the yoga buddies you can get, I guess.

Personally, I think that social outreach is separate from the awareness. I always go back to my desert island thought experiment. Alone in my desert island universe, I can be aware of my surroundings, and life can be as full as it can be. Now, granted, when you add companionship and camaraderie into the mix, of course something is added, but that's just another experience. I've never been in space; I hear the sensation of weightlessness as well as the overriding feeling of insignificance coupled with global responsibility is breathtaking. However, back on my desert island, just because I've never been in orbit doesn't mean that I can't be as aware as my experience will take me.