My religions of India class went on a field trip to see Bhante at a Buddhist temple. He is the author of this book. I read the book after the visit, and was delighfully surprised to see that it wasn’t preachy.

The book is a collection of Bhante’s life experiences with various people as a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk transplanted to Los Angeles. The stories are true encounters and interactions with various people. Bhante manages to recount all of the stories in a respectful, touching, yet whimsical way. He also incorporates his Buddhist way of thinking into his recollections.