Dinner with Buddha - by Roland Merullo (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

If life is a journey--with detours, paths from which to choose, and myriad roadblocks to overcome--then Otto Ringling is most certainly on the journey of a lifetime. His first fifty or so years were pretty good. He felt he had it all, until one day he didn't.

Seeking understanding, he calls on Volya Rinpoche, a wise man and spiritual leader. A man who accepts the world as it comes to him, a man without pride or vanity. But Rinpoche, as it turns out, is experiencing his own time of doubt. In hopes of finding answers to life's mysteries, the two embark on a journey through America, an amusing and enlightening road trip that becomes a lesson in love and gratitude.

From the Back Cover

"We are all humanized by the spiritual journey of Dinner with Buddha."*

If life is a journey--with detours, paths from which to choose, and myriad roadblocks to overcome--then Otto Ringling is most certainly on the journey of a lifetime. His first fifty or so years were pretty good. He felt he had it all, until one day he didn't.

Seeking understanding, he calls on Volya Rinpoche, a wise man and spiritual leader. A man who accepts the world as it comes to him, a man without pride or vanity. But Rinpoche, as it turns out, is experiencing his own time of doubt. In hopes of finding answers to life's mysteries, the two embark on a journey through America, an amusing and enlightening road trip that becomes a lesson in love and gratitude.

"Diners, truck stops, Indian reservations, national landmarks, Las Vegas--all lead the duo down the road to both prayerful seeking and hilariousadventure . . . Likable Otto and wise Rinpoche lead readers on a thoughtful and memorable journey." --Shelf Awareness for Readers, starred review

"Merullo offers keen insight into and intelligent assessments of modern American life, but it is his compassionate portrait of a grieving Otto in search of inner tranquility that is most affecting." --Booklist

"Otto is such a full human, which is why we can empathize with his questions and immerse ourselves in his experiences." --*Spirituality and Practice

"We, like Otto, find our cynicism worn away by Rinpoche's gentle instruction in the simple but terribly difficult art of letting go, living each moment to the fullest, seeing the sacred in the everyday." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Merullo masterfully depicts the struggles of practicing mindfulness moment by moment . . . [The] novel is full of nuanced, thoughtful prose and is an immensely satisfying conclusion to the series." --Publishers Weekly

Review Quotes

"Diners, truck stops, Indian reservations, national landmarks, Las Vegas--all lead the duo down the road to both prayerful seeking and hilarious adventure. Otto's first-person narration lends a memoir-like tone, and references to current events (Pope Francis, the 2016 election, fracking) offer a sense of immediacy. Likable Otto and wise Rinpochet lead readers on a thoughtful and memorable journey." --Shelf Awareness for Readers, starred review

"With six unconventionally religious novels to date, this brave, meditative author has carved a unique niche in American literature." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Merullo offers keen insight into and intelligent assessments of modern American life, but it is his compassionate portrait of a grieving Otto in search of inner tranquility that is most affecting." --Booklist

"Merullo masterfully depicts the struggles of practicing mindfulness moment by moment . . . [the] novel is full of nuanced, thoughtful prose and is an immensely satisfying conclusion to the series."--Publishers Weekly

"Otto is such a full human, which is why we can empathize with his questions and immerse ourselves in his experiences. In the end, we are all humanized by the spiritual journey of Dinner with Buddda." --Spirituality and Practice