Book Review: Pathway to Freedom

Reviewed by John M. Murray

An accessible and engaging overview of Buddhism, meditation, and how to incorporate their teachings into modern life

While humanity has evolved from the hunter/gatherer tribes of the past, we still all experience suffering. The Buddha once proffered his teachings that while misery is unavoidable, suffering is not. His Eightfold Path sought to help people understand and develop a practice toward reducing suffering. 

Pathway to Freedom provides valuable context for the Buddha’s teaching by discussing how to adapt a practice to fit modern life and how to face the world with realistic positivity.

The book’s structure provides a logical progression through the historical context before ending up at developing a modern practice. The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are the bulk of the book comprised of the teachings but also the rationale behind each element. 

The concluding chapters provide the most actionable information in regards to setting up, maintaining, and deepening a healthy meditative practice. A recurring push to stop and reflect gives space for readers to process the material along with suggestions on how to apply the lessons to everyday life.

Green writes with patient enthusiasm, eager to share the information while providing enough “technical” jargon to reinforce the material. The unusual concepts and terminology come with sufficient context to help people unfamiliar with Buddhism understand. 

The actionable sections of the book become even more patient with clear information on how and why meditation is helpful in modern life. The material is free of judgement and doesn’t require any previous knowledge. Green frequently refers to historical and spiritual predecessors, but some of the most compelling stories and poems are her own creation. The injection of personal experiences helps ground the material and makes it feel much more accessible to novice practitioners.

To reinforce the desire to keep the material accessible and engaging, the final chapter is a concise summation of everything that proceeded it. This outline is a fantastic resource for reviewing the material quickly especially if someone is trying to stick to a meditation routine after reading this. The inclusion of further steps—additional elements and variations on the meditation practice—provides more opportunity for growth.

Pathway to Freedom is an educational, practical guide for improving one’s quality of life. While bad things will always happen, the response to those negative elements determine mental wellbeing. Mindfulness and various types of meditation—all covered in this informative and actionable overview of Buddhism—can provide a framework to build resiliency and realistic positivity in the face of hardship.

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