Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method    by Rebecca Li Order:  USA  Can Random House, 2023 (2023) Softcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Rheta Van Winkle Illumination is subtitled 'A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method'. This book is a guide to a form of meditation that advises changing the way you meditate to one that the author believes will be more effective in relieving suffering. It seems to be written for people who are already active meditators or who have practiced meditation in the past, since there is a lot of advice about changing your style of meditation. The book would be useful as a teaching tool, and the author, Rebecca Li, writes that she has written it as an effort to share what she has learned while teaching Chan Meditation. Cihan is the Chinese word for Zen, although it has a slightly different meaning. Li writes, 'Chan is the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation of the Chinese character that is pronounced as Zen in Japanese. Although there are considerable similarities, they are not one and the same. The Chinese word Chan translates to mean 'meditation.' It comes from the Sanskrit dhyana, which refers to collectedness of mind and meditative absorption.' While one thinks of this kind of meditation as concentrating the mind on a particular thought or object, Li is advocating for a different way that is called Silent Meditation or Dharma meditation. Li explains, 'Silent Meditation is called the method of no-method because we are not directing our attention to any object in particular. It is to be fully here, with this body and mind in this space, with total clear awareness moment after moment. Practitioners who start with directing their attention to a small part of the body to focus on the breath often misinterpret the instruction to open their awareness to the body by moving their focused attention around to scan different parts of the body.' She calls this an 'incorrect understanding of cultivating body awareness.' Silent meditation is a way to end suffering during meditation by allowing thoughts to come and not reacting to them in a vexatious way. We all have active minds, and if we react to vexations in an adverse way, that causes suffering, both to ourselves and to those we are close to, or come into contact with in our daily lives. Li says that practice is essential because even seasoned meditators 'resist life unfolding as it is. The present moment + vexation = suffering.' Since I'm not a meditator with much skill, I will have to take her word for it. Perhaps by reading her book many times and practicing I will improve. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews