Inspired by the teachings of the Buddha, these forty-two contemporary short stories will uplift and inspire modern-day readers, who needn’t have interest in Buddhist spiritual practice nor be familiar with Buddhist jargon to derive full enjoyment from reading them. The tales express universal human predicaments and challenges that transcend any particular philosophical or religious orientation. Some of the stories are humorous, some sad, some erotic, some enigmatic; all are linked by the themes of mindfulness, nonviolence, honesty, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, and love — perhaps the greatest remaining hope for our otherwise savage society.

"It is truly wonderful to find stories such as these, with their subtlety, delicacy, and beauty, reminiscent of the best haiku poetry — each one a thought-provoking gem." —Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of Tribe of Tiger, The Animal Wife, and The Old Way

"Todd Walton’s quietly told tales fill me with joy. How glad I am to share the world with such an amazing spirit and gifted writer!" —James Norwood Pratt, author of The New Tea Lover’s Treasury

"I am much taken by the beauty and abundance of these elegant, sharply-etched epiphanies. The Buddha spirit walks through these stories like a grand master passing from board to board in a hall of stalemates, resolving every one." —William Carpenter, author of Rain and The Hours of Morning

"Such wonderful morsels! These astounding stories keep whirling around in my head." —Ann Menebroker, author of Feast In Solitude and Trying For the Ten Ring

Todd Walton was born in San Francisco. His fiction began appearing in national magazines in 1975 with the publication of Willow in Cosmopolitan. In 1978, Todd published his critically acclaimed novel Inside Moves, which sold over 160,000 copies and was made into an Academy Award-nominated film in 1980. His second novel, Forgotten Impulses (Simon and Schuster, 1980) was chosen by the New York Times as one of the best of that year. Louie & Women was published by Dutton in 1983, and Night Train by Mercury House in 1986. Todd’s fifth novel, Ruby & Spear, was published by Bantam in 1996. In 998, Avon published his first nonfiction work, Open Body: Creating Your Own Yoga. Of Water and Melons was published by Red Wing Press in 1999, and in May 2000, Ten Speed Press published The Writer’s Path, Todd’s book of original writing exercises, co-authored with Mindy Toomay.