That’s Me Most of the Time
Well, I’m too old to leap quite as high as my alter ego on the left, but I live in the State of Joy. I’ve devoted my remaining days of cognitive and physical health to helping others join me here.
I’ve had a passion for writing since eighth grade, began a career in journalism at age 20, moved on to other forms of communication through words, images, and videos, and became a spiritually focused author at 78.
That very-late-life career put new oomph into these old bones and neurons, so as I approach my 80th birthday, I intend to keep pursuing my mission as long as impermanence lets me.
What Others Say About My Work
Most Caring Heart
Mel Pine has distilled a lifetime of learning and packaged it in the most caring heart. This is a delightful book dealing with noble truths that will benefit many. —Andrew Holecek, spiritual teacher and author
A Wise and Compassionate Elder
...accessible to readers who may be new to Buddhism while still offering meaningful insights for experienced practitioners. His conversational tone feels like sitting with a wise and compassionate elder and teacher who speaks from both knowledge and experience. This inclusivity makes the book a welcoming space for all readers, regardless of their level of familiarity with Buddhist teachings. —Review by Maileen Hamto in Reedsy Discovery
A Coherent and Liberating Approach
Mel Pine achieved something in The New Middle Way that I have never encountered before. He wrote an interdisciplinary book on Eastern spirituality that combined Buddhism, philosophy, and science. The truly extraordinary part is that he was true to each of the three without compromising one for the other. Perhaps even more astoundingly, this is not some heady discourse for a select few; rather, it presents a coherent and liberating approach to life that you could start living today. Whatever your current religious, spiritual or philosophical views, even the skeptic, you owe it to yourself to read Mel Pine's book with an open mind and heart. —Jim Palmer, founder of the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality, and author of Inner Anarchy
Gently Guides Us
With a humble heart, Mel Pine gently guides us to discover our own new middle way by relating to Buddhist teachings with an open and relaxed mind, encouraging an accessible understanding of this ancient wisdom tradition for continued growth, while recognizing the innate wisdom already within us. —Chelsea Waves, death doula, lucid dreaming guide, and grief companion
21st-Century Approach
I love Mel’s 21st-Century approach to Buddhism, his humility and the fact that he doesn’t take him"self" seriously. Mel is not simplistic. He unpacks the subtleties of Buddhist meditation. I much prefer this to the current secular trend. —Mary Finnigan, author
The best book I've read on Buddhism...a gift to the world.
—Award-winning poet Teressa L Wagers
I get more spiritual nourishment from Mel’s blog posts than from any other source.
—Russ Araujo, From the Pure Land subscriber
Welcoming spiritual guide built on logic, life experience, and insight
From exploring quantum mechanics to advice on how to face suffering to guiding readers on finding a teacher, Pine constructs a welcoming, sincere pathway to letting the ego die and 'becom[ing] the modern equivalent of the wandering ascetic, free from fear of death.'"
...he offers readers meditation practices, space for reflection, learning parables, and a wealth of personal examples...
...a blend of logical, philosophical, and scientific reflections, all framed within the chronology of Pine’s own life—its joys, heartbreaks, and thousands of spaces in between.
He steers away from rigidity, instead urging readers to discover their own awakening, and delivers many practical tips for anyone seeking a new perspective on joy. —Review in BookLife by Publishers Weekly
Like Remembering Something You Forgot You Knew
Mel Pine doesn’t teach Buddhism. He lives it, then writes from what’s left. The New Middle Way isn’t here to hand you a program or a philosophy. It’s a lived invitation. Reading it feels like remembering something you forgot you already knew. A book that meets you where you are, then gently opens the door. —Youri Hermes, author
Compassionate Hand
Your thoughtful approach, grounded in decades of lived experience, humor, and honest reflection, feels like a compassionate hand reaching out across the page. —Sophia Bennett, author
Presonal Stories of Resilience
With traditional teachings, as well as personal stories of trauma, healing, and resilience, Pine’s book demonstrates that everyone can draw on Buddhist practices to develop wisdom, compassion, and clarity for themselves and others. —Kinberly Brown, author
