The End of Inquiring Mind

Here at the West Wight Sangha we have an extensive library of books, DVDs, audio dharma talks and magazines. While a former member gifted us a large collection of "The Middle Way", the Buddhist Society's quarterly journal, our other magazines and journals regularly arrive by post from the United States and their arrival is always eagerly anticipated.

It is therefore with great sadness that we await the delivery of the final ever edition of the semi-annual journal "Inquiring Mind". Barbara Gates, co-editor and co-founder (with Wes Nisker) of the publication writes:

"This journal, published with low overhead, on newsprint, and financed by donation by those who could afford it, is, after 31 years of service, completing its final issue in April 2015. Readers of Inquiring Mind include followers of many different Buddhist traditions, and others interested in the philosophy and ideas of Buddhism."

Inquiring Mind has always been made freely available for distribution to libraries and many prisons in America in fact, prisoners have been Inquiring Mind’s most quickly growing population of readers, and to this end, the magazine intends to donate its 17,000 back issues to prisoners.

About the final issue, Gates says, “In preparing our final Mind, Spring 2015, “Blowin’ in the Wind,” we’ve read over our many years of issues, from our first lean edition in 1984. We came across a letter in 1993 from Joseph Goldstein which ended, “Freedom and compassion are the reference points for all of practice. The Dharma has one taste, the taste of freedom.” This is the underlying message we at the Mind have hoped to convey. It feels appropriate that with that aspiration, we would be donating our back issues to prisoners.”