- Hardcover: 136 pages
- Publisher: Syracuse University Press (Nov 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 081560842X
- ISBN-13: 978-0815608424
- Product Dimensions: 22.1 x 14.7 x 1.8 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,155,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Synopsis
A rare and vivid narrative of a Buddhist nun's training and spiritual awakening. In this engagingly written account, Martine Batchelor relays the challenges a new ordinand faces in adapting to Buddhist monastic life: the spicy food, the rigorous daily schedule, the distinctive clothes and undergarments, and the cultural misunderstandings inevitable between a French woman and her Korean colleagues. She reveals as well the genuine pleasures that derive from solitude, meditative training, and communion with the deeply religious - whom the Buddhists call "good friends." Batchelor has also recorded the oral history/autobiography of her teacher, the eminent nun Son'gyong Sunim, leader of the Zen meditation hall at Naewonsa. It is a profoundly moving, often light-hearted story that offers insight into the challenges facing a woman on the path to enlightenment at the beginning of the twentieth century. Original English translations of eleven of Son'gyong Sunim's poems on Buddhist themes make a graceful and thought-provoking coda to the two women's narratives.Western readers only familiar with Buddhist ideas of female inferiority will be surprised by the degree of spiritual equality and authority enjoyed by nuns in Korea. While American writings on Buddhism increasingly emphasize the therapeutic, self-help, and comforting aspects of Buddhist thought, Batchelor's text offers a bracing and timely reminder of the strict discipline required in traditional Buddhism.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon U.K.
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brief glimpse into the lives of 2 korean nuns, 6 Feb 2010
By Dhamma "pagesinabook" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Women in Korean Zen: Lives and Practices (Women in Religion) (Hardcover)
I enjoyed this book, however brief. I liked Martine's emphasis on her particular cultural struggles within the confines of monastic life. A free spirit sometimes at odds with the constrained disciplinary demands of Korean zen. She paints quite a different picture than I would have imagined.
The second half of the book, written by revered nun Son'gyong Sunim in fact reveals a rather devastating story of a Korean woman also trying to fit in within the confines of monastic life.
Both of these stories open a window into monastic life, revealing that the practice of Zen Buddhism seems a far cry from the actual teachings of the Buddha himself.
A good read for anyone who has considered Buddhist monastic life to be an ideal way to practice Buddhism.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book on Korean Buddhism, 19 Jan 2010
By Henry Bemis - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Women in Korean Zen: Lives and Practices (Women in Religion) (Hardcover)
The book provides a great glimpse into the life of Korean Buddhist nuns. Book is entertaining and insightful as you learn about Zen nunneries and Korean Buddhism through the eyes of a French woman. Book is even more interesting as you are also given the life story of an older nun, giving the reader a view of developments in Korean Buddhist nunneries throughout the 20th century.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
