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Compelling and informative teachings by the most influential female Buddhist teachers on a wide range of topics. Buddhism began to take root in the West at just the same time that women’s voices were arising to find expression here--after millennia of being relegated to the background. If that was a coincidence, it was an auspicious one, for the women who emerged as Buddhist teachers have been among the most articulate of Dharma-communicators--and they remain an indelible feature of Western Buddhism as the practice matures here. The remarkable range of their teaching is showcased in this anthology. The pieces featured touch on the topics that are at the heart of our lives--relationships, uncertainty, love, parenting, food, stress, mortality, living fully, and social responsibility. These approachable, engaging teachings illuminate Buddhist concepts and practices, such as meditation, tonglen, lovingkindness, cultivating gratitude, and deep relaxation. The book contains wisdom from such well-known and respected contemporary Buddhist teachers as Pema Chödrön, Ayya Khema, Sharon Salzberg, Toni Packer, Maurine Stuart, Karen Maezen Miller, Khandro Rinpoche, Jan Chozen Bays, Sister Chan Khong, Sylvia Boorstein, Pat Enkyo O’Hara, Darlene Cohen, Joanna Macy, Bonnie Myotai Treace, Tsultrim Allione, Tenzin Palmo, Tara Brach, Joan Sutherland, Carolyn Rose Gimian, Joan Halifax, and Charlotte Joko Beck.
List of contents
Tsultrim Allione: "Meeting the Demon"
Jan Chozen Bays: "The Joy of Mindful Eating"
Charlotte Joko Beck: "False Generalizations" and "The Parable of Mushin"
Sylvia Boorstein: "The Three Marks of Existence," "Living in the Divine Abodes," and "Suffering's Not the Only Story"
Tara Brach: "Befriend Your Fears"
Pema Chödrön: "When Things Fall Apart," "Breathing in Pain, Breathing Out Relief," and "Practicing Peace in Times of War"
Thubten Chodron: "Spiritual Mentor"
Darlene Cohen: "The Scenery of Cancer"
Christina Feldman: "Long Journey to a Bow"
Carolyn Rose Gimian: "I Want to Be Genuine"
Joan Halifax: "The Way of the Mountain"
Blanche Hartman: "Just to Be Alive Is Enough"
Khandro Rinpoche: "The Great Impermanence of Death"
Jiyu-Kennett: "Why Study Zen?"
Ayya Khema: "Nothing Special"
Sister Chan Khong: "Learning True Love" and "Deep Relaxation"
Anne Carolyn Klein: "It's All Good"
Judith L. Lief: "The Middle Way of Stress"
Joanna Macy: "Gratitude: Where Healing the Earth Begins"
Karen Maezen Miller: "Waking Up Alone" and "Sanitize Option: What Children Do Not Require"
Pat Enkyo O'Hara: "Include Everything"
Toni Packer: "What Is the Me?" and "Images in Relationship"
Tenzin Palmo: "Vajrayana"
Sharon Salzberg: "The Journey of Faith," "Living Our Love," and "Don't I Know You?"
Maurine Stuart: "There Are No Repetitions"
Joan Sutherland: "Through the Dharma Gate"
Bonnie Myotai Treace: "We Cannot Stop the Hail, But We Can Be Awake"
About the author
ANDREA MILLER is an editor and staff writer for the Shambhala Sun.
