Religion Books

My small womans group wanted to do a bible study on this book and at first I was against it because I felt like I wasn't anxious. After reading the first chapter I did a complete turn around! This book is VERY good! It really makes you look at your life in a different way and see what is really important and what really matters. I would recommend it to anyone!

I have done a lot of studies, but this is one of the best studies I've done in awhile, and several friends say the same. I recommend it to all women, as anxiety is a stranglehold for so many of us. This book helps you to give it over to God and holds your hand along the way with it. Great book!

My sister-in-law gave me this book. It's the best gift I've ever been given. I've bought several copies to give to women in my family and friends. The book addresses what peace we can have when we hand our concerns to God and learn to always be content. I wish I'd read this when I was young. It's a book to read several times as a great reminder to hand it all over to God.

I couldn't imagine Linda writing a book more helpful than Creative Counter part, but this is the proof (for me at least). This book is applicable to the Christian woman no matter what stage of life she is in. I have found it to be encouraging and helpful in my growing relationship with Jesus. Thanks again Linda.

This book helped me get through a very difficult time a while back. In the time since, I have occasionally felt the anxiety levels creep back up, and I have come back to this book. It isn't one to be read one time, but is worth reading again and again.

It is easy to have this book recommended to you, or even to have someone give it to you and leave it sitting on your shelf. I did that when I first received it. Don't do that! Read it and see if you can grow and glean from it as so many of us have done. It can really help you move beyond worry to trust, and it builts more than just anxiety-free living. It helps accomplish the opposite -- contentment and acceptance of your lot. If you struggle with worry or discontentment, this is the first book I would recommend. I can't say that enough!

There was a seeming dual purpose motivating the author to write this book. Remen is a medical doctor who basically tells the stories about how her professional experiences moved her closer to, rather than away from, emotional involvement with her clients particularly as it pertained to the connection between one's spirituality and recovery,amongst other things.
Remen also shares some very deep and moving stories that were shared with her by her clients once she became a therapist.
It's a wonderful read and will be helpful to anyone seeking spiritual enlightenment and motivation.

Beautiful sweet touching book that helped me get me through some tough times. Celebrates the human spirit.

I recently had the privilege of hearing the author speak. she is an amazing woman.

Rachel Naomi Remen believes in the healing power of stories. She trained as a pediatrician and expected to practice traditional medicine much as her father and other male members of her family had done before her, but something happened to change her carefully planned course.

In the introduction to Kitchen Table Wisdom, Remen tells how her male colleagues frequently knocked on her office door to ask for her help with a crying patient. They believed that she, as a woman, would know what to do. Though she knew no more than they, she felt flattered that they came to her and felt that this helped her be more a part of their exclusive "Old Boys Network." She began to spend more and more time listening to patients share their fears and feelings of living with a terminal disease.

Since the age of fifteen, Remen has suffered from Crohn's disease. As she listened to her patients, she began to feel less lonely and isolated. Probably, her guidance and uncanny understanding of her patients stemmed from her familiarity with physical and emotional pain.

Kitchen Table Wisdom is a compilation of eighty-eight poignant stories that Remen heard over many years, as well as stories of her own life. Her stories demonstrate her belief that a larger process is at work in all our lives and that human beings are "unfinished, a work in progress." She believes we come into the world whole but lose faith in our wholeness and become discouraged by feelings of not being pretty enough, smart enough, etc. " ... our wholeness exists in us now," she writes, "Trapped though it may be, it can be called upon for guidance, direction and most fundamentally, comfort."

No retelling of Remen's stories can do them justice. One of my favorites is "The Question"--a story told by a patient named Tim (now a cardiologist) of his experience at the age of fifteen with his father, who was in the last stages of Alzheimer¹s disease. At the time, his father had not spoken for ten years and was totally helpless. Tim and his brother were alone with their father when he suddenly slumped over and fell to the floor. The brother was calling 911 when both boys heard a voice commanding, "Don't call 911, son. Tell your mother that I love her. Tell her that I am all right." With those words, the man died. An autopsy later revealed that Tim's father's brain had been entirely destroyed by the disease. Tim never stops wondering who spoke those final words. He tells Dr. Remen, "Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed."

The author believes that talking about and sharing one¹s feelings revives memories that can lead to important new insights about one¹s life, bringing about a healing that formal treatment is unable to offer. She says that Shamans believe illness is a direct indication of soul loss. The soul, she explains, is that which is aware of the sacredness we carry and the sacredness that exists in the external world as well. Losing our appreciation for our sacredness, living with sadness, with feelings of unworthiness can manifest illness.

"Life is the ultimate teacher...," she writes. "It is through experience, and not scientific knowledge or expert academic training alone that we learn our deepest lessons." In her lectures and writings, Dr. Remen likes to tell of a sign on the wall of a room in Florida where the elderly come to play Bingo. It reads, "You Have to Be Present to Win." And so it is in life.

by Duffie Bart
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I am presurgery and this book helps to calm me and encourage me to think positively.

For years I refused to read this book after a friend's recommendation thinking that it would be another "feel good" attempt . Boy was I wrong! This book is one of the most extraordinary pieces of writing I have ever encountered. I have read it over and over again many times (the stories are short enough that allow you to read at your own pace). It has actually become sort of a "guide to Life" for me. Furthermore, as story-telling itself goes, is simply masterful. Dr. Remen is a powerful communicator and her wisdom goes beyond "new age". It is a groundbreaking work about mystery, awe and Life with a capital "L".

James Macdonald always seems to be speaking to me in his books and his messages on the radio. I always find just what i need with him. This book helps me to take the next step in my journey with Christ.

"10 Choices" is one of the most practical books that I have read as it relates to making positive changes in my life based on God's Word. Simple, practical, God-centered principles found in this book will change you forever too - in this life, and the life to come. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to transform their life based on what really works - God's Word.

Awesome! Another gut-level book by Dr. MacDonald to challenge and encourage you to go deeper with Jesus and in our earthly relationships. I've been in church my whole life and don't recall having the Word of God taught and applied as Dr. MacDonald is able to do. I would recommend this book, but be prepared to make different, exciting and life changing choices. This is also a great gift idea. I read Downpour and was so moved that I bought 12 more copies and gave them to family and friends. Such eternal rewards for a $125 investment.

James MacDonald is the most candid, real, and unapologetic author I have had the pleasure to read. It is as if he is speaking directly to you. He offers practical suggestion to improve your life through your relationship with God. It is a must read.

This book is clear-cut and straight-truth for the soul. This is the best book I think he has written thus far. James Macdonald is a true Biblical preacher who shares the truth of Christ with authority and teaches with love. If you want to experience the "next level" in your Christian walk then this is it!

I am so glad this book is now avaialbe in a kindle edition! This is a life changing book. It is eloquently written an has an inspirational message. It will warm your heart, and it will make you think. The first time I read this book I could not put it down. This book makes you realize that there is something "bigger and better" out there.

This book was in my opinion average at best. Yes it had some sad parts, yes it had some warm parts, but all very expectant. You knew what was coming down the road with every page turned. To me it just wasn't worth the time I spent reading it. You can judge a book by how often you think about it once you've finished it. Does it linger on your mind? Does it strike an emotion in you when you think about it? This book does none of that. Once I finished it and put it down, I never thought about it again. The writing style of the Author felt more like someone that is in high school. No depth. The book was also very short with larger font so it didn't take more than a an hour and half to read.

This is a COOL book. It makes you want to believe, and it gives you hope. It's SAD, but also has FUNNY parts. I like the part about the dog. You will LOVE this book!

Readers will get one third of the way through this book and say, "What's so comforting about this book? This book is SAD!"

Well, parts of the book ARE sad...but other part and inspiring and uplifting. You just have to keep reading till the end. I had a chance to hear the song, "The Spirit of Christmas," that goes with the book: it is wonderful!

I can't wait for this book to be made into a MOVIE!

I also loved:This Christmas Night: Reflections from Our Hearts to Your Home

This book gets better with each reading...and so far I've read it six times!

This is a book of comfort, inspiration, faith...a parable about the rewards of anonymous service...a story of eternal bonds. This story shows how service to others can make a life meaningful, even after the most severe and traumatic of tragidies.

Life can bring you to your knees in despair...but it can also exalt you when you learn what great things can come of everyday kindnesses.

This book has made me really think!

John Allen is a consumate story teller...a modern day Dickens. I contacted HCI Books and they told me John is working on another book that should be completed soon. I cannot wait to read it!

Also recommended: The Christmas Jars--wonderful!

I absolutely love this book! I cried the first time I read it and still do! What a gift from God, indeed, a child is and it is refreshing to talk about God's role in our childrens' lives. I have looked at and purchased many books in preparation for my little one, and this one BY FAR impressed me most. I highly recommend this book if you want to talk about God and you sheer joy for your baby!

I'm not religious at all and I am not sure what we will do when it comes to believing in god. I think we will tell her about god and she can decide later what she wants to believe but this book is just adorable!It tells your child how important they are to you and how you would never "trade" them for any other baby. The book describes how your parents will always love you because you are were chosen just for them. I love how they talk about the excitement of the baby, getting a bigger belly during pregnancy and going to the hospital. Then at the end the little bear goes to bed happy because she knows how much her parents love her! I am going to buy "God Gave Us Two" because we are expecting another baby in a couple weeks!!

I bought this book for my granddaughter, because I knew she was at an age where the question was going to come up, "mommy, where did I come from. It answers those questions in a wonderful way, with soothing words and beautiful illustrations. A lovely book, my daughter cried when she read it, because of the touching story and because, she knew that is how I felt about her too!God Gave Us You

God Gave Us You is a beautiful moving story. The best children's book I have come across.

It begins with one simple question from a little cub "Mama, where did I come from?"

Mama Bear then begins to explain in a gentle loving way her progression of pregnancy up until the moment little bear was placed in her arms; each page ending with the beautiful answer of "God Gave Us You".

The use of the phrases such as "my special child", "even the angels celebrated for us", "we wouldn't trade you for the world", all reassure the child of how much she is truly loved.

My daughter is 3 years old and knows the words by heart, as do I. I could read it with my eyes closed, and often do.

I am so thankful to have found this book; a story both child AND parent will truly enjoy.

I HIGHLY recommend this book and the spin-offs. We also enjoy "God Gave Us Two", and "God Gave Us Christmas". LOVE!

Great book overall: story, drawings, idea. Nice to find a picture book on the subject that is for believers and written for kids. Can't wait to get God gave us two!

It has been a very long time since I cried all the way through a book. With pleasure. I read half of it in one sitting, unwilling to break the spell of the stories and emotions it contains. For the horses and the children portrayed in the book this remarkable woman's life is a testimony to the value of faith and love. For the rest of us, we can take inspiration and do our best to do what we can to bring change and healing in our own spheres.
Hope Rising: Stories from the Ranch of Rescued Dreams

This book took me a little longer than normal to finish because I had to put down between stories as it kept tearing my heart out. The stories of healing and compassion are so very heartwarming but it was the author's own story of overcoming tragedy and how she managed to turn her life into one of servitude to broken souls is what truly captured my attention. Many people would have sunk into a deep depression and a life of "why me?" but she instead turned it around to help others and if she got a little preachy I was able to brush it off because it seemed like her faith was something that helped her get through the rough days. This was a very inspiring book and I hope she someday writes a book based on her life and her struggles to get where she is today.

To all of us men that grew up not knowing how to cry (and being ashamed if we did), it is probably best not to get this book. Otherwise, you will shed tears and it will touch your life.

If you can overcome that, make sure you get the next book that Kim Meeder wrote after this one.

Finally, if you are going to say how great these things that the Meeders' organization is doing, don't just spell it out here. Support what she is doing!

[...]

I loved this book and could not put it down. It tore at my heart strings and lifted my spirits. To the author, Kim ..Thank you for such an honest and incredible book. Even more importantly thank you so much for what you do at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch. I have every intention of visiting and supporting your cause. I was so moved by the heartache and the triumphs of each story, each life and each journey. There was so much honesty and thoughtfulness in each recount of each chapter. To be able to capture the power of the human spirit (in even small packages) and the willingness to still be magnificent .. (in the "angels in horse hair") was such an amazing thing to witness. Thank you for noticing, thank you for sharing and thank you for sharing it with others.

The one story of the little boy and the horse that hugged him...well you're just going to have to read it. This book is filled with wonderful stories that is a must for every horse lover out there! (Christian or not)

This workbook is awesome. It truly shows the biblical reasons for confessing our sin of overeating.
It has been a great help to me in my life!

I have not yet completed this study, but really think it is wonderful. The Bible Study aspect is really well put together and I have enjoyed the new thoughts and ideas it has brought to my life. It really changes the way you look at food and the satisfaction it gives you. I also recommend the website settingcaptivesfree.com where you can participate in the study online as an addition to the book. The materials are all A +++

I'm having a difficult time understanding a previous reviewer's comment that Mike Cleveland teaches in this book that his eating plan is the only acceptable approach (vs. Atkins, etc.). The following is a direct quote from The Lord's Table online course:

"Welcome to The Lord's Table! This course is a 60-Day program to help you gain control of your eating habits and to lose weight, if needed. Here is a suggested eating schedule to help you get up and running. The suggested eating days are like training wheels on a bike. Eventually you'll outgrow them, but they're helpful to get you started and you will feel more secure having them guide you. In The Lord's Table, this eating schedule is offered as a guide, not a requirement. Eventually you will develop your own schedule of eating that honors the Lord and produces weight loss or maintains optimum weight."

Doesn't exactly sound like he's saying his way is the only acceptable way to me - does it to you?

I find it frustrating that someone would not only misrepresent this author's teaching, but would cast aspersions on Mr. Cleveland's character as well. He "likes to toot his own horn" because he (supposedly) asked some who have been successful with breaking food's grip on their lives to come to this Amazon site and write a review? Sounds like getting the word out to me.

This is a wonderful program, with spot-on encouragement and firmly grounded Biblical teaching for those of us who find food has far too great a place in our lives. I highly recommend it.

One day I looked at myself in a full length mirror. As I stood there in my underwear my eyes closed in shame. I couldnt believe I allowed myself to get to this point. After three children, I felt like I would never get my body (any body) back. I fell on the floor in my bedroom and wept for God to show me what to do. Gluttony was my biggest sin. My idol. My obsession. I cried to God to save me from this incredible sin in my life. "I just want to eat when I feel hungry, I dont want to think about it every waking moment! PLEASE GOD!!!" After about 15 minutes I peeled myself off the floor and went to bed. The next morning I went to christianbooks.com and found The Lords Table. I did an Amazon search to see what the ratings were and I was flabergasted on how many 5 stars it was given. "What does this book say that all the others didnt?" was my first thought. But being obsessed with weight loss material I purchased the book. Now 25 days into the program I am down 18lbs but whats better than that. Is my walk with God. If you have come to a point in your life where its not about you anymore, but about God. Then this book is for you. You will gain control. Visit online www.settingcaptivesfree.com to be assigned a Mentor during your new walk with God.

This has been a very positive experience. It is more than a weight loss program. It is a spiritual growth developer. Weight loss happens as you grow closer to the Lord. It is wonderful. I plan to stay on it the rest of my life. I have lost 22 pounds but have a greater realization of approach to food.

A marriage counselor suggested I read this book. I had been married for 12 years at the time and we let things go. We needed some direction. We will be married 18 years this summer. It was wonderful. It gave me new hope and a new perspective. I have given several copies away to friends whose marriage was in trouble and a few as wedding gifts. It's great for the newly married couple to the oh boy our marriage is in serious trouble. I have re-read it a few times, and each time I pull something different from it. I highly recommend it!

I highly recommend this book. If it's not on the rocks, then I still recommend it, as it shows you specific biblical references to marriage and how to treat your partner.

I recommend it for those contemplating marriage and who are already married. Dr Wheat's books can transform any marriage into one made in Heaven.

For a christian, it is literally amazing how very far I was from the biblical principles for marriage. This book showed me how to act in accordance with these principles and I found nothing vague about it! It clearly outlined the appropriate behavior for a married christian and I go back to it again and again to remind myself of the good that god has in store for me as a partner in a christian marriage. I continue to buy this book in volume and share it with everyone I know, as my marriage was so close to the edge that I am still in awe of the blessing I've received from this book. Putting biblical principles to practice in your marriage can produce amazing results! May you be as blessed by the biblical wisdom explained in this book as I have been.

If you are looking for "secular" advice on marriage this book is not for you. However, if you are ready to have the marriage that Jesus Christ planned for you to have this book will help you start living the love-life you deserve and are biblically commanded to have. Every ounce of Dr. Wheat's advice is based on His Word, yet it is written in an easy to read format including examples of couples that Dr. Wheat has counseled. A strong and Holy marriage is hard work and even harder in the world we live in today, but it is possible with help from God and a commitment to walk in His ways. I also HIGHLY recommend Sacred Marriage by Gary L. Thomas.Sacred Marriage

I've heard of the Quest Bible but now I'm happy that I've gotten one of my own. Great study bible and will help you to understand the scriptures read. I definitely recommend this to everyone who is thinking of buying a study Bible. Only downfall, the prints are not large...therefore, if you are looking for a BIG print Bible, this is not it but will definitely help you with your studying and understanding the Bible. The pages are very thin and can be torn easily if you're eagerly searching for a passage. Hope my review helps...

I am nearly 80 years old and find this Bible the best study Bible that money can buy. I was given one and now am giving it to friends who love to study the Bible.

Wonderful Bible. The sidebar questions are questions that most commonly come to mind when reading the Bible. The questions and answers can give you a new perspective on a familiar topic. I wish I had gotten this years ago.

In the past I have often been confused by the parables and some of the teachings spoken by Jesus Christ in the four gospels. The NIV Bible explains them very carefully by asking questions which allow the reader to understand what Jesus means. For example, in the book of Matthew Jesus teaches by saying "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." I had always been confused by this, but this bible gives this explanation "The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are poor in spirit. Those who recognize their spiritual poverty and see their need for God's help"

This is only one example of the many ways in which the Quest Bible helped to make God's word easier to comprehend for me. I trust that it will do the same for you :)

This book is very well written for young,independent readers. I really like the information printed on the margins as well as the content, maps, etc. I highly recommend this study Bible to anyone who wants a deeper understand of God's word.

'Old Path White Clouds' is a story of Siddhartas life and the early spreading of the buddhist teachings, or "Dharma". The book is an excellent introduction to the basic ideas of buddhism.

This is a deeply wise book. It reflects the wisdom of Thich Nhat Nanh and gives a glimpse into enlightenment and how the enlightened person lives. I learned to ask questions that deepen insight through the reading of this book. It is a foundation for much of the work I do with CEO's and is a foundation for my leadership book "Unleashing Genius." A MUST READ FOR THOSE ON THE PATH.
Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations

M. Dianna Ryel-Lindsey
MA Indo-Tibetan Buddhism
Giovannina Jobson, Advisor
March 7th, 2008

Old Path, White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha
By: Thich Nhat Hanh

While at Deer Park Monastery in California, I watched a video of Thich Nhat Hanh dictating what the experience of writing Old Path, White Clouds. He spoke of the memory of writing the book with sweet nostalgia, a far off look in his eye. Thich Nhat Hanh, the Venerable Vietnamese monk who has aided in changing the face of Buddhism in the West, whose work has been deemed "Engaged Buddhism," took on the project of writing the Buddha's life, footstep by footstep. He literally wrote this book with a pen. He would work in four hour shifts for quite a long period of time until the book was done. Thich Nhat Hanh claimed that he was walking alongside the Buddha, with the Buddha, in the Buddha's era. He said it was a marvelous experience to write Old Path, White Clouds. Two women typed up Thich Nhat Hanh's work, and one of the women spoke of stopping mid-sentence to cry because she was so moved by Thich Nhat Hanh's glorious, sensitive flow of words.

The book is to be made into a movie in 2008 by Producers Michel Shane and Anthony Romano. They sought out Thich Nhat Hanh to discuss receiving the rights to make a film from Old Path, White Clouds. Humbly, Thich Nhat Hanh was perfectly fine with this inquiry. However, he wanted the producers to spend some time in his France home, Plum Village Retreat Center and Monastery. Thich Nhat Hanh informed them that they must create this movie mindfully. That is the only way a movie of the life of the Buddha could be produced.

Further, the Dalai Lama has given his consent that the book is as accurate as possible, and the Dalai Lama has taken an advisory role in the creation of the movie's script. "Drawn directly from twenty-four Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese sources, and retold by Thich Nhat Hanh in his inimitably beautiful style, this book traces the Buddha's life slowly and gently over the course of eighty years..." describes the back cover of the book. Thich Nhat Hanh's personal journey in writing this exquisite book, and the future production of this book into a movie prove the importance and earnest way in which Old Path, White Clouds can speak to all audiences about the Buddha's life.

The book is in three parts and quite large, so I thought it would be a great undertaking to read. Hidden underneath tangled, weaving Oak tree branches, in a small hut in Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California, I began to read Old Path, White Clouds. In a quintessential retreat setting, I understood why Thich Nhat Hanh's face filled with nostalgia as he remembered "walking with the Buddha" when writing the book. I felt as if I were floating, levitating as my eyes glided quickly across the words. Meditating and reading this book every day made me feel quite close to the Buddha (and the Buddha within). Thich Nhat Hanh's mindfulness in concentration and detail are obvious in his poetic, lyrical writing style. His care and precision is evident, and takes the reader right along with him on a journey in becoming a part of the Buddha's community, the Sangha.

BOOK ONE

The first section details the Buddha's youth and decision to leave home for the monastic, mendicant life. The book begins with Siddhartha Gautama in the woods outside of a village in India. He meets Svasti, the young Buffalo herder and Sujata, a young villager girl with some wealth. They brought him rice and kusa grass to sit on comfortably for meditation. He taught the children to eat quietly, with reverence, in mindfulness and gratitude. The children were drawn to his presence. Soon, more children came to hear Siddhartha Gautama's teaching, and the children eventually dubbed him "The Awakened One," the Buddha.

Born in 560 BC in Lumbini (India?) near the city of Kapilavastu, The Buddha grew up in a kingdom of wealth and riches. (He died at eighty-years-old in 480 BC.) Siddhartha Gautama was born to King Suddhodana and Mahamaya, his mother.

...Siddhartha was told about the dream his mother had before giving birth to him. A magnificent white elephant with six tusks descended from the heavens surrounded by a chorus of beatific praises. The elephant approached her, its skin as white as mountain snow. It held a brilliant pink lotus flower in its trunk, and placed the flower within the queen's body. Then the elephant, too, entered her effortlessly, and all at once she was filled with deep ease and joy. She had the feeling she would never again know any suffering, worry, or pain, and she awoke with the sensation of pure bliss. When she got up from her bed, the ethereal music from the dream still echoed in her ears... [The holy men of the kingdom were summoned.]
Your majesty, the queen will give birth to a son who will be a great leader. He is destined to become either a mighty emperor who rules throughout the four directions or a great Teacher who will show the way of truth to all beings in Heaven and Earth...

Mahamaya died shortly after childbirth, and Siddhartha was raised by Mahapajapati, known as Gotami, his aunt. Siddhartha, the Prince, was not interested in the affairs of the kingdom, although well-read and studied, he longed for more.

He wasn't interested in women, but nonetheless, he did meet Yasodhara. Her care and concern for the poor of India and her unconventional views brought her and Siddhartha to be close. Siddhartha was disgusted by the politics of India at the time, especially the Caste System, and Yasodhara agreed. They eventually married. Siddhartha and Yasodhara would speak of compassion together and meditated together. Their lives revolved around generosity, working with the poor. Yasodhara learned to care for herself to be able to give more; she listened as Siddhartha advised. Siddhartha continued to voice his concerns that more must be done, that he was destined to take a journey to solve the problems of India in his day.

In the meantime, Yasodhara became pregnant. Their son was named Rahula, "a fetter or a bondage." According to legend, it is more likely that he was named after a lunar eclipse (rahu) that might have occurred around the time of Rahula's birth. During many talks, Yasodhara (lovingly called Gopa by the Buddha) came to understand that Siddhartha had a mission to accomplish. He consoled her:

Gopa, please don't worry. You are a woman of depth. You are my partner, the one who can help me to truly fulfill my quest... In the near future I must leave and travel far from you; I know you possess the courage to continue your work. You will care for and raise our child well. Though I am gone, though I am far away from you, my love remains the same... And when I have found the Way, I will return to you and to our child.

Thus, Siddhartha left for a life of wandering, renouncing all for the sake of spirituality. He found numerous teachers among the forest-dwelling monks of India. He accomplished easily and quickly numerous deep levels of meditation: the state of no materiality, the state of neither perception nor non-perception, and so on... "He realized that the body and mind formed one reality that could not be separated. The peace and comfort of the body were directly related to the peace and comfort of the mind." He learned of the joys of meditation and the inseparability of interdependence and non-self.

"If the waves understood that they themselves were water, they would transcend birth and death and arrive at inner peace, overcoming all fear." Siddhartha's consciousness was raised to the suffering of all sentient beings; it is a common ground shared by all. Through meditation, Siddhartha became the Buddha, the Awakened One.

Siddhartha gazed at the star and exclaimed out of deep compassion, "All beings contain within themselves the seeds of Enlightenment, and yet we drown in the ocean of birth and death for so many thousands of lifetimes!"... He promised to share his discovery to bring help all others liberate themselves from suffering.

In Deer Park, the radiant Buddha taught his five ascetic friends of the Dharma, the law or words of the Buddha. His knowledge, he shared. At once, he had turned the Wheel of the Dharma. The Buddha taught of the Middle Way path, and also, the Noble Eightfold Path: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

He stated, "I have followed this Noble Eightfold Path and have realized understanding, liberation, and peace."

BOOK TWO

This section of Old Path, White Clouds gives descriptions of the Buddha's travels around India and the quickly growing Sangha. Uruvela Kassapa begins the book by stating:

On this fresh spring morning,
the Enlightened One passes through our city
with the noble community of 1,250 disciples.
All are walking with slow, calm, and radiant steps.

The Sangha grew rapidly with exposure to the radiant teacher, the Buddha, and his dedicated disciples. In the second chapter, the Buddha determines that India's monsoon season is not a pleasant or safe time to travel. Thus, the three month deep meditation retreat was established. With donations and the working hands of the Sangha, the community built huts from bamboo, thatch, and pounded earth. For the first year the location for the Sangha was the Bamboo Forest. This was a time of deep reflection, study, and meditation for the monks and disciples. It became a valued tradition.

An ascetic Dighanakha had questions for the Buddha. He did not believe in doctrine or subscribing to any tenets. The Buddha replied:

You see, my friend, if we are attached to some belief and hold it to be absolute truth, we may one day find ourselves... thinking that we already possess the truth, we will be unable to open our minds to receive the truth, even if truth comes knocking at our door... My teaching is not doctrine or philosophy... It is the result of direct experience.

The Buddha handles doubt so elegantly! He is never on the defensive proving a point. He leads by example. His words are controlled, compassionate, and gentle. The Buddha's life, he leads by his own genuine experience.

Thich Nhat Hanh agrees, "Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others' viewpoints."

The Buddha goes on to describe a gorgeous metaphor:
I must state clearly that my teaching is a method to experience reality itself, just as a finger pointing to the moon is not the moon itself. An intelligent person makes use of the finger to see the moon. A person who only looks at the finger and mistakes it for the moon will never see the real moon... My teaching is like a raft used to cross the river. Only a fool would carry the raft around after he had already reached the other shore, the shore of liberation.

This teaching is vital in Buddhism. The teachings of the Buddha are stepping stones, not the end-all. Buddhism leaves the path open to the individual's experience, and if a person holds too tightly to "the view" or "the Buddha's words," they will be carrying a very heavy raft on their shoulders.

Next, the disciples experience Ambapali and her power of physical beauty. Sariputta asked the Buddha, "Master, how should a monk regard a woman's beauty? Is beauty, especially that of a woman, an obstacle to spiritual practice?"

The Buddha answered:
Bhikkhus, [(disciples)] the true nature of all dharmas transcends beauty and ugliness. Beauty and ugliness are only concepts created by our minds... But perhaps no beauty has more capacity to distract a man's concentration than a woman's beauty. If one is obsessed with a woman's beauty, he can lose his way.

This has long been an issue historically with Buddhism. The female, seen as a mara, or distraction (sometimes translated to be demon), is an obstruction in the monk's path of becoming enlightened. Of course, feminists have harped on this. Yet, many modern women see this as a sign of the times and let it go. Unattached, many women know that they can become enlightenment to the same extent as men and are not concerned with the term "mara." Thich Nhat Hanh presents the issue gently in Old Path, White Clouds.

The Buddha continues, "...the beautiful may still appear beautiful and the ugly may still appear ugly, but because you have attained liberation, you are not bound by either... Such a person understands the impermanent and empty nature of all things." In this account of the Buddha's life, this is where the teachings are morphing progressively from Hinayâna to Mahâyâna Buddhism.

Following this, the Buddha returns to his home palace to meet his son Rahula as an older boy. Rahula joins the Buddha on his quest and becomes the youngest disciple, layperson. He is too young to become a full-fledged monk. The Buddha states, "With understanding and love, there is nothing you cannot accomplish." These are simple, profound, and beautiful words; the Buddha elaborates quite a bit on the correct form of love that does not hold possession or greed.

The Buddha and the Sangha are walking once again and encounter an "untouchable," a man of the lowest Indian caste bathing in the river. The Buddha approaches him to greet him in a friendly manner. The man backs away! "I am an untouchable. I don't want to pollute you and your monks."

The Buddha replies, "You are human being like the rest of us," and he invites him to join the Sangha.

Sunita, the man, placed his palms to his forehead, astonished, he says, "No one has ever spoken so kindly to me before." He devotes the rest of his life to the Buddha and his teachings.

In an incredibly important point in the book, it covers the historical trials of women who wanted to become lay disciples and eventual nuns. "After hearing the Dharma talk, the queen and princess felt their hearts open. They both wanted to become lay disciples, but did not dare ask." At that time in India, politically, it would have been considered absurd and for women to become nuns. Their place in society had to do with tending the home and serving their husbands and children. There was no room for strict devotion to a spiritual path, monastic devotion.

A group of women, including the Buddha's aunt Gotami, shaved their heads, dressed in robes, and walked barefoot to meet the Buddha and portray their eager earnestness in becoming lay disciples and eventual nuns. The Buddha was not discriminatory against women, but he was unsure as to how to open the Sangha without disrupting it inside and out. He was afraid that society would not support the Sangha with women in it. Harmful conflict could come to consume the Sangha.

Finally, the Buddha comes up with strict laws that would allow the women to become nuns. The rules were stricter than the monks'. It has remained this way unto this day.

Here are the extra eight rules for women:
First, a nun, or bhikkhuni, will always defer to a bhikkhu, even if she is older or has practiced longer than he has. Second, all bhikkhunis, must spend the retreat season at a center within reach of a center of bhikkhus in order to receive spiritual support and further study. Third, twice a month, the bhikkhunis should delegate someone to invite the bhikkhus to decide on a date for uposatha, the special day of observance. A bhikkhu should visit the nuns, teach them, and encourage them in their practice. Fourth, after the rainy season retreat, nuns must attend Pavarana ceremony and present an account of their practice, not only before other nuns, but before the monks. Fifth, whenever a bhikkhuni breaks a precept, she must confess before both the bhikkhunis and the bhikkhus. Sixth, after a period of practice as a novice, a bhikkhuni will take full vows before the communities of both monks and nuns. Seventh, a bhikkhuni should not criticize or censure a bhikkhu. Eighth, a bhikkhuni will not give Dharma instruction to a community of bhikkhus.

These rules sound terrifyingly sexist to the modern ear. However, the women were so elated to be part of the Sangha and learn alongside the Buddha, that they bowed, thanked him, and accepted the rules immediately. It was understood that the Buddha was defying society and taking a huge risk for the women's sake. In order to defend the Sangha to society, the rules were set up to protect the nuns, to help ensure their place in the Sangha. Unfortunately, the rules have historically remained until modern day.

Shortly thereafter, the Buddha delivered The Sûtra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. Ananda repeated the Buddha's words, "Sati means `to dwell in mindfulness,' that is, the practitioner remains aware of everything taking place in his body, feelings, mind, and objects of mind- the four establishments of mindfulness, or awareness." This is where venerable Thich Nhat Hanh picked up his famous words, "Present Moment, Wonderful Moment." Being present is being able to truly live life in happy awareness no matter what realities occur.

BOOK THREE

The third book entails further, deeper teachings of the Buddha like full breathing, the raft not being the shore (do not get stuck in the teachings), and virtuous action and wisdom being "the two most precious things in life." He also teaches of co-dependent arising not to be grasped through logic and words solely. This must be contemplated through the art of meditation. "When you look at a leaf or a raindrop, meditate on all the conditions, near and distant, that have contributed to the presence of that leaf or raindrop. Know that the world is woven out of interconnected threads."

The Buddha continues in his teachings and traveling. Ending up at one point in Alavi, he meets a farmer. He refuses to give a Dharma talk until the farmer and all present had finished eating. The Buddha then elucidates a discussion on hunger. "If I delivered a Dharma talk while our brother was still hungry, he would not be able to concentrate. There is no greater suffering than hunger." Always remember those who are hungry, is the advice of the Buddha.

The book finishes with gorgeous verses of the Buddha's teaching. Ananda stated, "Lord, listening to the sound of the tide and looking out over the waves, I follow my breath and dwell in the present moment. My mind and body find perfect ease. I find that the ocean renews me."

The teachings become more and more esoteric. Uttiya asked, "After you die, will you continue to exist or not?"

The Buddha replied, "This question... I will not answer... I only answer questions that pertain directly to the practice of gaining mastery over one's mind and body in order to overcome all sorrows and anxieties." Becoming enlightened means no longer holding on to the fear of death. Becoming enlightened entails no death.

Finally, the book ends with the chapter entitled Old Path, White Clouds. The Buddha has passed away at eighty-years-old; he is given a wondrous ceremony in the midst of sal trees.

"For six days and nights, the people of Kusinara and nearby Pava came to offer flower, incense, dance, and music. Mandarava blossoms and other flowers soon thickly carpeted the area between the two sal trees." After this, his body was carried into town for a magnificent funeral. The practice of meditation and teaching Buddhism continued well after his death and to this day.

Thich Nhat Hanh concludes his compassionate book with, "The Buddha was the source... Wherever the rivers flowed, the Buddha would be there." Old Path, White Clouds is a timeless treasure as are the teachings of the Buddha. I recommend this book for: anyone curious about Buddhism, people young or old, those of any and all spiritual traditions, and practitioners on any level. Thich Nhat Hanh presents the Buddha's life with great reverence and sensitivity. This book's words flowed throughout my being as I read the superlative, spiritually provocative life story of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.

This book is simply a masterpiece. Thich Nhat Hanh delivers the story of the Buddha and his path to enlightenment in peaceful words and pages. I will likely read this book throughout my life, again and again.

Wonderful read. Written in a way that is easy to understand. Thich Nhat Hanh writes beautifully. I highly recommend this book for anyone, especially those who are looking for an understanding of this particular lineage of buddhism.