Takes us inside the monastery walls to present details of what it's like: the physical work, common meals, conversations with the monks and other residents, meditation, and other activities that fill an ordinary week.
Jack Maguire
Preface by John Daido Loori, Roshi
ebook
5½ x 8½, 208 pp | 978-1-59473-450-2
An essential guide to what it’s like to spend a week inside a Zen Buddhist monastery.
The notion of spending days at a time in silence and meditation amid the serene beauty of a Zen monastery may be appealing—but how do you do it, and what can you really expect from the experience?
Waking Up provides the answers for everyone who’s just curious, as well as for all those who have dreamed of actually giving it a try and now want to know where to begin.
Jack Maguire take us inside the monastery walls to present details of what it’s like: the physical work, common meals, conversations with the monks and other residents, meditation, and other activities that fill an ordinary week. We learn:
- What kind of person resides in a Zen monastery?
- Why do people stay there/ And for how long?
- Must you be a Buddhist to spend time there?
- What do the people there do? What is a typical day like?
- How does the experience affect people’s spiritual life once they’re back home?
- How can I try it out?
A detailed “Guide to Zen and Buddhist Places” and a glossary of terms make Waking Up not only a handbook for the curious seeker, but an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know more about the Buddhist way.
“A beautifully described, intimate view of Zen monastic life…especially valuable for those who have had no experience participating in a week-long retreat practice. Highly recommended.”
—Rabbi David A. Cooper, author of God Is a Verb and Silence, Simplicity & Solitude: A Complete Guide to Spiritual Retreat at Home
“Useful.... Readers who would like to try a retreat at a Zen monastery, or simply want to experience it vicariously, will enjoy this helpful slice-of-life approach.”
—Publishers Weekly
“An excellent way to glimpse life inside a Zen monastery.”
—Marcia and Jack Kelly, authors of Sanctuaries: A Guide to Lodgings in
Monasteries, Abbeys, and Retreats
“First-rate…. has the feel of a ‘being there’ video, often inspiring and moving. An accurate and firsthand account of the rites and rituals of a place that has the power to heal and transform.”
—Mu Soeng, Director, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, Barre, Massachusetts
“‘What will it really be like?’ Jack Maguire has done an excellent job of answering this and many other questions, beautifully introducing the Zen experience.”
—Jennifer Louden, author of The Women’s Retreat Book
