Sumeru News

Shinko Roshi, the subject of my latest column for Buddhistdoor, talks about her journey through Zen to invocations of the Five Goddesses. Here's the link: https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/shinko-roshi-and-the-five-goddesses

Yasodhara and the BuddhaVanessa R. Sasson Bloomsbury Academic 2021Paperback: 304 pages / ISBN: 978-1350163164 / 6.08 x 0.62 x 9.29 inches From the Publisher By combining the spirit of fiction with the fabulism of Indian mythology and in-depth academic research, Vanessa R. Sasson shares the evocative story of the Buddha from the perspective of a forgotten woman: Yasodhara, the Buddha's wife.Although often marginalized, Yasodhara's narrative here comes to life. Written with a strong feminist voice, we encounter Yasodhara as a fiercely independent, passionate and resilient individual. We witness her joys and sorrows, her expectations and frustrations, her fairy-tale wedding, and her overwhelming devastation...

Rev. Dr. Monica Sanford has just sent me the table of contents for volume II of her Buddhist chaplaincy textbook, Kalyanamitra: A Model for Buddhist Spiritual Care. We are aiming for editing to be completed in June, which means it will be published this summer, 2021! Here's what will be inside: Kalyanamitra: A Model for Buddhist Spiritual CareVolume II: Praxis Table of ContentsDedication / Acknowledgements / Introduction   Chapter 1: Pragmatic Skills for Every Context           Presence          Not Being Present        Being Present in Meditation & Daily Life          Being Present in Spiritual Care Being Present for Yourself: Reflexivity Listening & Responding           Not Listening   Listening         Responding Appropriately        Responding to Difficulty          Empathy & Compassion           On Being Open-HeartedFour Divine Abodes     Empathic...

Birken Forest Monastery has recorded an audiobook version of Ajahn Sona's Bloom, which you can listen to on YouTube. Chapters will go up through March and April. A wonderful (and free) alternative if you prefer listening rather than reading... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCXN1GlAupG1BGTcg-lwAepSZWBw6l5OE

In which I'm profiled along with illustrious Zen teachers. https://rbmcdaniel.ca/2021/02/25/john-negru/