Journeys of Transformation
eBook - PDF

Journeys of Transformation

Searching for No-Self in Western Buddhist Travel Narratives

  1. 344 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Journeys of Transformation

Searching for No-Self in Western Buddhist Travel Narratives

About this book

Western Buddhist travel narratives are autobiographical accounts of a journey to a Buddhist culture. Dozens of such narratives have since the 1970s describe treks in Tibet, periods of residence in a Zen monastery, pilgrimages to Buddhist sites and teachers, and other Asian odysseys. The best known of these works is Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard; further reflections emerge from thirty writers including John Blofeld, Jan Van de Wetering, Thomas Merton, Oliver Statler, Robert Thurman, Gretel Ehrlich, and Bill Porter. The Buddhist concept of 'no-self' helps these authors interpret certain pivotal experiences of 'unselfing' and is also a catalyst that provokes and enables such events. The writers' spiritual memoirs describe how their journeys brought about a new understanding of Buddhist enlightenment and so transformed their lives. Showing how travel can elicit self-transformation, this book is a compelling exploration of the journeys and religious changes of both individuals and Buddhism itself.

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Information

Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
2022
Print ISBN
9781009098830
eBook ISBN
9781009116435
Topic
Theology & Religion
Subtopic
Buddhism

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-title page
  3. Reviews
  4. Title page
  5. Copyright page
  6. Dedication
  7. Contents
  8. Acknowledgments and Author’s Note
  9. Introduction: A Literary Genre and Some Questions about Self-Transformation
  10. Chapter 1 The Origins of the Genre: John Blofeld and Lama Govinda
  11. Chapter 2 Peter Matthiessen’s The Snow Leopard and Nine-Headed Dragon River
  12. Chapter 3 In a Zen Monastery: Ambiguous Failure and Enlightenment
  13. Chapter 4 Thomas Merton and Christian and Jewish Pilgrims in Buddhist Asia
  14. Chapter 5 Walking the Dharma on Shikoku and in India
  15. Chapter 6 Trekking and Tracking the Self in Tibet
  16. Chapter 7 Life-Changing Travels in the Tibetan Diaspora
  17. Chapter 8 Encounters with Theravada Buddhism
  18. Chapter 9 Searching for Chan Buddhism after Mao
  19. Conclusion: Theories of No-Self, Stories of Unselfing, and Transformation
  20. Bibliography
  21. Index

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Yes, you can access Journeys of Transformation by John D. Barbour in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Buddhism. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.