Daughters of Emptiness

Poems of Chinese Buddhist Nuns

Fiction & Literature, Poetry, Inspirational & Religious, Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy
Cover of the book Daughters of Emptiness by Beata Grant, Wisdom Publications
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Beata Grant ISBN: 9780861718221
Publisher: Wisdom Publications Publication: June 4, 2012
Imprint: Wisdom Publications Language: English
Author: Beata Grant
ISBN: 9780861718221
Publisher: Wisdom Publications
Publication: June 4, 2012
Imprint: Wisdom Publications
Language: English

Women played major roles in the history of Buddhist China, but given the paucity of the remaining records, their voices have all but faded. In Daughters of Emptiness, Beata Grant renders a great service by recovering and translating the enchanting verse - by turns assertive, observant, devout - of forty-eight nuns from sixteen centuries of imperial China. This selection of poems, along with the brief biographical accounts that accompany them, affords readers a glimpse into the extraordinary diversity and sometimes startling richness of these women's lives.

A sample poem for this stunning collection:

The sequence of seasons naturally pushes forward,
Suddenly I am startled by the ending of the year.
Lifting my eyes I catch sight of the winter crows,
Calling mournfully as if wanting to complain.
The sunlight is cold rather than gentle,
Spreading over the four corners like a cloud.
A cold wind blows fitfully in from the north,
Its sad whistling filling courtyards and houses.
Head raised, I gaze in the direction of Spring,
But Spring pays no attention to me at all.
Time a galloping colt glimpsed through a crack,
The tap [of Death] at the door has its predestined time.
How should I not know, one who has left the world,
And for whom floating clouds are already familiar?
In the garden there grows a rosary-plum tree:
Whose sworn friendship makes it possible to endure.

- Chan Master Jingnuo

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Women played major roles in the history of Buddhist China, but given the paucity of the remaining records, their voices have all but faded. In Daughters of Emptiness, Beata Grant renders a great service by recovering and translating the enchanting verse - by turns assertive, observant, devout - of forty-eight nuns from sixteen centuries of imperial China. This selection of poems, along with the brief biographical accounts that accompany them, affords readers a glimpse into the extraordinary diversity and sometimes startling richness of these women's lives.

A sample poem for this stunning collection:

The sequence of seasons naturally pushes forward,
Suddenly I am startled by the ending of the year.
Lifting my eyes I catch sight of the winter crows,
Calling mournfully as if wanting to complain.
The sunlight is cold rather than gentle,
Spreading over the four corners like a cloud.
A cold wind blows fitfully in from the north,
Its sad whistling filling courtyards and houses.
Head raised, I gaze in the direction of Spring,
But Spring pays no attention to me at all.
Time a galloping colt glimpsed through a crack,
The tap [of Death] at the door has its predestined time.
How should I not know, one who has left the world,
And for whom floating clouds are already familiar?
In the garden there grows a rosary-plum tree:
Whose sworn friendship makes it possible to endure.

- Chan Master Jingnuo

More books from Wisdom Publications

Cover of the book The Lives and Liberation of Princess Mandarava by Beata Grant
Cover of the book The Door of Liberation by Beata Grant
Cover of the book Zen Women by Beata Grant
Cover of the book The Compassionate Life by Beata Grant
Cover of the book How Do Madhyamikas Think? by Beata Grant
Cover of the book Journey to Mindfulness by Beata Grant
Cover of the book Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond by Beata Grant
Cover of the book Mahamudra by Beata Grant
Cover of the book Bear Awareness by Beata Grant
Cover of the book The Voice that Remembers by Beata Grant
Cover of the book Awakening Together by Beata Grant
Cover of the book Keep Me in Your Heart a While by Beata Grant
Cover of the book Following in the Buddha's Footsteps by Beata Grant
Cover of the book Life Is Spiritual Practice by Beata Grant
Cover of the book The Bliss of Inner Fire by Beata Grant
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy