Questions from the city, answers from the forest : simple lessons you can use from a Western Buddhist monk

""Sincere inquiry always sparks our movement towards truth. Deep questions signal the manifestation of the very energy through which we outgrow ourselves.""--The Introduction. Born in Chicago, a law school graduate and real estate professional, Ajahn Sumano abandoned his comfortable American lifestyle for the begging bowl and simple cave home of an ordained Buddhist monk in the tradition of the Thai forest meditation masters. In 1994-95, he conducted a series of question and answer evenings at a guest house in Thailand's Kowyai National Park with English-speaking tour.;Questions from the City, Answers from the Forest: Simple Lessons You Can Use from a Western Buddhist Monk; Half Title Page; Title Page; Copyright Page; CONTENTS; Introduction; PART ONE: Questions from the City; CHAPTER ONE: Turning to Spiritual Life; CHAPTER TWO: The World through a Seeker's Eyes; CHAPTER THREE: Questioning Your Way to the Truth; PART TWO: Answers from the Forest; CHAPTER ONE: Setting the Context for Practice; CHAPTER TWO: Beginning Practice; CHAPTER THREE: The Buddhist Tradition; CHAPTER FOUR: A Foundation in Ethics; CHAPTER FIVE: The Illusion of Self.

"Sincere inquiry always sparks our movement towards truth. Deep questions signal the manifestation of the very energy through which we outgrow ourselves." -- from the Introduction. Born in Chicago, a law school graduate and real estate professional, Ajahn Sumano abandoned his comfortable American lifestyle for the begging bowl and simple cave home of an ordained Buddhist monk in the tradition of the Thai forest meditation masters. In 1994-95, he conducted a series of question and answer evenings at a guest house in Thailand's Kowyai National Park with English-speaking tourists eager to meet a Western Buddhist monk. The heartfelt questions of these "city" people and the clear and penetrating answers Sumano gave from his "forest" perspective form the basis of this remarkable book. Written on a battered, battery-powered laptop in his meditation cave, Sumano's enchanting personal story and his refreshingly down-to-earth blend of American sensibility and Eastern practice will fascinate newcomers to Buddhist ideas as well as experienced practitioners.

Library Journal

Sumano, born Jeffrey Phillips, addresses an immense range of questions derived from conversations held over many years on subjects including monasticism, sexuality, the self, and memory. Sumano's absolute clarity about his origins and his own limitations gives him a singular freedom as a spiritual adviser, and his replies embody patience, compassion, and good humor as well as good sense. His advice is well suited to the ears of a Western audience. For most collections strong in spirituality. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

" Sincere inquiry always sparks our movement towards truth. Deep questions signal the manifestation of the very energy through which we outgrow ourselves ." — from the Introduction. Born in Chicago, a law school graduate and real estate professional, Ajahn Sumano abandoned his comfortable American lifestyle for the begging bowl and simple cave home of an ordained Buddhist monk in the tradition of the Thai forest meditation masters. In 1994-95, he conducted a series of question and answer evenings at a guest house in Thailand's Kowyai National Park with English-speaking tourists eager to meet a Western Buddhist monk. The heartfelt questions of these "city" people and the clear and penetrating answers Sumano gave from his "forest" perspective form the basis of this remarkable book. Written on a battered, battery-powered laptop in his meditation cave, Sumano's enchanting personal story and his refreshingly down-to-earth blend of American sensibility and Eastern practice will fascinate newcomers to Buddhist ideas as well as experienced practitioners. Questions from the City, Answers from the Forest: Simple Lessons You Can Use from a Western Buddhist Monk Half Title Page Title Page Copyright Page CONTENTS Introduction PART ONE: Questions from the City CHAPTER ONE: Turning to Spiritual Life CHAPTER TWO: The World through a Seeker's Eyes CHAPTER THREE: Questioning Your Way to the Truth PART TWO: Answers from the Forest CHAPTER ONE: Setting the Context for Practice CHAPTER TWO: Beginning Practice CHAPTER THREE: The Buddhist Tradition CHAPTER FOUR: A Foundation in Ethics CHAPTER FIVE: The Illusion of Self. CHAPTER SIX: Managing the MindCHAPTER SEVEN: Being in the Present CHAPTER EIGHT: The Art of Meditation CHAPTER NINE: Seeing the Whole Picture CHAPTER TEN: The Monastic Lifestyle PART THREE: Bringing the Forest Home CHAPTER ONE: Living the Answers CHAPTER TWO: Skillful Relationships CHAPTER THREE: Sexuality and Celibacy CHAPTER FOUR: Spiritual Education CHAPTER FIVE: Karma and Rebirth CHAPTER SIX: Looking Death Squarely in the Eye. " Sincere inquiry always sparks our movement towards truth. Deep questions signal the manifestation of the very energy through which we outgrow ourselves ." — from the Introduction. Born in Chicago, a law school graduate and real estate professional, Ajahn Sumano abandoned his comfortable American lifestyle for the begging bowl and simple cave home of an ordained Buddhist monk in the tradition of the Thai forest meditation masters. In 1994-95, he conducted a series of question and answer evenings at a guest house in Thailand's Kowyai National Park with English-speaking tourists eager to meet a Western Buddhist monk. The heartfelt questions of these "city" people and the clear and penetrating answers Sumano gave from his "forest" perspective form the basis of this remarkable book. Written on a battered, battery-powered laptop in his meditation cave, Sumano's enchanting personal story and his refreshingly down-to-earth blend of American sensibility and Eastern... General Fiction An American-born Buddhist monk now living in a simple meditation cave in Thailand answers questions posed by a group of tourists in Thailand's Kowyai National Park in 1994-95, providing clear, down-to-earth instructions on how to bring mindfulness and awareness into one's daily life