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Title: The Hidden Lamp
Subtitle: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women
Author: Zenshin Florence Caplow - editor, Reigetsu Susan Moon - editor
Narrator: Caroline McLaughlin, Judith West
Format: Unabridged
Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
Language: English
Release date: 04-07-16
Publisher: Audible Studios
Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 7 votes
Genres: Religion & Spirituality, Buddhism & Eastern Religions
Publisher's Summary:
The Hidden Lamp is a collection of 100 koans and stories of Buddhist women from the time of the Buddha to the present day. This revolutionary book brings together many teaching stories that were hidden for centuries, unknown until this volume. These stories are extraordinary expressions of freedom and fearlessness, relevant for men and women of any time or place. In this audio, we meet nuns, laywomen practicing with their families, famous teachers honored by emperors, and old women selling tea on the side of the road.
Each story is accompanied by a reflection by a contemporary woman teacher - personal responses that help bring the old stories alive for listeners today - and concluded by a final meditation for the listener, a question from the editors meant to spark further rumination and inquiry. These are the voices of the women ancestors of every contemporary Buddhist.
Members Reviews:
Wonderful!
I wasn't sure about women's Zen koan stories, but The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-five Centuries of Awakened Women is full of wonderful stories about women Zen practicitioners. A lot of the stories are about ordinary women practicing at an extra-ordinary level. The commentaries are surprisingly practical and down-to-earth. I read it first by the countries Buddhism expanded into: India, China, Japan, etc. Then I went back and started at the beginning. Definitely recommend this book for its depth and variety of stories and commentaries.
Zen stories about women Zen masters with commentaries by contemporary women teachers
The Hidden Lamp is instructive, fascinating, and - dare I say it in the traditionally serious Zen world - fun!
The most compelling reason to read this book, in my opinion, is not only that the koans are about women, but also that the commentaries are written by contemporary women from different Buddhist traditions.
The commentaries are from women who have dedicated their lives to the Buddha way. As women, they have embodied understanding of the spirit and intentions of these teaching stories. In this way, these ancient koans have become alive and inspiring and personal.
The Hidden Lamp is a collection of Zen and Chan stories in which women are the sages and masters. When one reads the classical Zen literature, one wonders where the women are. Are they too busy cooking dinner, or is the society so repressive that there are no women who seek to realize the truth of the Buddha Way?
Koans, as most everyone knows, are traditional Zen stories that are intended to provoke investigation and contemplation, resulting in insight into one's spiritual practice and life. But koans are also famously abstruse. Note case number 47 in the Book of Equanimity:
"Attention! A monk asked Joshu, 'What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?' Joshu answered, 'The cypress tree in the garden.'"
Many students, like me, think, "Hmmm. I don't get it." So koans are often considered to be impenetrable puzzles, written by men, that require a commentary....by another man.