Sun Buddhas, moon Buddhas: a Zen quest

by Elsie Mitchell, Dom Aelred Graham (Foreword)

"Sun Buddhas, Moon Buddhas" is the chronicle of one woman's continuing quest for her true nature, her "Buddha's nature": a quest that has carried her from her Unitarian roots in New England to marriage to an English Catholic born in Austria, and finally to Japan and the living traditions of Zen Buddhism. In the process she has descended to the depths of spiritual anguish and has been buffeted by the clash of cultural values, to emerge with a compassionate and truly enlightened view of humankind that transcends East and West and crosses all sectarian bounds. But the book is more than a spiritual memoir. It is based firmly upon tenets central to Mahayana A Buddha is one who is enlightened-- one who is fully aware of his true nature, his Buddha nature. All human beings are capable of enlightenment, so that all are potential Buddhas. And all, whether knowingly or not, are embarked on the search for self-awareness.

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Jerry Peace]

Ms. Mitchell's book is peopled with a fascinating collection of Buddhas.