Synopses & Reviews
Using vignettes and anecdotes from his own life - as well as quotations drawn from sources as varied as the Bible, Yiddish aphorisms, and stand-up comedy - Zen teacher and Unitarian Universalist minister James Ishmael Ford shares the gifts won over his lifetime of full-hearted engagement with the Zen path. "I've found myself broken open," Ford says, "and found in that opening my fundamental connection to the whole world."
What's more, If You're Lucky, Your Heart Will Break breathes new life into the Buddhist ideas of karma and rebirth - as well as the Buddhist precepts of ethical action - and finds for them kinship in other spiritual endeavors. Even the most cynical of hearts will find resonance in Ford's compassionate presentation of basic human truths.
Review
An example of engaged, moving, eye-opening and contemporary Zen, lived deeply in the world.”
SweepingZen.comFinally, a book that reveals to every seeker that the religious and spiritual paths can be one and the same! No one who is on a search for wholeness and meaning will be unaffected by these life-changing reflections of James Ishmael Ford.Lee Barker, president, Meadville Lombard Theological School
Informative...down-to-earth...practical.”Publishers Weekly
Engaging, humorous, deep without being dry. I recommend it to Buddhists and also non-Buddhists.”OpenBuddha.com
Field Notes from a Zen Life is a sparklingly refreshing offering. Ford's mature, playful, multifaceted Zen has been slow-cooking for forty years and is now ready. Read and delight!” Dosho Port, author of Keep Me in Your Heart a While
James Ford's Field Notes covers the spiritual turf from beginner to Zen master with honesty, clarity and beauty. We love seeing our UU minister and Zen master plotting murder while checking out of the supermarket, as much as we love his probing the depths of Zen wisdom. A book that sparkles with the complexities of humanity, ethical wisdom, and loveand also offers clear instructions for beginning a Zen practice.” Grace Schireson, author of Zen Women
James Ford shows us how take the initiative and to be ready to be surprised by joy, freedom, and the whole mess. A valuable companion filled with encouragement for beginners and experienced meditators alike.”Diane Eshin Rizzetto, author of Waking Up to What You Do
"A must-read addition to the growing literature on 'Western Zen'with an engaging clarity and informed easy-going sophistication."Zoketsu Norman Fischer, author of Sailing Home: Using the Wisdom of Homer's Odyssey to Navigate Life's Perils and Pitfalls
"A wonderful blend of story, advice, perspective, history, and instruction."Sumi Loundon, author of Blue Jean Buddha
Review
"An example of engaged, moving, eye-opening and contemporary Zen, lived deeply in the world."
Review
"Finally, a book that reveals to every seeker that the religious and spiritual paths can be one and the same! No one who is on a search for wholeness and meaning will be unaffected by these life-changing reflections of James Ishmael Ford."
Review
"Informative...down-to-earth...practical."
Review
"Engaging, humorous, deep without being dry. I recommend it to Buddhists and also non-Buddhists."
Review
"Field Notes from a Zen Life is a sparklingly refreshing offering. Ford's mature, playful, multifaceted Zen has been slow-cooking for forty years and is now ready. Read and delight!"
Review
"James Ford's Field Notes covers the spiritual turf from beginner to Zen master with honesty, clarity and beauty. We love seeing our UU minister and Zen master plotting murder while checking out of the supermarket, as much as we love his probing the depths of Zen wisdom. A book that sparkles with the complexities of humanity, ethical wisdom, and love--and also offers clear instructions for beginning a Zen practice."
Review
"James Ford shows us how take the initiative and to be ready to be surprised by joy, freedom, and the whole mess. A valuable companion filled with encouragement for beginners and experienced meditators alike."
Review
"A must-read addition to the growing literature on 'Western Zen'--with an engaging clarity and informed easy-going sophistication."
Review
"A wonderful blend of story, advice, perspective, history, and instruction."
Synopsis
The book has a casually warm and friendly tone that will appeal to wide variety of readers.
Drawing on sources as diverse as the Bible and stand-up comics, Ford reflects on his more than four decades walking the Pathand the Big Questions asked and answered (in his words: sort of”). He examines the nature of Awakening and what it means to work toward ithelping us see, in the words of one chapter title, Some of What Zen Practice Is, and a Little of What It Isnt”; he offers a wise perspective on the nature of spiritual directors and enormously helpful counsel on What to Look for When Looking for a Teacher”; and give us a seasoned look at the core practices of Zen (shikantaza and koan study) within the key principles of not knowing and sitting down, shutting up, and paying attention.”
This book explores the always fascinating issues of karma and rebirth from the deconstructing perspective of Zenin a way that will find resonance with both conservatives and the vast audience of Stephen Batchelors Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist.
And perhaps most significantly, the last section of the book takes a fresh and nuanced look at the Buddhist Ethical Preceptswhich
About the Author
James Ishmael Ford is a senior guiding teacher of Boundless Way Zen. James has been a student of Zen Buddhism for over forty years. He is also a senior Unitarian Universalist minister serving at the First Unitarian Church of Providence and a member of both the American Zen Teachers Association and the Soto Zen Buddhist Association. He lives outside Providence.