I stayed [in the forest] for two nights. The first night; nothing happened. The second night; at about one or two in the morning; a tiger came--which meant that I didn't get any sleep the whole night. I sat in meditation; scared stiff; while the tiger walked around and around my umbrella tent (klot). My body felt all frozen and numb. I started chanting; and the words came out like running water. All the old chants I had forgotten now came back to me; thanks both to my fear and to my ability to keep my mind under control. I sat like this from 2 until 5 a.m.; when the tiger finally left. --A forest monk During the first half of this century the forests of Thailand were home to wandering ascetic monks. They were Buddhists; but their brand of Buddhism did not copy the practices described in ancient doctrinal texts. Their Buddhism found expression in living day-to-day in the forest and in contending with the mental and physical challenges of hunger; pain; fear; and desire. Combining interviews and biographies with an exhaustive knowledge of archival materials and a wide reading of ephemeral popular literature; Kamala Tiyavanich documents the monastic lives of three generations of forest-dwelling ascetics and challenges the stereotype of state-centric Thai Buddhism. Although the tradition of wandering forest ascetics has disappeared; a victim of Thailand's relentless modernization and rampant deforestation; the lives of the monks presented here are a testament to the rich diversity of regional Buddhist traditions. The study of these monastic lineages and practices enriches our understanding of Buddhism in Thailand and elsewhere.
#1957825 in Books 2012-05-14Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.90 x .90 x 8.90l; 1.05 #File Name: 0823233855294 pages
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Book About Negro Troops; Written by OneBy Millicent HughesMr. Williams was recognized as the first true historian of the black race in the United States. Starting a free black fourteen-year-old runaway; he joined the US Colored Troops; fought in engagements and suffered war wounds. Later; he joined the all-black 10th Cavalry for duty in Indian Country. This not-so-literate nineteen-year-old decided to go to college and became a minister and true intellectual; who wanted written record of African-American Civil War valor and victory. This masterpiece of Civil War information has been acclaimed over many years.
