Dirty laundry
Book Description
Two poets, one a priest and the other a practitioner, embark on an intimate spiritual experiment that reveals the raw reality behind contemplative life. Robert Winson and Miriam Sagan document their hundred-day winter retreat at a Zen Buddhist monastery in Colorado's mountains, each keeping separate diaries while caring for their young daughter in this sacred yet demanding environment.
Their parallel journals capture the unvarnished truth of spiritual seeking: the daily struggles with meditation practice, the tensions that arise in marriage under monastic conditions, and the challenge of maintaining awareness while navigating ordinary human experiences. Through dreams, observations, frustrations, and moments of clarity, they explore what it truly means to follow the Dharma when life refuses to cooperate with our spiritual ideals.
This candid dual memoir strips away romantic notions about monastery life and Buddhist practice. Instead of offering polished wisdom, Winson and Sagan present the messy, honest process of two people attempting to live consciously while dealing with relationship dynamics, parenting responsibilities, and the inevitable conflicts between spiritual aspiration and human nature.
Their separate yet intertwined accounts create a unique portrait of authentic spiritual practice, one that acknowledges both the profound insights and mundane difficulties that arise when we commit to genuine self-examination. For readers seeking realistic perspectives on contemplative living, this book offers refreshing honesty about the path toward awareness.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)
🕉️ Tradition: Buddhism
📄 Length: 193 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Practice Zen Buddhist meditation
- ✓ Discover Zen principles and teachings
- ✓ Explore Zen Priestrs
- ✓ Explore Priestrs, Zen
- ✓ Explore Buddhist priests' spouses
- ✓ Understand Buddhist philosophy and practice
- ✓ Explore Diaries
- ✓ Explore Buddhist monasticism and religious orders
