Becoming Kuan Yin: The Evolution of Compassion

Description

In his long career as a poet, Buddhist teacher, spiritual advisor and writer, Stephen Levine, has changed our understanding of death and dying. In BECOMING KUAN YIN, Levine's first new book in many years, he turns to the legend of Kuan Yin, the bodhistitva venerated by East Asian Buddhists for her compassion. In BECOMING KUAN YIN, Levine shares the tale of Miao Shan, born centuries ago to a cruel king who wanted her to marry a wealthy but uncaring man. This is the story of how Miao Shan refused to follow the path her father had in mind and, instead, became Kuan Yin, the first acknowledged female bodhisattva who is revered by millions. Levine weaves together story and practice and helps readers discover their own infinite capacity for mercy and compassion under difficult circumstances. This book will have resonance for Kuan Yin's millions of followers as the friend of the dying and those who work with them. "Becoming Kuan Yin follows her very difficult and remarkably beautiful path to Bodhisattva and ultimately completed Buddha nature. It is a semi-fictional tale composed of myth and the true nature of practice. She was Miao Shan, a gifted human being on an arduous merciful path, long before she came to be referenced as a celestial."-from the book KUAN YIN Review from Publishers Weekly Best known for his work on dying, teacher and author Levine (A Gradual Awakening) explores the legend of Kuan Yin. This beloved Chinese manifestation of the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion vows to help all sentient beings escape suffering. Retelling the story of her origin, Levine recounts how, when Miao Shan refused her cruel father's orders to marry, he sentenced her to harsh labor at a convent. Yet as she faced increasingly severe hardships tending the sick and dying, her compassion grew, until she finally became the bodhisattva Kuan Yin, "she who hears the cries of the world." He uses Miao Shan's legend as a starting point for a meditation on compassion for self and others, noting that "[h]ealing is to reoccupy those parts of ourselves abandoned to pain." Noting that Kuan Yin has been described as the "first acknowledged female Buddha," Levine identifies similarities to the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. Levine's writing isn't quite up to the task of lyrical celebration, but this short, heartfelt book offers hope in the face of extraordinary pain.

Stephen Levine is an American poet, author and teacher best known for his work on death and dying. He is one of a generation of pioneering teachers who, along with Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Ram Dass and Sharon Salzberg, have made the teachings of Theravada Buddhism more widely available to students in the West. He is the author of Who Dies?, Healing into Life and Death and Turning Toward the Mystery.

Good news: the cosmos is compassionate, and Stephen Levine is a trustworthy guide to the Universal Portal. Profoundly nourishing. A real treasure. Please discover and enjoy for yourself the pilgrimage of but a foot and a half--from head to heart. Absolutely #1. --Gary Gach, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism-- "Reviews" Stephen Levine's new book, Becoming Kuan Yin, is a beautifully written masterpiece that embraces the reader in a reverent flow. The tale of awakening, alternating with principles of practice and guided meditations, opens the heart and generates a profound inner stillness. A remarkable and vibrant transmission of love. --Francine Shapiro, PhD, originator of EMDR therapy, author of Getting Past Your Past-- "Reviews" After decades of Stephen Levine's devotion to compassionate service, who better to bring us the story of the transformative journey of Miao Shan becoming Kuan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. --Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now-- "Reviews" The stories of Kuan Yin here are truly captivating and liberating. Through these stories and his own insights, Stephen Levine encourages us to cultivate our own limitless capacity for love and compassion. --Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness-- "Reviews" Using the myths and image of Kuan Yin and her dragon mount, Stephen Levine has given us grace-filled meditations and reflections on the practice of a fierce compassion that constantly stretches the boundaries and limitations of what we previously thought was possible. --Ralph Metzner, author of The Unfolding Self-- "Reviews" Becoming Kuan Yin is our true work--mine, yours--and a marvelous path from the head to the heart, right into the splendid universe of her Buddha heartsoul. I bow and reverence the radiant Buddha within our own innate original goodness; don't overlook her! Unconditional Compassion is the way, the truth, and the light, and Stephen's long awaited guide takes us right in. Meet ya there! --Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within-- "Reviews" A loving poetic fable, filled with the mercy of Kuan Yin and the devotion to love that is Stephen and Ondrea's life work and gift to the world. --Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart-- "Reviews" I don't consider this wise and loving book as so much written by Stephen Levine as I do a clear message from Kuan Yin herself. --John Fox, The Institute for Poetic Medicine and author, Poetic Medicine: The Healing Art of Poem-Making-- "Reviews" Kuan Yin smiles exquisitely in Stephen's writing. Blessings hide-and-seek between words and lines, eager to find and be found, console, heal, and inspire. --Paul Cash-- "Reviews" Stephen Levine's new book, Becoming Kuan Yin, is a beautifully written masterpiece that embraces the reader in a reverent flow. The tale of awakening, alternating with principles of practice and guided meditations, opens the heart and generates a profound inner stillness. A remarkable and vibrant transmission of love. --Francine Shapiro, PhD, originator of EMDR therapy, author of Getting Past Your Past-- "Reviews" This book has a heart of its own. A boundless heart. A clarified heart. A heart that bridges humanity. A poetic reminder that enlightenment is not a head trip--it's a heart trip. I felt my own emotional armor shedding a little more with every page. A beauty-full read! --Jeff Brown, author of Soulshaping-- "Reviews"