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One Blade of Grass
- A Zen Memoir
- Narrated by: Henry Shukman
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
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One Blade of Grass
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Summary
A memoir of author and poet Henry Shukman's lifelong journey through Zen Buddhism and the experiences in his life - both positive and painful - that fuelled his quest.
One Blade of Grass is award-winning novelist and poet Henry Shukman's account of his journey through the world of Zen Buddhism.
Raised in a rationalist household in Oxford during the spiritual heyday of the '60s and '70s, an unexpected spiritual awakening would prompt a lifelong quest to integrate the experience into his life, leading him eventually to Zen Buddhism. As Shukman gets to grips with meditative practice and struggles with anxiety, depression and the chronic eczema he had had since childhood, he discovers in surprising ways the emotional, spiritual and even physical healing that he has been searching for all along.
By turns humorous and moving, this beautifully written memoir demystifies Zen training, casting its profound insights in simple, lucid language, and takes the listener on a journey of their own, into the hidden treasures of life that contemplative practice can reveal to any of us.
Critic reviews
"Captivating." (Times Literary Supplement)
"The book Shukman was born to write." (Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones)
"A wonderful and generous book." (David Hinton, author of The Wilds of Poetry)
What listeners say about One Blade of Grass
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- Leona
- 20-12-22
The way of zen
It’s not a clear and direct path and has many twists and turns. It was enjoyable to read this memoir and better understand the journey.
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- Tim Wells
- 29-01-22
Love this book
This was indeed a captivating story. Henry Shukman is very likable and one feels he is trustworthy and honest. It's so fascinating to hear his journey and I felt I could relate to quite a bit of it.
Also very inspiring and has inspired me to seek out a teacher, it at least to practice more consistently.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sam
- 26-06-22
Brilliant
Opened up a new world of Zen for me. He's a talented writer and an authentic narrator.
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- Andy B
- 23-03-23
Wonderful book
A heartwarming and uplifting book beautifully told by the author. No other book has resonated so strongly with me. His writing is so alive. I had severe eczema through life and was deeply touched by his perfect descriptions of it and how it affects us spiritually.
It also illuminates so many of the stages and struggles frequently encountered on the spiritual path in a way most of us can surely relate to.
I can’t praise it highly enough.
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- Kindle Customer
- 02-07-21
Very interesting Zen memoir.
Recently heard of the author from an online interview with Natalie Goldberg and bought this. It's beautifully written and Shukman makes Zen very accessible by telling the story of his life experience with it.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Tom Lidström
- 08-09-22
Deeply inspiring
Loved this book and couldn’t stop listening. Henry is so open, honest, human and eloquent in his writing. I’ve been inspired to move deeper into zen and meditation practice by him.
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- Jakes mum
- 02-12-21
His writing ability is extraordinary
Quite the most amazing use of language for a subject, that we are always told, defies language.
He's not converted me to Zen, a reflection only on me, but I'm so grateful to have come across this book.
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- Mark
- 22-04-22
Humble & Brilliant
Henry, for all his loathsome modesty, is an excellent writer. His path through zen is rich and illuminating. This audiobook is an enjoyable and insightful listen.
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- Anonymous User
- 12-09-23
Beautiful
I loved this book, so insightful and even though Zen is a personal experience, I recognise parts of what he went through.
As somebody who is looking for a teacher, this book helped answer some questions.
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- Paul
- 11-01-22
Worth every moment of your time
This is a profound, moving and compassionate book, beautifully written and read by its wise and humble author. I enjoyed this so much that I am going to start listening from the beginning straightaway, which I never usually do. This book has encouraged me to start meditating again, so I am extremely grateful to Henry Shukman for sharing his fascinating story with us. I will recommend this book to everyone I know!
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