What the Buddha Never Taught

by Tim Ward, Wade Davis (Foreword)

The 20th Anniversary Edition of the bestselling classic with a new foreword by Wade Davis.

"Tim's journeys took him not only to Asia, but into an inner world of spirit and faith. He has lived on the streets of India, pursued the Dharma in Himalayan monasteries, and joined the community of monks at Wat Pah Nanachat in the jungles of Thailand – a commitment detailed with such humour, honesty and grace in What the Buddha Never Taught".

– Wade Davis, author of The Wayfinders, from the new foreword.


There is a place in the jungles of northeastern Thailand where Westerners can live according to the monastic rules laid down over 2,500 years ago by the Buddha. Author and journalist Tim Ward sought enlightenment and spent a season in this unique Buddhist monastery-one of the strictest in Southeast Asia. His affectionate "behind the robes" book about the rigors and foibles of monastic life at Wat Pah Nanchat has become a modern Buddhist classic.

How does a monk handle coming face to face with a cobra coiled behind a toilet door? Can Mr. Chicago - a former real estate tycoon - really find liberation in a 10" X 10" wooden hut? How does a would-be-monk manage to meditate with the incessant clouds of mosquitoes hovering overhead, when the precepts prohibit killing all sentient beings? And how do Tim and the others react when Thai villagers put a Mars Bar in their begging bowls?

By turns humorous, iconoclastic and inspiring, What the Buddha Never Taught was a best seller in Canada, a Book of the month selection in the US, and has been translated into five languages, and used as a university text for classes in Asian and Religious studies.

Genres: Buddhism, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion, Travel, Biography, Asia

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Michelle Barker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book in and of itself raised some very interesting questions about what it means to be a monk, and whether or not it would be more useful if monks were out in the world, rather than hidden away in monasteries. However, I was put off by the personality of the author. He comes across as something of a know-it-all. I think it must have been quite annoying to be around him in Thailand: the perpetual cynic who tells everyone that he thinks what they're doing is wrong...and by extension, he is right.

I felt like much of his criticism was in fact cultural, aimed at a society that he is not from and perhaps doesn't understand all that well. I also thought the dialogue was often speech-like and less effective than it could have been. I did appreciate his descriptions of monastic life and I'm certain I could not have been as stoic as he was about the scorpions and mosquitoes. But I wish he'd bit his tongue a little more and observed without quite so much judgment. The book would have been better for it.

[John Fredrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes the author's stay in a Thailand Buddhist temple, which he stays in for a couple of months (actually an indeterminate time, but some number of weeks/months). The plot is somewhat vague as well - not only do we not know how long he stays, but there is no wrap-up describing the value of his stay as seen either upon his exit from the temple or as seen from a later perspective. Interestingly, the ending of the book is extremely abrupt.

The author describes the characters he encounters in the temple as well as the mindful practices that they engage in while they are there. A self-deprecating and often ironic humor pervades the book, as the author struggles with his own motivations, the characters and motivations of his fellow monks, and the efficacy of a practice that is pretty thoroughly stripped of teaching or dogma.

While this is an interesting read, and is intellectually engaging, the book does not address the reader's appetite for an explication of Buddhist thought or practices. It is more focused on the lives of a few very thoughtful and serious practitioners as they try to find their way as lay people in a Buddhist monastery context.

[Totochelamouche · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I don't believe in rebirth." "Me neither. Maybe the concept was invented to keep all Asia from self-destruction."

In addition to whatever the monks would bring home from alms round, we were served food made for us by whoever showed up in the morning to cook.

A few monks stood up and walked to the rear of the sala where they paced back and forth.

For now you can sleep in the guest room above the kitchen. Once you get to know your way around, you may shave your head. That's the sign you wish to stay for some time and practise. We will give you a kuti to live in once you have been shaven.

The man in white raised his palms together in front of his face in a wai, the Thai gesture of respect.

I repeated my bows, stood, and left the temple in search of an office. No one was expecting me.

Ray told me Unica was his own self-publishing enterprise that he ran out of Duncan, British Columbia.

The book was a best-seller when it first came out in my native Canada, and it has been on the curricula of various Buddhist studies courses for the past twenty years, including, currently, the universities of Toronto, Winnipeg, Charleston, and Truman (in Missouri).

Tim Ward and I first met backstage at the Vancouver's Writer's Festival in 1993.

Everything they collected on alms round went to the kitchen in white basins. At mealtime they were brought back out and passed around for everyone. There were about twenty dishes, mostly Thai-style curries and fresh tropical fruits.

"There's not much I can say about meditation. Look to yourself. Where do you resist? Where are you heedless? The rules will reveal your defilements to you. Perhaps you don't like bowing to the monks or even to the Ajahn. Remember it is not the person you are bowing to, it is the robe. Bowing is a great tool to break the pride of ego. Perhaps you don't like coffee served with so much sugar, or maybe you would like it with more. Living in a monastic community you have the opportunity to surrender your personal preferences. These are only delusion and ignorance giving rise to desire. If resentment arises, recognize it as aversion. The defilements reveal themselves to you when you begin to follow the rules. Persevere with the discipline and the defilements will gradually drop away, leaving your mind clear and peaceful. Establish the rules in your heart, follow them with mindfulness and you will stop your craving and thirsting, even for meditation. Here we teach renunciation. Here you can learn to give up cherished ideas of self. Once they are given up to the Vinaya, you will see they were only burdens after all."

A monk should never reach for anything. He must live without desiring. Only what is placed directly into his hands is fit for him to receive.

We took our refuge in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. A strange pair of refugees, the Christian and the atheist before the Australian abbot.

Scorpions lived under the leaves, they said. I started sweeping.

Do not speak unless you can improve on silence, said a Buddhist sage.

All our monks went over to Wat Pah Pong for the ordination ceremony. It required twenty monks and a bot - special ordination temple - for the ritual.

Pakhao Michael will soon travel to Malaysia for a visa renewal and a holiday.

I had not realized I was angry - at an insect.

But meditation was thwarted by my constant violation of the first precept. I murdered mosquitoes.

A sabong is a simple wide strip of cloth. Wrapped once around the waist, it covers one to the ankles.

The Buddha taught his followers to practise sila, moral purity, as an essential preliminary to meditation. He said wrongful actions produce guilt and fear. When the mind is agitated it is incapable of tranquillity. Right actions produce a natural calm. This calm is necessary if meditation is to arise. The precepts are simply a means to meditation.

His eyes were tranquil. In his smile there was a subtle sense of the ridiculous. He had dropped out of his final year of a degree in applied physics.

I didn't know anybody and I thought if I died, no one would find me.

The ritual is a humbling one, repeated fifty or sixty times that morning until my bowl is heavy with rice, mangos, bananas, dried meat, fishes, and sticky sweets wrapped in leaves.

Devotees give to the robe, not to the wearer. They believe it is a ritual for the making of merit, for a better rebirth. If a monk thanks the giver, then by treating it as a personal favour, merit is not gained.

This is the first time I walk through the front gates of Pah Nanachat. The direct sunlight makes me blink. Since I arrived at the wat I have been submersed in jungle. Now I see that beyond the jungle the wat is surrounded by rice paddies. There is a gas station half a kilometre away. A truck rolls down the highway.

He leads us off into a dawn drizzle at a quick march, bowls slung over our left shoulders, umbrellas up for cover.

You think it's so easy to help a crazy man? You don't know what samsara is. It's pure lust, hate and delusion out there. Believe me, I know. How are you going to help the crazies? Will you pay their bills? They'll just become dependent on you. Will you let them cry on your shoulder? They'll soon be sitting on it. Will you make them laugh? They'll expect you to keep them entertained, then blame you if anything goes sour.

"The sticky rice tends to clog you up though," said the monk. "So we get pickled olives tonight. Medicine is permitted in the Vinaya. It's not breaking the rules. Just be careful you don't eat too many. They are a powerful laxative."

The moon was full that evening. It was Wan Phra, the Thai equivalent of Sunday, celebrated on the full, new and half moon nights, four times a month. Devout Thais came to their wat in the evening for chanting and prayers.

"It's an old tradition in Thailand for monks to shave their eyebrows," Michael told us. "It used to be that the Burmese sent spies into the country disguised as monks. They were hard to catch. Nobody dared to arrest a genuine bhikkhu by mistake. So the king decreed that all Thai monks should shave their eyebrows."

Jim and I decided to join the bi-monthly head shave, held at the washing area near the robe-dyeing shack at the far edge of the monastery grounds.

All I had was experience at starting from zero.

"In Thailand it's not permitted to burn suicides like we do for everybody else. They have to be buried.

"What's the condition of Ajahn Chah? [...] The stroke left him completely paralysed three years ago. He has to be fed intravenously. They can't determine if any of the personality is left inside. [...]"

You should never point your feet at anybody in Thailand, especially a monk. It is also incorrect to cross your legs when facing a senior monk.

"The eighth precept is to refrain from sleeping on a high or luxurious bed. We have no beds here, other than the one in the Ajahn's quarters, so this isn't a problem.

You may be surprised that we sometimes take chocolates or candies with our afternoon drink. The definition of food in the Vinaya is not what it is in the West. Sugar, honey and chocolate are actually hardened liquids, not solids. We are permitted these any time of day.

"The third precept is to refrain from incorrect speech. Lying is only one of the four kinds of incorrect speech. You should also avoid slander, harsh words and frivolous chatter.

"Do you know the best reason for a Westerner to be ordained in Thailand?" Richard asked me on alms round. "It makes it easy to get visa extensions from the governement."

"Of course you can," said the monk. "The rule is that if you don't go on bindabat, you don't eat. You are always free to fast."

"I looked around at meal this morning and saw all those faces staring into their food, everyone totally absorbed in feeding their faces. Is that supposed to be mindful concentration? They look like pigs at the trough. I don't see much awareness," [...].

Often the British bhikkhus would walk through the Chithurst countryside at dawn and not receive a thing. Fortunately, a father of one of the monks bought a house near the monastery. He was happy to give alms food to the bhikkhus every morning. Tradition was thus preserved without anyone actually starving.

[...] the five hindrances to meditation: desire, aversion, restlessness, inertia and doubt.

Many people come looking for something instant to solve their problems, like a ten-day vipassana retreat.

Sometimes foreigners used to complain to Ajahn Chah that there wasn't enough time for them to meditate during the day. 'Do you have time to breathe?' he'd say to them. 'How can you find time to breathe all day long if you're so busy with other things? If you have time to breathe, you have time to meditate.'

You new laymen probably don't know this but it is forbidden to scrape your bowls or make chewing noises.

"Does he believe in the rules? Then why do we have all the loopholes like chewing tobacco and Coffeemate? He doesn't care about the spirit of the rules. He's mindful about how to get around them. He's more like a lawyer than a monk.

So monks can't clean the water cisterns, but they make it clear we've got to do it. By the rules he's right. I don't sense any compassion towards the poor mosquito larvae though. Monks can't cut plants but look at all the cutting and clearing he's authorized in this place.

Food was always just food for me before. Now it's my only chance to eat, so I stuff myself like a turkey.

"Maybe we've got the purpose of this wat all backwards. It doesn't protect us from temptation. There are just fewer enticements. That makes temptation stronger. We feel justified in indulging because we are disciplined the rest of the day. That just reveals craving buried within. The Ajahn's right. When we eat anything we want any time we want, we never stop to watch our desire and greed. Here it's all focused on one meal and we really feel it. Pah Nanachat is no refuge from samsara, it's full of it."

For some reason mosquitoes can never be bothered to fly up to my porch at this hour, although I hear their hungry swarm below. They make walking meditation impossible.

A bell sounds, far away in the darkness. At first it seems so distant, a clear sound as if made by striking a silver bowl, not an iron bell. The sound is sweet, yet makes me sad. It calls me to the sala, to human chanting, away from the jungle I have become night with.

"Since he's stopped teaching there has been nobody to take his place. Many senior disciples disrobed after his stroke. The personal master-student relationship had gone for them. He has sixty-four monasteries now but the monks who are teaching in them aren't doing it with the same experience or wisdom he had. They are teaching what they were taught. Ajahn Chah taught what he knew. Some of them are still depressed about the condition of the master. We try to live up to his example but we can't. Even Pah Nanachat is much more slack than it was three years ago. Our reputation is perhaps better than we are.

My knees, they've had it too. They hurt so much I can't even sit crosslegged in my kuti. I had to go and get this bench.

"I've done too much killing for monks in the past four months," he said scowling. "The Ajahn before this one was worse. He was always clearing spaces and cutting the jungle. This is supposed to be a forest wat. Soon there won't be any forest left. Monks are supposed to live in harmony with their environment, not kill it to make courtyards.[...]"

Once a week we had a sauna. It was a small brick room with a wood fire stoked on the outside that had been built next to the wash pump. Inside, a dozen people could sit on wooden benches in the darkness, and sweat.

I will empty my kuti of books, the bowl, the lantern, throw all the junk accumulated in my homeless life out of the door, live without tools, strip the psyche bare and pry that crack in the ego open so wide that the whole ghost disintegrates back into dust....

"There's plenty to do," he said with a smile. He wiped his glasses with his drenched ochre sash. "But what do you do most of the time?" "Watch boredom arise."

The dull dread of separation. Jim could go. I would survive. I could learn to watch boredom arise.

You said yourself you feel suffocated here. That's their goal. Suffocation of the ego. They bore their selves to death. Here there's no place to run. They give up all distracting activity. The ego stops breathing, like a shark caught in a net.

With him had come half a dozen monks and a few female Thai pakhaos, old women who would be staying several days in the fenced-off far section of the wat.

Tan Casipo warned us that we must take some food from every dish when many villagers come to feed us in order to avoid offending donor. Never ever sniff at a bowl and pass it on, the helpful monk advised.

When the sun had soaked up the last of the moisture from our bowls, we slipped the orange wool covers back over them and began lacing up the straps.

"By his rule I'm allowed to leave any time I choose. Even a monk just has to tell another monk three times that he quits and he's released from his vows."

'Lots of people come here,' he told me, 'but the ones who stay are the ones who are really fed up with the world.'

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think the narrator/author was very sympathetic in this book - but I don't think he was trying to be. Rather, he shows how running away to a monastery causes one to realize that running away from yourself never works. Rather than making him more spiritual and selfless, it results in petty annoyances with the other residents (monks and not-quite-monks) and endless navel gazing. Maybe for those who grow up in a society with a strong monastic tradition it's different, but for a westerner going to Thailand, it's a form of exoticism and self-centerdness. But, it was very interesting and worth the read.

[Betty Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It deserves five stars. It isn't particularly funny or exciting but there were just a lot of times where I had to set the book aside and think, really think, about what I had just read. I gained so much perspective on death, complacency, my attachments, obedience, hypocrisy. Incredibly interesting book.

[Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful and insightful. (Sits beside my copy of What the Buddha Taught.

[Juanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I think every reader will get something different from this book. Couldn't put it down.

[Derek Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable account of an extended visit to Wat Panachat, Thailand, and the dynamics, dilemmas, and disappointments of monastery life. The aloofness of senior sangha, the hypocrisy - as the writer sees it - of rules that can subtly be bent but never broken, and the rather distasteful living death of Ajahn Chah in his last days, are explored head on.

The back stories of bhikkhus, the uncomfortable compromises in the name of community harmony, and some of the rituals are portrayed sympathetically. Above all the “should I stay or should I go” tension that can become the obsession of the visitor, samanera, novice, bhikkhu... everyone. As the thinly disguised Ajahn Passano says: “...you have to really hate the world to stay here...”

This is good, a tiny bit too self conscious and neat in its narrative arc to really ring wholly true, but these are minor reservations, and this is a worthwhile read.

[Ben Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the author's stay in a Thai forest monastery. It's an interesting insight into day to day life in a a Thai buddhist monastery. The author is not a one-eyed buddhist convert; he provides a balanced, at times critical, view of the place he stayed, and captures both the peace and stillness, on the one hand, and the ritual and tradition on the other. The latter receive a lot of the book's more critical passages, though he does a good job of portraying both sides. Overall a really enjoyable read.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about kid in his twenties going to Thailand to become a monk. The stories are abrupt, with quick transitions between the narrative. The stories are entertaining and its interesting to hear how he interacts with the other monks.

There is also the inevitable questioning of the structure of the monastery where Tim and Jim see themselves above the monks.

Worth reading a second time in the future.

Cleaning out the tanks with ants, collecting sticky rice, pickled olives, cobras on the trail...

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s interesting to read Tim’s thoughts and experiences as he lives in a very formal Buddhist community, and while he makes sense and often doubts the teachings.
 
This is an easy read but it can be challenging. The writer often comes across as negative, a smart arse, the type of guy who would have his head flushed if he was living in a frat.
 
But his moxy also enable the reader to question the Buddhist teaching vicariously, particularly around the Theravada school and whether begging for alms and the process of making merit is as skilful as proponents would have us believe.

[Izzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another book that I read for a class and revisited recently because of how interesting it was. There are some parts of it that feel a bit appropriative somehow, more so of a feeling than anything in particular, since the author was going to the monastery for legitimate purposes. Overall the account was cleverly written and provides firsthand insights to the principles of Buddhism. Great book for those wanting to know more about the traditions and teachings of the religion.

[Anaiyah · Rating 2 out of 5]

i don’t know if i particularly enjoyed his perspective on buddhisms and monks in general. I feel as though he acted as an obstacle in his own enlightenment. Although I must say it was refreshing to read a book on Buddhism that wasn’t preaching teachings as though they were easy concepts to understand.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s difficult to tell how seriously Ward really took his explorations of Buddhism. Seriously enough to put up with a fair amount of voluntary deprivation and work, yet he never comes across as fully engaged. This is a fairly accessible and easy to read account of his thoughts and conversations during his time at a Thai monastery largely populated with other foreigners. It gives one an idea of Buddhist monastery life (at least for some) and gives some food for thought.

[kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it for school, and I'm proud of actually finishing it!

It is an accessible introduction to Thai Buddhism. I did find myself frustrated or confused while reading, but there is a list of characters & a glossary at the end :)

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it ! Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Ralique · Rating 3 out of 5]

skimmed, liked ch 10 + last chapter more

[Jim Picken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, and ordered his other book, The Great Dragon's Fleas. I'm liking it as much.

[Laura Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a life changing novel. It's my absolute favorite book of all time.

[Bella Baxter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι μια προσωπική αφήγηση των εμπειριών του συγγραφέα, Τίμοθι Γουάρντ, ο οποίος αποφασίζει να αφήσει τη δυτική του ζωή και να ενταχθεί ως μοναχός σε ένα απομακρυσμένο, δασικό βουδιστικό μοναστήρι στην Ταϊλάνδη. Το οδοιπορικό του π��ριγράφει την καθημερινή, σκληρή ρουτίνα: την πρωινή ελεημοσύνη, τον διαλογισμό, την πειθαρχία, την πενία και τη σιωπή. Μέσα από τις δυσκολίες και τις πολιτισμικές διαφορές, ο Γουάρντ ανακαλύπτει ότι η πνευματική αναζήτηση είναι πολύ πιο δύσκολη και διαφορετική από ό,τι φανταζόταν.
Ο σκοπός του συγγραφέα είναι να απομυθοποιήσει τη ρομαντική, δυτική αντίληψη περί βουδισμού και διαλογισμού. Το βιβλίο εστιάζει στην πραγματικότητα της μοναστικής ζωής και στο χάσμα μεταξύ της ανατολικής φιλοσοφίας και της δυτικής νοοτροπίας. Ο Γουάρντ προσπαθεί να δείξει ότι η φώτιση δεν είναι μια εύκολη, γρήγορη διαδικασία, ούτε κάτι που "διδάσκεται" με την παραδοσιακή έννοια, αλλά μια διαρκής, επίπονη εσωτερική δουλειά που απαιτεί αφοσίωση και υπομονή.
Το ύφος είναι εξομολογητικό, προσωπικό και ειλικρινές. Ο Γουάρντ γράφει με έναν άμεσο, συχνά αυτοσαρκαστικό τόνο, περιγράφοντας τις δυσκολίες προσαρμογής του, τις απορίες του και τις στιγμές αδυναμίας του. Η γλώσσα είναι προσιτή, χωρίς βαρείς θρησκευτικούς ή φιλοσοφικούς όρους, και διαθέτει ένα ελαφρύ χιούμορ που κάνει το ανάγνωσμα ευχάριστο, παρά το σοβαρό του θέμα.
Η ειλικρίνεια του συγγραφέα είναι αξιοσημείωτη. Ωστόσο, η αφήγηση παραμένει στην επιφάνεια των πραγμάτων. Δεν καταφέρνει να διεισδύσει πραγματικά στο βάθος της βουδιστικής φιλοσοφίας και οι παρατηρήσεις του συχνά μένουν σε ένα επίπεδο "πολιτισμικού σοκ" παρά σε ουσιαστική πνευματική ανάλυση. Γι' αυτό το λόγο, παρά την ευχαρίστηση της ανάγνωσης, τα 3 αστέρια είναι δίκαια.
Ένα ενδιαφέρον, αλλά ρηχό ταξίδι .

[Raj Dhaliwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was both inspiring and mind opening. I came into the book not knowing too much about Theravada Buddhism, but this book really brought a realistic life to the social practices and philosophical ideologies of Thailand Buddhist monks. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the many setbacks that Tim went through on his journey of enlightenment and discovering the intricacies of meditation. There were a few people that I truly fell in love with while reading this book (even though the monks would say this type of attachment was only suffering). One of those people was Novice Monk Ruk, whose love and peace could be felt through the pages of the book, along with the gentleness and understanding of Tan Bodhipalo.

There are two main reasons as to why this book did not get 5/5 stars. The first is that I could not seem to get a handle on the passage of time throughout the book. There were moments when I had though that a few weeks had passed, but later discovered that it was only a day or two. The second (and main reason) has to do with the Postscript of this book. It really ruined it for me - it felt more like a way of selling the author's newer books and did not add anything to the story that I had invested so much time and love towards.

Overall a great read, and I would recommend it for anyone who is beginning to look at the world of meditation and the practices of Theravada Buddhism.

[Juergen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in a bit of halting style, but a good memoir of the author's time as an ordained layman in one of Thai "Forest Master" Ajahn Chah's farang (foreigner) monasteries. Anyone who has ever considered running away to meditate in the seclusion of a foreign cloister would be well served by reading this book. The anecdotes, encounters and ruminations of the author and his few close compadres ultimately reveal that the inspiration and reality of one's awakening can only come from within and are therefore never far away.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this an engaging and easy to read account of time spent in a Thai Buddhist monastery by a western Christian. For me it highlighted how wise religious teaching, when surrounded by structures set out to preserve individual interpretations can lead to perversions of the teachings and often to hypocrisy and strivings for power. The downfall of most organized religions, in my experience and opinion.

[Chris Pacilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this through the lens of a Buddhist practitioner in this very Tradition. A lot of his observations were off putting, but valuable. One would like to think that one’s personal truth is, in fact, the Truth. To see holes punched in this facade is disturbing, but necessary. All of that said, I left the book thinking the writer, quite frankly, was really a bit of a dick. I suppose he had to be to dig as deep as he did, but still.....His friend called him a dipshit. That about sums it up.

[Yogodot · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book probably deserves 4 stars for being well-written and holding my interest even while delivering uninspiring scenes. By the end, I didn't like the author very much, but I am interested to read something else by him to give him a chance to redeem himself.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find this humorous - and I heard it was supposed to be. But it was interesting and kept my attention. This felt rather timeless, not like it was more than 20 years old. I liked hearing Ward's perspectives on the monestary and his journey through his time there.

[Florian Blümm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny account of what it might be like if you were to be a forest monk starting tomorrow. Raises some interesting questions about the meaning of being a monk. Probably a must read before you wanna "leave it all behind".

[wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew?

[Corinne Mathews · Rating 4 out of 5]

so interesting!! I learned so much about Buddhism.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book, learned a lot about the religion from a foreigners perspective and can't wait to study in a temple when I get to Thailand!