Zen Seeds: Reflections of a Female Priest

by Shundo Aoyama

The wisdom found on these pages is deceptively simple yet infinitely useful. Aoyama cuts though to the essence of each topic she discusses. Her immense sense of calm and tranquility is transferable to the reader due to her eloquent writing style and choice of accentuating quotes. If enlightenment could be bottled, this book would be that bottle.

Genres: Buddhism, Nonfiction, Zen, Religion, Philosophy

168 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1991

Reviews

[Dario]

This was a nice little thing. A very accessible book; one that you can pick up during the day and just read for a couple of minutes in-between things. It is composed of a singular stream of short thoughts, generally only a couple of small pages of length each. The content pulls on an amalgam of zen tales, buddhist canon, and profound poetry, each of which is suffused into Aoyama's kindly storytelling. There is certainly a humbleness to Aoyama's hand. The book is completely free of jargon, which nonetheless a small part of me slightly craved by the end. As for the 'reflections of a female priest', the material was generally disinterested in questions of gender - the subtitle bearing relevance only for a few of the pages spoken on the topic of motherhood, perhaps; my guess is that the subtitle was a book editor/publisher's decision more than anything. All-in-all an enjoyable, light read.

[Jonathan Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book, sad that I have finished it.

[John Fredrickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short teaching essays on Zen contains many essays that are thought-provoking. There is a gentle warmth in her teachings that comes across consistently.

Having stated that, I found many of the essays to be difficult to absorb. In part, I think this is a reflection of cultural distance. Aoyama writes from a perspective of a life trained from early youth on as a cloistered Zen nun, which positions her outside of 'normal' culture - she writes of things like dependencies on money, but it is not clear whether this has any personal import to her. Her stories are suffused with elements that feel quite foreign in their orientation. Her teachings present her life as a life of preordained (no pun intended) service in the context of devotional ancestral duty. This is difficult to relate to.

[Anna Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book filled with short excerpts from a buddhist priest. Very insightful, and interesting to gain insight into her life as she was chosen to train religiously from a very young age. She continuously reminds us of our human nature to fall into greed/ our own egos and through her own experience encourages us to take a second look at our true intentions behind our actions, especially the generous ones as they are often presumptuous.

[Ivy Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aoyama Roshi opened my eyes to so many things in this collection of Soto Zen Buddhist essays. She is humble and wise, if you’re interested in The Path, read this book!

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free electronic copy of this work from Netgalley, Shundo Aoyama, and Shambhala Publications, Inc. - Shambhala. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this collection of essays of my own volition, and this is my honest opinion of this work.

The subtitle of this excellent work is Essential Buddhist Teachings on Effort, Gratitude, and Happiness. Shundo Aoyama Roshi wrote this work during her early life as an acolyte in a Zen temple in mid-twentieth-century Japan. She has a lot to share, and her words are simple and full of mind pictures that make it easier to pause and focus. I enjoyed very much traveling down these paths with her. It is very difficult, in this modern age, to take the time to amble down mental highways, but Shundo can help us do just that. I hope that I will continue to make time to enjoy life in this way.
This is a book I am happy to refer to friends and family. Even if only a little of her method remains with us, it is adding peace and beauty to our daily grind.

original pub date March 15, 1991
Kosei Publishing Co.
re-pub date Aug 6, 2019
Shambhala Publications, Inc. - Shambhala
Reviewed on August 14, 2019, at Goodreads, Netgalley, SmileAmazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookbub, Kobo, and Google Play.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a bit disappointed when I realized this book was not really a memoir but a series of anecdotes. Thought it was still an overall enjoyable read and made me think about some aspects of life. The main issue I had with the book was the repetition. Even statements that are amazingly well written and ideas that are inspiring become drab if read two or three times within the span of one book, especially a short one.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was translated by a great teacher in Pennsylvania. I was blessed enough to train with her for a spell and I am forever grateful. She is the head teacher at Mount Equity Zendo. If you get the chance, take the time to stop and visit for a year or two or more. You will be forever changed.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essays on life and Buddism by a female Zen priest.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book, short pieces of zen wisdom

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although there are rocks and tree roots;
Rippling along,just rippling along,
The water runs.

This sums up this book beautifully.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some gems of wisdom are contained in this book. Although the length is short, it is not a fast read as one often pauses to contemplate the observations of the author. Worth a look!

[Marty Meyer-Gad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This small book is rich with wisdom that can be appreciated in small portions. In a spare moment one can pick it up for a refreshing pick up. Many passages merit pondering throughout the day.