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Meeting Faith
Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun | Faith Adielé
7 posts | 2 read | 1 to read
A wry account of the road from Harvard scholarship student to ordination as northern Thailand's first black Buddhist nun. Reluctantly leaving behind Pop Tarts and pop culture to battle flying rats, hissing cobras, forest fires, and decomposing corpses, Faith Adiele shows readers in this personal narrative, with accompanying journal entries, that the path to faith is full of conflicts for even the most devout. Residing in a forest temple, she endured nineteen-hour daily meditations, living on a single daily meal, and days without speaking. Internally Adiele battled against loneliness, fear, hunger, sexual desire, resistance to the Buddhist worldview, and her own rebellious Western ego. Adiele demystifies Eastern philosophy and demonstrates the value of developing any practiceBuddhist or not. This "unlikely, bedraggled nun" moves grudgingly into faith, learning to meditate for seventy-two hours at a stretch. Her witty, defiant twist on the standard coming-of-age tale suggests that we each hold the key to overcoming anger, fear, and addiction; accepting family; redefining success; and re-creating community and quality of life in today's world.
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NerdyRev
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Box 1 of my professional studies books for those who might be interested.

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bates_barb
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Pickpick

This is not really a straightforward memoir. It's a bit rambling, and introspective in the extreme. It works very well at capturing the atmosphere and feeling of a meditative and monastic retreat. I found myself reading it very slowly because I wanted to set it down and think about what was being said every few pages. It's only through the stern guidance of the #littenkitten s that I finished it before it was due back at the library

#catsoflitsy

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bates_barb
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Sunday morning reading in bed time is my favorite indulgence. Expecially when it's being enforced by being trapped by a very stern looking #littenkitten . I figure I deserve it after doing my taxes yesterday.

#catsoflitsy

AlaMich Maine Coon by any chance? 😸 7y
Reviewsbylola I'm glad she is keeping you on track! 🙌🻠7y
bates_barb @AlaMich She's some kind of domestic longhair mix tabby. Her mom, Zelda (who is in a bunch of my other crazy cat lady photos) has much more common Maine Coon/Norwegian Forest Cat type features (giant paws, dense floofy fur, etc), but they're both pretty small for either breeed. Also, they were dumped on my friend's land, and I be surprised if someone would dump a purebred. 7y
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bates_barb @Reviewsbylola she and her mother are both merciless taskmasters when it comes to enforcing cuddle/reading time. 7y
Lmstraubie Awwww...Such a sweet face 😻 and a smart kitty encouraging you to read 😆 7y
Sace ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜»ðŸ˜»ðŸ˜» 7y
rubyslippersreads How could anyone resist that face? 😻😽😻 7y
24 likes7 comments
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bates_barb
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For #RiotGrams day 15, I have the books I'm currently reading, and the treats I most look forward to this time of year.

ReadingOver50 Peanut butter patties are my favorite 🤤😠7y
melrailey Where are my Girl Scouts?!?!? I do believe I'll be stalking Walmart this weekend. 😋 7y
bates_barb They had a table set up outside my favourite second hand bookstore. It felt like the universe was conspiring to put all of my personal sources of joy in one place. 7y
25 likes3 comments
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bates_barb
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#RiotGrams day 12, outside. It's 38 F with a 30mph wind, so I'm not doing any outside reading today (even if that is unusually warm for Feb in WI). Instead, I'll sit around inside baking bread and reading about a woman's experience at a Buddhist temple in the forests of northern Thailand.

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bates_barb
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"Male travel writers (dedicated journalists all, who never fail to cover Thailand's flesh trade)." I'm getting so much joy from Faith's salty asides.

16 likes1 stack add
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bates_barb
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I've got my stretchy pants, a couple of library books, a pint of ice cream, and a nature documentary on in the background. I'm ready for #litsypartyofone ! @Ambrosnazzy

DebinHawaii Perfect!! 😀👠7y
30 likes1 comment