Excerpt from Daughters of Emptiness: Poems of Chinese Buddhist Nuns
Beta Grant (editor) – Wisdom Publications

This book presents an extraordinary collection of poems written by Buddhist nuns across 16 centuries. Beta Grant's introduction gives a well-researched account of the history of Chinese Buddhism and the place of poet-nuns within that history. It makes fascinating reading. The book is beautifully presented: each poet is given her own distinictive place; after her name, written in both Chinese script and in English, there is a brief account of her life. This is followed by a poem, presented in the original, side-by-side with the translation. The calm beauty of the presentation mirrors the spirit of the poems.

Previous installments of Wisdom of the Week

In This Very Life – Sayadaw U Pandita

The Art of Just Sitting –  John Daido Loori (editor)

Only a Great Rain: A Guide to Chinese Buddhist Meditation – Master Hsing Yun –

Mindful Politics: A Buddhist Guide to Making the World a Better Place – Melvin McLeod (editor) –

Keep Me in Your Heart A While: The Haunting Zen of Dainin Katagiri – Dojo Mike Port

The Essence of Zen – Sekkei Harada

The Attention Revolution – B. Alan Wallace

Food for the Heart – Ajahn Chah

Never Turn Away – Rigdzin Shikpo

The State of Mind Called Beautiful – Sayadaw U Pandita

Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha's Path – Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Ordinary Wisdom, Sakya Pandita’s Treasury of Good Advice – Sakya Pandita (John Davenport, translator)

Mud & Water: The Collected Teachings of Zen Master Bassui – translated by Arthur Braverman