Journeys of Transformation: Searching for No-Self in Western Buddhist Travel Narratives

Western Buddhist travel narratives are autobiographical accounts of a journey to a Buddhist culture, such as Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard and thirty writers' spiritual memoirs. The concept of no-self helps authors interpret pivotal experiences of unselfing and transform their lives.

Format: Hardback
Length: 342 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Western Buddhist travel narratives are autobiographical accounts of a journey to a Buddhist culture. Since the 1970s, numerous such narratives have been published, detailing treks in Tibet, periods of residence in a Zen monastery, pilgrimages to Buddhist sites and teachers, and other Asian odysseys. Among the most renowned of these works is Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard, which has inspired further reflections from thirty writers, including John Blofeld, Jan Van de Wetering, Thomas Merton, Oliver Statler, Robert Thurman, Gretel Ehrlich, and Bill Porter. The Buddhist concept of "no-self" plays a significant role in these authors' interpretations of pivotal experiences of "unselfing" and serves as a catalyst that provokes and enables such events. The writers' spiritual memoirs describe how their journeys led to a new understanding of Buddhist enlightenment and profoundly transformed their lives. This book explores the journeys and religious changes of both individuals and Buddhism itself, demonstrating how travel can elicit self-transformation.

Weight: 654g
Dimension: 160 x 237 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009098830
Edition number: New ed