[Buddha-l] Martine Batchelor--4 books so far

[JKirkpatrick]

While some of us have praised Stephen Batchelor's ideas and
critiques of Buddhist textual versions of Buddhism as ordinarily
known and as practised, his insightful and former Korean Son nun,
and later wife Martine Batchelor, and her accomplishments, are
rarely noticed on this list. 

That's a serious lack:  she is very worth encountering. I drew on
the amazon.com book descriptions here. I plan to add all four of
these books to my shelf.
Joanna
____________________________________

1) In _Meditation for Life_, 2001, Martine Batchelor's writing -
through a mix of anecdote, humor, and practical instruction -
brings to bear her considerable experience as a meditation
teacher as she explains the techniques of three major Buddhist
traditions: Theravada, Tibetan, and Zen, while Stephen
Batchelor's full-color photographs invite even the most seasoned
practitioner to see with new eyes. This vividly photographed book
encourages us to bring creative awareness to every aspect of our
lives - from making conversation to making dinner - and reveals
how every moment can be an opportunity to find joy.  [I knew
Martine had published on meditation, but I never knew until I
looked her up on amazon that she has published 4 books already.
I'm just reading Stephen's latest book; there I found that he'd
made photos for this book by his wife.  JK]
 
2) Then there is _Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of
Habits_, 2007. 
Right. That one I can specially use.
 
3) Also, she wrote _Women in Korean Zen: Lives And Practices_.
2006
In this engagingly written account, Martine Batchelor relays the
challenges a new ordinand faces in adapting to Buddhist monastic
life: the spicy food, the rigorous daily schedule, the
distinctive clothes and undergarments, and the cultural
misunderstandings inevitable between a French woman and her
Korean colleagues. She reveals as well the genuine pleasures that
derive from solitude, meditative training, and communion with the
deeply religious - whom the Buddhists call "good friends." 
Batchelor has also recorded the oral history/autobiography of her
teacher, the eminent nun Son'gyong Sunim, leader of the Zen
meditation hall at Naewonsa. It is a profoundly moving, often
light-hearted story that offers insight into the challenges
facing a woman on the path to enlightenment at the beginning of
the twentieth century. Original English translations of eleven of
Son'gyong Sunim's poems on Buddhist themes make a graceful and
thought-provoking coda to the two women's narratives. 
Western readers only familiar with Buddhist ideas of female
inferiority will be surprised by the degree of spiritual equality
and authority enjoyed by nuns in Korea. While American writings
on Buddhism increasingly emphasize the therapeutic, self-help,
and comforting aspects of Buddhist thought, Batchelor's text
offers a bracing and timely reminder of the strict discipline
required in traditional Buddhism. 

4) _The Spirit of the Buddha (The Spirit of X)_, 2010.
In this slim, enlightening volume, internationally recognized
Buddhist teacher Martine Batchelor presents the basic tenets and
teachings of the Buddha through a selection of essential texts
from the Pali canon, the earliest Buddhist scriptures. 
----------------
Stephen in his most recent book, _Confession of a Buddhist
Atheist_, makes a huge and welcome point about rendering the
accumulated later additions from the Pali texts. ("Rendering"
here evokes rendering fat from flesh. My grandma did it when she
prepared to make chicken fat cookies). I've not seen this book,
but I suspect it follows the same motive. 

Best wishes,
Joanna