Recordpub.com - One for the Books: Surprising Adventures in the Lives of Monks

I have always been intrigued by people who choose a monastic life: What makes someone become a monk? What does a monk do? Well, according to three very different accounts, the answers probably aren't what you expect.

The first image in my mind when I think of the life of a monk is an ordered world of quiet contemplation. Not so in Nikolai Grozni's memoir, "Turtle Feet: The Making and Unmaking of a Buddhist Monk." His experience is rather wild -- a sort of mix of "Slumdog Millionaire," "Animal House," and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." At the age of 22, Grozni, a Bulgarian who dropped out of music college in Boston, takes vows as a Buddhist monk in the Indian Himalayas. He is sincere in his desire to study the ancient wisdom of the Indian philosophers. But the monk, not cloistered, encounters some truly colorful characters who take a bite out of his serenity -- and make for some fun reading. The most bizarre and unforgettable of these characters is a fallen monk without a country, an undisciplined chess player who calls himself Tsar. The man is a charmer, but he's also demanding, disgusting and often offensive (Tsar is the source of most of the foul language in the book) and pushes Grozni into uncomfortable situations. "Tsar was a source of chaos," writes Grozni, but "No matter what was happening to him, he always looked like he was on vacation." The guys live together in a filthy shack on the side of a mountain (very near the headquarters of the Dalai Lama) with an uninvited snake and various species of vermin.

The dialogue is often stimulating, with frequent discussions about topics such as being versus non-being, and debate is almost a contact sport: "I arrive. Obviously, if I am, I am here now. I couldn't be sometimes here and sometimes there. And if I am always here, there can never be space and distance. To arrive, then, meant to be in two different places simultaneously." He writes, "Becoming a monk had brought an array of complications, ... [but] had also brought a surprise treasure -- an overriding, blissfully benumbing feeling of resignation to the moment." Now available in paperback, the book also serves as a fascinating travelogue, introducing us to the people and culture of India and how Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims all live together.

Kaoru Nonomura describes a totally different Buddhist experience in "Eat Sleep Sit: My Year at Japan's Most Rigorous Zen Temple." At the age of 29, Nonomura enters Eiheiji Temple, "the premier place for young men who will inherit the leadership of the nation's Zen temples." From the title, I expected to find an account of life in a relaxing, meditative dream world. Wrong. The cloistered monks follow a rule book with rituals for everything -- literally -- including several pages on how to use the bathroom, some of which he shares with the reader. There are daily rules (everyone has to sleep on his right side) and special-occasion rituals: "There were exhaustive rules for eating, walking, sitting, speaking, and every other human activity." What really shocked me was how he was treated. Evidently, Zen tradition calls for inflicting physical abuse to sharpen the trainee. The older monks in charge yell at the new men and strike them, slapping and kicking them "without mercy." During the week-long initiation period, a kind of monk boot camp, the newbies ask themselves, "What sort of monstrous place had we stumbled into?" He writes, "For all of us, the acts of eating and drinking were carried out in a state of abject terror. The least mistake brought an instant cuff from one of the eagle-eyed senior trainees." He doesn't mention religion much; life in the monastery seems to be more about brain-washing (they'd probably call it spirit-honing) and doesn't in the least resemble a religious retreat. He writes, "Before coming to Eiheiji, I envisioned a life so hushed that you could hear ash falling from a stick of burning incense, with endless days of suspended motion and silent introspection. The reality was vastly different. Soon after arriving, I realized that the life of an Eiheiji trainee was a never-ending succession of loud, angry tongue-lashings and beatings -- a world away from my fond imaginings."

Finally, I thought the life of a Roman Catholic Benedictine nun might provide a nice, quiet, contemplative read. Well, not exactly. "A Monk in the Inner City: The ABCs of a Spiritual Journey" was written by Mary Lou Kownacki, who's been a nun in Erie, Pa., for 40 years. Her short essays in alphabetical order, from "Abandoned Places" and "Angels" to "Zeal" and "Zen Wisdom," can be read straight through or one at a time, for prayer or meditation. They are thought-provoking, inspirational, sometimes almost despairing, full of energy and sometimes full of joy. There are character sketches, such as the tale of a man who visits the soup kitchen regularly, and anecdotes about children living in shocking conditions, playing with roaches as pets. Kownacki is really a spiritual social worker: "I live as a monk in a neighborhood that people are afraid to drive through, let alone visit. I like to think of myself as one of a long line of monks, ... those eccentrics who took to the loneliness to meet their God." She is not a pacifist, but rather a peace activist. "Nothing I do is quite enough. It's not enough to feed the hungry, to shelter the homeless, to live simply, to write letters to Congress, to teach peace, to leaflet, to fast and do dozens of other acts of peace," she writes.

This book is full of wisdom. She quotes the Bible, Gandhi, Thich Nhat Hahn, John Lennon, peace activist Daniel Berrigan, a Russian mystic, the Torah, Zen koans, and many more. She's a Thomas Merton "groupie" and lives by his words, "that a true monk is not 'separated from the world' but intimately united with all humankind, that the monastic vocation is predominantly a social one."

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What's Happening: The Ohio governor wants to slash funding for the state's libraries, and the decision is set to be made by June 30. Please call or e-mail your representatives today and tell them we need our libraries more than ever, and our libraries need funding. You can find links and phone numbers at my blog, http://blogs.dixcdn.com/shine_a_light.

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BOOK NOTES, One for the Books Extra Online Exclusives:

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Follow me on Twitter @One4TheBooks.
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Check out my new blog on books, inspiration, fun and thought-provoking goodies! It’s called “Shine A Light!”

http://blogs.dixcdn.com/shine_a_light/

If you lose that link, go to www.recordpub.com. Click “Blogs” in the blue bar at the top of the page, and find “Shine A Light.”
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LOCAL BOOK CLUBS:

The Book Discussion Group at the Randolph Library meets the first Monday of the month, except August, at 6:30 p.m. in the Randolph Senior Center. The group is open to everyone, and new members are always welcome. The library will stock copies of the books each month. Call the library at 330-325-7003.

Pierce-Streetsboro Library’s Book Discussion Group meets regularly on the second Monday of each month at 6:45 p.m. in the library’s meeting room. New members are always welcome to attend and participate in the discussion. The library is located at 8990 Kirby Lane in Streetsboro, next to the administrative offices of the Streetsboro City Schools. For more information, call the library at 330-626-4458.

The Book Discussion Group at the Mogadore Branch of the Akron-Summit County Library, 144 S. Cleveland Ave., 330-628-9228, meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays to discuss books.
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The Friends of the Brimfield Library will hold sidewalk book sales outside of the library in the Brimfield Plaza from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 11 and Aug. 8.
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National Catholic Reporter Online has several new book reviews:

http://ncronline.org/node/13707

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from Shelf Awareness: New Books Out June 23:

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
Catastrophe by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
The State of Jones by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer
Back to the Garden: The Story of Woodstock and How It Changed a Generation by Pete Fornatale
The Doomsday Key: A Novel by James Rollins
Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne by James Gavin
Making an Elephant: Writing from Within by Graham Swift
The Fixer Upper: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews

Now in paperback:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West by Joni Rendon and Shannon McKenna Schmidt

New Titles Out June 30:

The Apostle by Brad Thor
A Plague of Secrets by John Lescroart
Killer Summer by Ridley Pearson
First Things First: The Rules of Being a Warner by Brenda Warner, Kurt Warner, and Jennifer Schuchmann

Now in paperback:

Hidden Currents (Drake Sisters, Book 7) by Christine Feehan
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PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST-SELLERS By The Associated Press

HARDCOVER FICTION
1. “Knock Out: An FBI Thriller” by Catherine Coulter (Putnam Adult)
2. “Robert Ludlum’s: The Bourne Deception” by Eric Van Lustbader, Robert Ludlum (Grand Central Publishing)
3. “Relentless” by Dean Koontz (Bantam)
4. “The Angels Game” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Doubleday)
5. “Medusa: A Novel From the Numa Files” by Clive Cussler, Paul Kemprecos (Putnam)
6. “The Scarecrow” by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Company)
7. “The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” by Katherine Howe (Voice)
8. “Shanghai Girls: A Novel” by Lisa See (Random House)
9. “Skin Trade” by Laurell K. Hamilton (Berkley)
10. “Dead and Gone” by Charlaine Harris (Ace)
11. “Gone Tomorrow” by Lee Child (Delacorte Press)
12. “The Neighbor” by Lisa Gardner (Bantam)
13. “Dune Road” by Jane Green (Viking)
14. “First Family” by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing)
15. “The Host” by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown)

HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. “Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto” by Mark R. Levin (Threshold Editions)
2. “Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan” by Doug Stanton (Scribner)
3. “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown)
4. “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion)
5. “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment” by Steve Harvey (Amistad)
6. “Excuses Begone! How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits” by Wayne W. Dyer (Hay House)
7. “A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity” by Bill O’Reilly (Broadway)
8. “Are You Kidding Me?: The Story of Rocco Mediate’s Extraordinary Battle with Tiger Woods at the US Open” by Rocco Mediate and John Feinstein (Little, Brown and Company)
9. “The Last Best Hope” Joe Scarborough (Crown Forum)
10. “Renegade: The Making of a President” by Richard Wolffe (Crown)
11. “The Yankee Years” by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci (Doubleday)
12. “Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood” by Michael Lewis (W.W. Norton & Co.)
13. “Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balancing Your Hormones for a Hot and Healthy Body!” by Jillian Michaels and Mariska van Aalst (Crown)
14. “Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist” by Michael J. Fox (Hyperion)
15. “Prairie Tale” by Melissa Gilbert (Simon Spotlight Entertainment)

MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS
1. “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult (Pocket)
2. “Dead Until Dark” by Charlaine Harris (Ace)
3. “Angels & Demons” by Dan Brown (Pocket)
4. “Rogue” by Danielle Steel (Dell)
5. “Living Dead in Dallas” by Charlaine Harris (Ace)
6. “The Last Oracle” by James Rollins (Harper)
7. “Sail” by James Patterson and Howard Roughan (Vision)
8. “From Dead to Worse” by Charlaine Harris (Ace)
9. “Sundays at Tiffany’s” by James Patterson, Gabrielle Charbonnet (Vision)
10. “Salvation in Death” by J.D. Robb (Berkley)
11. “Right Next Door: Father’s Day 1/4The Courtship of Carol Sommars” by Debbie Macomber (Mira)
12. “The Last Patriot” by Brad Thor (Pocket)
13. “Dead to the World” by Charlaine Harris (Ace)
14. “Club Dead” by Charlaine Harris (Ace)
15. “The Book of Lies” by Brad Meltzer (Grand Central Publishing)

TRADE PAPERBACKS
1. “Glenn Beck’s Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine” by Glenn Beck (Threshold Editions)
2. “The Shack” by William P. Young (Windblown Media)
3. “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult (Washington Square Press)
4. “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Dial)
5. “When You Are Engulfed in Flames” by David Sedaris (Back Bay Books)
6. “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” by Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith (Quirk Books)
7. “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Penguin)
8. “Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes” by Lifetime Television, (Voice)
9. “The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel” by Garth Stein (Harper)
10. “Olive Kitteredge” by Elizabeth Strout (Random House Trade Paperbacks)
11. “A Summer Affair” by Elin Hilderbrand (Back Bay Books)
12. “Beach House” by Jane Green (Plume)
13. “Vision in White” by Nora Roberts (Berkley Trade)
14. “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana de Rosnay (St. Martin’s Griffin)
15. “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho (Harper)
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WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST-SELLERS By The Associated Press

FICTION
1. “Eclipse” by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown and Company)
2. “Breaking Dawn” by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown for Young Readers)
3. “Along for the Ride” by Sarah Dessen (Viking Children’s)
4. “Knock Out: An FBI Thriller” by Catherine Coulter (Putnam Adult)
5. “L.A. Candy” by Lauren Conrad (HarperCollins)
6. “Robert Ludlum’s: The Bourne Deception” by Eric Van Lustbader, Robert Ludlum (Grand Central Publishing)
7. “The Last Olympian” by Rick Riordan (Disney Hyperion Books for Children)
8. “The Angel’s Game” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Doubleday)
9. “The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” by Katherine Howe (Voice)
10. “Relentless” by Dean Koontz (Bantam)
11. “The Scarecrow” by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Company)
12. “The 39 Clues: Beyond the Grave” by Jude Watson (Scholastic)
13. “Shanghai Girls: A Novel” by Lisa See (Random House)
14. “Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover” by Ally Carter (Disney-Hyperion)
15. “First Family” by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing)

NONFICTION
1. “Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto” by Mark R. Levin (Threshold Editions)
2. “Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan” by Doug Stanton (Scribner)
3. “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown)
4. “Excuses Begone! How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits” by Wayne W. Dyer (Hay House)
5. “A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity” by Bill O’Reilly (Broadway)
6. “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment” by Steve Harvey (Amistad)
7. “Divine Soul Songs: Sacred Practical Treasures to Heal, Rejuvenate, and Transform You, Humanity, Mother Earth, and All Universes” by Zhi Gang Sha (Atria)
8. “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion)
9. “Believe That You Can: Moving With Tenacity Toward the Dream God Has Given You” by Jentezen Franklin (Charisma House)
10. “StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Tom Rath (Gallup Press)
11. “Renegade: The Making of a President” by Richard Wolffe (Crown)
12. “The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America’s Promise” by Joe Scarborough (Crown Forum)
13. “Are You Kidding Me?: The Story of Rocco Mediate’s Extraordinary Battle with Tiger Woods at the US Open” by Rocco Mediate and John Feinstein (Little, Brown and Company)
14. “Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood” by Michael Lewis (W.W. Norton & Co.)
15. “Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balancing Your Hormones for a Hot and Healthy Body!” by Jillian Michaels and Mariska van Aalst (Crown)

The Wall Street Journal’s list reflects nationwide sales of hardcover books during the week ended last Saturday at more than 2,500 Barnes & Noble, B. Dalton, Bookland, Books-a-Million, Books & Co., Bookstar, Bookstop, Borders, Brentano’s, Coles, Coopersmith, Doubleday, Scribners and Waldenbooks stores, as well as sales from online retailers Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
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USAToday Best Sellers-Books By The Associated Press
Key: F-Fiction; NF-Nonfiction; H-Hardcover; P-Paperback

1.“Glenn Beck’s Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine” by Glenn Beck (Threshold Editions) (NF-P)
2. “My Sister’s Keeper: A Novel” by Jodi Picoult (Pocket) (F-P)
3. “New Moon” by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-P)
4. “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-P)
5. “Eclipse” by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-H)
6. “Breaking Dawn” by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-H)
7. “Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto” by Mark R. Levin (Threshold Editions) (NF-H)
8. “The Shack” by William P. Young (Windblown Media) (F-P)
9. “Knock Out: An FBI Thriller” by Catherine Coulter (Putnam Adult) (F-H)
10. “Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan” by Doug Stanton (Scribner) (NF-H)
11. “Along for the Ride” by Sarah Dessen (Viking Children’s) (F-H)
12. “Relentless” by Dean Koontz (Bantam) (F-H)
13. “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Dial) (F-P)
14. “Robert Ludlum’s: The Bourne Deception” by Eric Van Lustbader, Robert Ludlum (Grand Central Publishing) (F-H)
15. “Rogue” by Danielle Steel (Dell) (F-P)
16. “The Last Olympian” by Rick Riordan (Disney Hyperion Books for Children) (F-H)
17. “L.A. Candy” by Lauren Conrad (HarperCollins) (F-H)
18. “Three Cups Of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Penguin) (NF-P)
19. “Angels & Demons” by Dan Brown (Pocket) (F-P)
20. “Dead Until Dark” by Charlaine Harris (Ace) (F-P)
21. “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown) (NF-H)
22. “When You Are Engulfed in Flames” by David Sedaris (Back Bay Books) (NF-P)
23. “The Angel’s Game” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Doubleday) (F-H)
24. “Sundays at Tiffany’s” by James Patterson, Gabrielle Charbonnet (Vision)(F-P)
25. “Right Next Door: Father’s Day 1/4The Courtship of Carol Sommars” by Debbie Macomber (Mira) (F-P)
26. “Sail” by James Patterson and Howard Roughan (Vision) (F-P)
27. “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” by Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith (Quirk Books) (F-P)
28. “Vision in White” by Nora Roberts (Berkley Trade)(F-P)
29. “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment” by Steve Harvey (Amistad) (NF-H)
30. “Say Goodbye” by Lisa Gardner (Bantam) (F-P)
31. “Salvation in Death” by J.D. Robb (Berkley) (F-P)
32. “Medusa: A Novel From the Numa Files” by Clive Cussler, Paul Kemprecos, (Putnam) (F-H)
33. “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion) (NF-H)
34. “The Scarecrow” by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Company)(F-H)
35. “Living Dead in Dallas” by Charlaine Harris (Ace) (F-P)
36. “Under the Radar: Sisterhood Series No. 8” by Fern Michaels (Zebra) (F-P)
37. “Matters of the Heart” by Danielle Steel (Delacorte Press) (F-H)
38. “A Summer Affair” by Elin Hilderbrand (Back Bay Books) (F-P)
39. “Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes” by Lifetime Television, (Voice) (NF-P)
40. “Excuses Begone! How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits” by Wayne W. Dyer (Hay House) (F-H)
41. “The Last Oracle” by James Rollins (Harper) (F-P)
42. “The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel” by Garth Stein(Harper Paperback) (F-P)
43. “The 39 Clues: Beyond the Grave” by Jude Watson (Scholastic) (F-H)
44. “An Inconvenient Book” by Glenn Beck, (Threshold Editions) (NF-P)
45. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw” by Jeff Kinney (Amulet) (F-H)
46. “The Front” by Patricia Cornwell (Berkley) (F-P)
47. “Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1: The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan (Disney-Hyperion)(F-P)
48. “The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” by Katherine Howe (Voice) (F-H)
49. “A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity” by Bill O’Reilly (Broadway) (NF-H)
50. “Marked” by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast (St. Martin’s Griffin) (F-P)

Reporting stores include: Amazon.com, B. Dalton Bookseller, Barnes & Noble.com, Barnes & Noble Inc., Books-A-Million and Bookland, Booksamillion.com, Borders Books & Music, Bookstar, Bookstop, Brentano’s, Davis Kidd Booksellers in Nashville, Jackson, Memphis, Tenn., Doubleday Book Shops, Hudson Booksellers, Joseph-Beth Booksellers (Lexington, Ky.; Cincinnati, Cleveland), Powell’s Books (Portland, Ore.), Powells.com, R.J. Julia Booksellers (Madison, Conn.), Schuler.
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For a list of authors who are making the media rounds, click this link: http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4613633

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Here are links to other recent One for the Books columns. More links are available on my blog at http://blogs.dixcdn.com/shine_a_light/one-for-the-books/

Mysteries for Summer Reading -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4606477

Father’s Day Gift Ideas -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4596658

Novels Set in India -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4592641

Books for Mom -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4583126

Historical Thrillers -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4573374

Picture Books for Children -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4563834

WWII Internment of Japanese Americans -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4554807

Book Club Recommendations -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4545419

Lighter Goodies -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4535339

Slavery -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4525809

Memoirs of Women Searching -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4515783

Return to Amish Country -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4511270


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Thanks for reading One for the Books. Please let us know what kind of book news you’d like to see on this page. Send e-mail to Books@recordpub.com. Send other mail to Mary Louise Ruehr, Books Editor, Record-Courier, 126 N. Chestnut St. (P.O. Box 1201), Ravenna, OH 44266.

“One for the Books” appears the second and fourth Fridays of the month in the Record-Courier. Extra columns may appear on occasion, especially preceding Christmas and Hanukkah.