{"product_id":"the-first-free-women-isbn-9781645470564","title":"The First Free Women","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn Ancient Collection Reimagined\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eComposed around the Buddha’s lifetime, the original \u003ci\u003eTherigatha \u003c\/i\u003e(“Verses of the Elder Nuns”) contains the poems of the first Buddhist women: princesses and courtesans, tired wives of arranged marriages and the desperately in love, those born into limitless wealth and those born with nothing at all. The authors of the \u003ci\u003eTherigatha\u003c\/i\u003e were women from every kind of background, but they all shared a deep-seated desire for awakening and liberation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe First Free Women\u003c\/i\u003e, Matty Weingast has reimagined this ancient collection and created an original work that takes his experience of the essence of each poem and brings forth in his own words the struggles and doubts, as well as the strength, perseverance, and profound compassion, embodied by these courageous women.“Like opening a window and letting a clean, fresh wind blow through my being.”—Joanna Macy \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“In wholehearted and vibrant language, the teachings of these liberated women are transmitted across centuries, allowing us to sense fully the freedom and joy inherent in their ancient experiences.”—Sebene Selassie, author of \u003ci\u003eYou Belong: A Call for Connection\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“These reflections have the power to touch the hearts of all who read them.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003eSharon Salzberg, author of \u003ci\u003eLovingkindness\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eReal\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eHappiness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Curl up with a cup of tea and let these poems speak to your heart. Then let your heart follow the path to freedom.”—Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, author of \u003ci\u003eBuddhism for Beginners \u003c\/i\u003eand founder of Sravasti Abbey\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“These evocative poems by Matty Weingast, in modern idiom and inspired by the enlightenment songs of the early Buddhist nuns, are a wonderful reminder that the liberated heart is possible for us all.”—Joseph Goldstein, author of \u003ci\u003eMindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“These are fresh, powerful, poetic translations that bring our ancient wise women to life. Let their beautiful songs of freedom inspire your own heart.”—Jack Kornfield, author of \u003ci\u003eA Path with Heart\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Here we meet an elegantly crafted version of contemporary poems inspired by the \u003ci\u003eTherigatha\u003c\/i\u003e verses of the Buddha’s first female enlightened disciples. Weingast’s gift of devotion lets us pause to contemplate his interpretation of the clear bell rung by our ancestor Bhikkhunis.”—Thanissara, author of \u003ci\u003eTime to Stand Up: An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Warmhearted, authentic, uplifting, and moving. This gem of a book deeply affirms why and how we keep practicing through periods of darkness and light. Weingast was so inspired by these poems that he freely rendered them in English from the original Pali with wisdom, love, and poetic intelligence based on years of practice and insight.”—Nirbhay N. Singh, editor of the journal \u003ci\u003eMindfulness \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “This collection of poems shifts our perspective and opens doors where before there were only walls. The metaphors are simple—a bowl, falling snow, a warm blanket, a knock at the door—and the unfoldings inside us profound. Though the voices are distinctly female, the revelations, inspirations, and encouragements are wholly human. This is a book to share. As one poem suggests, some rivers we must cross together.”—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, author of \u003ci\u003eNaked for Tea\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEven Now\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Miracle Already Happening\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “An amazing rebirth of the \u003ci\u003eTherigatha\u003c\/i\u003e—deeply rooted in ancient times, yet also refreshing and meaningful to contemporary hearts. A new way of looking again.”—Bhikkhuni Santacitta, cofounder of Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery, California \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “The voices of the first bhikkhunis in this contemporary rendering based on the \u003ci\u003eTherigatha \u003c\/i\u003eare vulnerable, tenacious, and ardent. Through the poems the women are felt and alive; they viscerally impact me. Because of the recent revival of full ordination for women, there are not yet many elders within modern burgeoning bhikkhuni communities. The intimacy, intensity, and insightfulness of these voices help to fill the gap.”—Bhikkhuni Ahimsa \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “This inspiration from the \u003ci\u003eTherigatha \u003c\/i\u003ecarries the sweetness of freedom, the angst of pain and suffering, the exhilaration of humor, the depth and pith of profound wisdom, and the delicate tender care of pure love. These women remain powerful archetypes for our path—past, present, and future.”—Larry Yang, cofounder of East Bay Meditation Center and author of \u003ci\u003eAwakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Though thousands of years old, the voices of these awakened Buddhist women can be heard with freshness and clarity in this new improvisation of the \u003ci\u003eTherigatha\u003c\/i\u003e. These brief poems boldly proclaim the path to liberation, inspiring me to rededicate myself to my own path and practice.”—Mushim Patricia Ikeda, Buddhist teacher and author of “Daylighting the Feminine in American Buddhism” in \u003ci\u003eInnovative Buddhist Women: Swimming against the Stream\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “A profound, earthy, at times playful, and always inspiring collection of poems. Hearing the awakened heart expressed in such distinctive strong, clear, feminine voices is a major contribution that all Buddhist practitioners will appreciate, especially in these times. Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu!”—James Baraz, Spirit Rock cofounding teacher and author of \u003ci\u003eAwakening Joy: 10 Steps to Happiness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “These poems are deeply resonant and timeless and help me feel connected to the many women throughout time who have walked the path of practice. I love this collection.”—Susan O’Brien, Dharma teacher at Insight Meditation Society\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Weingast’s fresh rendering of these ancient words will be of interest to anyone looking for feminine Buddhist voices.”—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“These are women who sought out enlightenment long before it was safe to utter ‘women’ and ‘liberation’ in the same sentence, yet Weingast has given voice to them in a way that renders the distance of two and a half millennia inconsequential. They speak as though they are here and now, about matters that still concern us here and now. These poems of forgiveness, grief, kindness, yearning, and wisdom are timeless, but they are also the stories of those who came before us and blazed the way forward.”—\u003ci\u003eBuddhadharma\u003c\/i\u003eMATTY WEINGAST is co-editor of \u003ci\u003eAwake at the Bedside \u003c\/i\u003eand former editor of the \u003ci\u003eInsight Journal \u003c\/i\u003eat Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. With almost two decades of medita­tion experience, Matty completed much of the work on \u003ci\u003eThe First Free Women\u003c\/i\u003e while staying at Aloka Vihara Forest Monas­tery in northern California.An Ancient Collection Reimagined","brand":"Shambhala","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304572965093,"sku":"NP9781645470564","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781645470564.jpg?v=1767739348","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-first-free-women-isbn-9781645470564","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}