Red Thread Zen: Humanly Entangled in Emptiness

This beautiful book about our human condition is a real treasure for me as a zen practitioner. It explores humanness, love, loss, emptiness, passions, not knowing, suffering, gender, koans and imagery and story...in a way that you can savor and reflect. I read it slowly. I purchased it also as a gift for a new zen teacher. Bowing deeply thanks For your writing and heart.

Reading this jewel for a second time. Slowly, thoughtfully, savoring the words. So many important insights and images wrapped in the red threads of a global pandemic. Don't be fooled by the five stars. This little book can change your life. Palms together.

So much has been written about the 'soothing' effects of Zen that the radical, human and utterly embodied nature of the tradition can be lost. Red Thread Zen sets out to restore the all-embracing nature of genuine practice, complete with sex, pain, longing, grief and difficulty. Far from emptying the undesirable aspects of our lives, Susan Murphy encourages us to look deeply into what is happening and find our liberation right there, whatever the situation.Inspired by the koan, "How is it that perfectly accomplished saints and bodhisattvas are still attached to the red thread?", Susan Murphy provides a timely corrective to the pervasive idea of "buddhist detachment". We are duly challenged to recognise and love our complex, messy and mortal lives. Her polemic is delivered with delightful humour and intelligence. A must for anyone seriously interested in the living Zen tradition.

This is an exquisitely written book that is a joy to read, simply for the beauty and richness of language, and that helps one to LIVE! It is a tonic, a balm, a teacher, a friend. Having recently come through terrible wildfires in the northern California town where I live, this is the one book I've been able to read that has been helping me to walk through the flames!