"The World Is Made of Stories is about the Master Story; how we are its telling, untelling, and retelling. David R. Loy delivers freedom straight-up in a delightful, variegated collection of wisdom quotes and commentaries. This book is great fun."
Description
In this dynamic and utterly novel presentation, David Loy explores the fascinating proposition that the stories we tell--about what is and is not possible, about ourselves, about right and wrong, life and death, about the world and everything in it--become the very building blocks of our experience and of reality itself. Loy uses an intriguing mixture of quotations from familiar and less-familiar sources and brief stand-alone micro-essays, engaging the reader in challenging and illuminating dialogue. As we come to see that the world is made--in a word--of stories, we come to a richer understanding of that most elusive of Buddhist ideas: shunyata, the "generative emptiness" that is the all-pervading quality inherent to all mental and physical forms in our ever-changing world. Reminiscent of Zen koans and works of sophisticated poetry, this book will reward both a casual read and deep reflection.
Genres
Pages128
Released2010
LanguageEnglish
PublisherWisdom Publications
ISBN9780861719259
SellerSimon & Schuster
About the author(s)
David R. Loy began Zen practice in Hawaii in 1971 with Yamada Koun and Robert Aitken, and continued with Koun Roshi in Japan, where he lived for almost twenty years. He was authorized to teach in 1988 and has led retreats and workshops at Mountain Cloud Zen Center, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, Omega Institute, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Centro Kushi Ling in Italy, Ecodharma Centre in Spain, Terre d’Eveil in Paris, Gaia House Retreat Center in the UK, Dharma Gate Buddhist College in Budapest, and various Centro de Estudos Budistas Bodisatva Centers in Brazil, among others.
In 2014 David received an honorary PhD from his alma mater, Carleton College, for his years of work on socially engaged Buddhism. In 2016 he returned the degree, to protest the decision of the board of trustees not to divest from fossil fuel companies.
David’s books and articles have been translated into many languages. Recent books include A New Buddhist Path and Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis. He is one of the founders of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center in Colorado. David’s writings, podcasts, and videos are available at www.davidloy.org.
Reviews
"Drawing on a broad range of religious and secular sources, David Loy's compelling story about stories reveals through a series of clear and penetrating reflections the inescapable presence of narrative in human life."
Stephen Batchelor, author of Confession of a Buddhist Atheist
"In this slender but powerful book Loy draws the reader's attention to the power of words. He shows how stories have spoken us into existence, how each of us story the world into existence, and how these different stories inform and transform themselves, each other, and us. I consider Loy one of the most important spiritual thinkers of our day."
James Ishmael Ford, author of Zen Master WHO?
"An inspired, sustained, poetic, and not-quite-linear contemplation of the nature of mind. David R. Loy leads a merry, twisting chase."
Kate Wheeler, editor of Nixon Under the Bodhi Tree
"Please handle carefully! Some readers may be profoundly unnerved by this book, others will find it deeply liberating--no one, I think, will go away unchanged."
Kurt Spellmeyer, author of Buddha at the Apocalypse
