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A spiritual fantasy told in the atmosphere of a medieval world that feels like today.
It took James Ishmael Ford many decades of spiritual teaching and leadership in two communities (Buddhist and Unitarian Universalism) before he was ready to write his first novel. This is an exploration of the intimate way, informed by Zen teachings but told through a timeless and dreamlike village, a place where myth and reality meet.
This is not historical fiction, nor is it explicitly Buddhist. Ford has woven a literary fantasy to evoke the atmosphere of a medieval world that could be China, India, or Europe. But is none of them. Within this frequently harsh place, villagers seek meaning, joy, and wholeness for their lives. Over the course of the story the character’s lives become interwoven with spiritual practice, deep relationships, and the mysteries of joys, difficulties, death, and awakening.
As one of the first English-language novels to be deeply rooted in the Zen tradition, this novel offers an accessible, story-driven entryway into the heart of Zen wisdom.
James Ishmael Ford is a prominent Zen teacher and author of seven influential works on Zen and spirituality, including his “trilogy of the Zen way”: Zen at the End of Religion (Monkfish), If You’re Lucky, Your Heart Will Break (Wisdom), and The Intimate Way of Zen (Shambhala). This is his first work of fiction reflecting decades of Zen study and teaching. He lives in Tujunga (Los Angeles County), CA.