The Fruitful Darkness

In this "masterwork of an authentic spirit person" (Thomas Berry), Buddhist teacher and anthropologist Joan Halifax delves into "the fruitful darkness"--the shadow side of being, found in the root truths of Native religions, the fecundity of nature, and the stillness of meditation. In "The Fruitful Darkness, a highly personal and insightful odyssey of the heart and mind, she encounters Tibetan Buddhist mediators, Mexican shamans, and Native American elders, among others. In rapt prose, she recounts her explorations--from Japanese Zen meditation to hallucinogenic plants, from the Dogon people of Mali to the Mayan rain forest, all the while creating "an adventure of the spirit and a feast of wisdom old and new" (Peter Matthiessen). Grove Press is proud to reissue this important work by one of Buddhism's leading contemporary teachers.