The Hidden Lamp

Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women

By: Zenshin Florence Caplow - editor, Reigetsu Susan Moon - editor

Narrated by: Caroline McLaughlin, Judith West

The Hidden Lamp is a collection of 100 koans and stories of Buddhist women from the time of the Buddha to the present day. This revolutionary book brings together many teaching stories that were hidden for centuries, unknown until this volume. These stories are extraordinary expressions of freedom and fearlessness, relevant for men and women of any time or place. In this audio, we meet nuns, laywomen practicing with their families, famous teachers honored by emperors, and old women selling tea on the side of the road.

Each story is accompanied by a reflection by a contemporary woman teacher - personal responses that help bring the old stories alive for listeners today - and concluded by a final meditation for the listener, a question from the editors meant to spark further rumination and inquiry. These are the voices of the women ancestors of every contemporary Buddhist.

©2013 Susan Moon and Florence Caplow (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

A wonderful collection

This collection of koans is refreshing and well chosen. The narrators do a great job of bringing the text to life. My one criticism is that the chapters are numbers, rather than being the titles of each koan themselves. This makes it very difficult to find one that you would like to listen to specifically. I will see if there is an option to mention this to the app editors.

Wonderful teachings

The dharmas shared thru the centuries with their discussions are heart warming and eye opening for one who is soul searching with or without an organized religion .

Wisdom shared

I felt connected to wise women across centuries The same life challenges exist and feminine wisdom still applies. Thank you this compilation and reflections.

Well conceived, well written, and well performed.

This book comes to us through a monumental effort by the two editors, who searched more than two thousand years of Zen literature for the most illuminating examples of women’s power within that male-dominated tradition. One hundred Koans were selected (vaguely similar to the parables of Christian tradition, but the tales end in mysteries whose deeper meanings are best found through focussed meditation). For each of these selections an explanatory reflection by a practicing Zen teacher was elicited.
The book thus combines the knowledge and wisdom of more than a hundred established teachers of Zen, and offers rich food for thought, possibly for years, even for a curious outsider such as myself.
Highly recommended for anyone wishing for insight into Zen thought and practice, and especially the role therein of women throughout the centuries.

Lovely stories and interpretation.

It was an effort for me listening to One of the readers. The delivery felt awkward and unnatural by, I think, her need to overdramatize
And entertain.

Straight to the heart

Historic female dharma practitioners have their voice rediscovered and modern female practitioners provide insightful commentary.

I feel like I just made a bunch of new friends!

I wrote a review on Amazon when I had only listened to about half the book. Now when I'm done, and I have er-listened to many of the pieces over and over again; I have to say:
This book was transformative for me.

It's so intimate, warm, human, real, friendly and inspirational. It has left me feeling energized, and in an enduring way.

I wish there were ten more.

Thanks to those who made this book happen and thanks to everyone who contributed and shared their hearts, minds and lives.

Excellent book so so recording

The book made me long to learn more about the women ancestors of Buddhism and especially Soto zen