This book invites you to cultivate stillness and contentment in an ever-changing, uncertain world, inspired by ancient and contemporary Japanese wisdom.
Drawing on a thousand years of Japanese literature, culture, and philosophical ideas to explore the true nature of time and what it means to be human, Kokoro–which mysteriously translates as "heart-mind"–is a meditation on living well.
Join Japanologist Beth Kempton on this life-changing pilgrimage far beyond the tourist trail, to uncover the soul of the country, its people, and its deeply buried wisdom.
Distilling insight from a rich variety of sources, from centuries-old poetry and ancient Zen texts to martial arts teaching and contemporary philosophy, alongside the real-life stories of modern day pioneers, Kokoro offers an inspiring take on what it truly means to be happy,so that you can live each day with wonder and ease.
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A beautiful and poignant call-to-action to make our own pilgrimage into the mountainous heartlands of life after loss, showing us what it means to live a full and joyful life in the face of impermanence. I feel enlarged by reading this. I read Kokoro at the perfect moment when I needed it the most; at a time when I am navigating my own midlife questions and grief. What a gift to the world this book is! Packed full of wisdom and insight from a culture that knows how to wrestle with the nature of impermanence, Kokoro connected me back with my own heartmind as I read it, whispering in the most comforting way that if this is it then I better stay in touch with what matters most. Beth is always such a compassionate and generous guide to what it means to live a fearless and creative life, and this book is no different. By walking us up sacred mountains, introducing us to the people she meets along the way, and by letting us into her own questions, we are about to see our own better, for which I am so grateful and inspired.
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Ruth Allen, author of Grounded and Weathering