Buddha Mom [Hardcover]

Jacqueline Kramer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 2003

In Buddha Mom Jacqueline Kramer beautifully illuminates the ways in which motherhood can be intricately woven into the spiritual life. Drawing upon her twenty years as a practicing Buddhist, as well as many other wisdom traditions from around the world, she offers powerful insights into cultivating a more spiritual attitude toward parenting.

In chapters organized around central Buddhist themes-Simplicity, Nurturance, Joyful Service, Unconditional Love-Kramer's personal experience of pregnancy, birth, and then raising her daughter to adulthood serves as a guide to integrating the roles of parent and spiritual being. She reveals how powerful an opportunity for growth each step along the path of motherhood can be, from the first pangs of pregnancy through the time when a child leaves home.

A truly unique celebration of all that motherhood can be, Buddha Mom is an inspiring vision of child rearing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jacqueline Kramer has been a practicing Buddhist for 20 years, but some of her best insights into Buddhism have come not from meditation but from mothering. I was led to believe that mothering was a side track on the path toward spiritual liberation, but that wasn't my experience, she explains. I have found mothering to be a direct path to spiritual insight. In this gentle book, she explores how she has become a better Buddhist through opening herself to motherhood. Even childbirth (which she did sans epidural) became, for her, a valuable meditation lesson, since the pain forced her to consciously relax and surrender control. In fact, surrendering control is the central theme of the entire book. There are chapters on housekeeping, nurturing (particularly regarding food) and the practice of loving-kindness, or metta. For Kramer, motherhood has been a catalyst to strive for greater selflessness and connection with the universe, both core Buddhist principles. It has also brought home to her the impermanence of all things; there is nothing like the rapid growth of children to remind us that all relationships are destined to change. Such impermanence has led Kramer to a conscious decision to be fully present in the here and now, determined not to miss a moment of her daughter's life or her own. This fluid book on mindful mothering will appeal to many readers who are interested in the profound spiritual significance of the everyday acts of motherhood metta.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Jacqueline Kramer has been a practicing Buddhist for the past twenty years. A spiritual counselor and art teacher, she also writes and performs one-woman shows in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (March 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585422177
• ISBN-13: 978-1585422173
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,110,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as Good as "Buddhism for Mothers"..., December 20, 2006

By 

Angela Henderson (Grover Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Buddha Mom (Paperback)

I came to this book after reading Sarah Napthali's "Buddhism for Mothers," which was a very well organized and inspiring book. This book is okay, but is written differently and in a less-straightforward style. It is more narrative, almost preachy at times, and does not give as many examples for practical application like the other book.

More importantly, as a mom of twins, I found myself having a hard time relating to Kramer's spiritual/parenting struggles because, well, she only had one kid. I know that's not really fair, but I'll be honest: it just feel more genuine to take advice from other parents that also have multiple kids, rather than just one. It's just the way it is. I found her birth story difficult to relate to (nice as it was), since again, as a mom of dual-breech twins I never had the option of a nice, natural and drug-free birth. Also, most moms of multiples can only *dream* of taking expensive, time-consuming annual spiritual retreats, as she apparently has done for the last 20 years or so.

A very minor point: even though I don't smoke anything, I wasn't thrilled by the demonization of pot either. (I had enough D.A.R.E. stuff in school, thanks).

In general I found Napthali's book much more practical, as she outlines actual steps to take toward a more spiritual approach to parenting. With Kramer's book you get more of a sense that the book was just the story of her own personal path to spirituality. Unfortunately, I found very little to relate to and just didn't look forward to reading it like I did the other book.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For mothers of all paths..., August 2, 2004

By 

inanna (Edmonds, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddha Mom (Hardcover)

I am not buddhist, but this book spoke to me in ways that go beyond spiritual definitions. I was looking for a way to have a more peaceful household, and Ms. Kramer's words gave me inspiration and ideas to change things within myself to create a family life that made my entire family more content. I highly recommend not only her book, but also her website (http://www.buddhamom.com) and email group.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most beautiful book I have ever read., August 2, 2004

By 

SamJoJas (Auckland City New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddha Mom (Paperback)

This book is a meditation on birth, motherhood and the spiritual path of the homemaker. It is not an instructive book - the author completely avoids telling the reader what to do and how to do it - however I found infinite wisdom contained in its pages. What struck me most about this book is that it carries an energy, and that energy is so sacred, pure and blissful I did not want to leave it and could not wait to return to the book. It is written absolutely from the heart and will appeal to mothers (Buddhist or otherwise) who are touching the heart of motherhood and want to know more about motherhood as a spiritual path. Do not look to this book to learn about Buddhism the religion - Buddha Mom actually goes beyond religion - it is pure heart. Just beautiful, a work of art and a true gift.