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Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master Paperback – May 1, 2005


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Product Details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: BlueBridge (May 1, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0974240559
  • ISBN-13: 978-0974240558
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Schmidt, a resident teacher at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Mass., offers a study of the life and teachings of Nani Bala Barua—the Indian saint more commonly known by her affectionate nickname, Dipa Ma (1911–1989). Schmidt begins by offering a swift but engaging outline of Dipa Ma's life, including her marriage at age 12, her struggle as a single mother to practice meditation, her mastery of such "supernatural powers" as mind reading and time travel and her eventual establishment in a tiny Calcutta apartment as a gentle, playful and world-renowned teacher of mindfulness—indeed, Dipa Ma deeply influenced such American Buddhist heavyweights as Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield, who provide the foreword and afterword, respectively. Schmidt then highlights a number of Dipa Ma's teachings, such as "the mind is all stories"; "you can do anything you want to do"; and despite strongly patriarchal economic and religious systems, "you should not think that women are helpless." Schmidt rounds out the book by exploring Dipa Ma's continuing legacy, including how many of her students continue to experience her presence even after her death. This is not a penetrating biography; in fact, later chapters are composed chiefly of brief but fond anecdotes shared by Dipa Ma's students. Nevertheless, it is a compelling tribute to a beloved teacher whose "combination of gentleness, no pretense, and power" continues to inspire many interested in the Buddhist path. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"An inspiring and beautiful book about one of our most beloved elders, a modern Buddhist saint." —Jack Kornfield, author, A Path with Heart


"Reading these reflections of Dipa Ma rouses the faith that being in her presence always did." —Sylvia Boorstein, author, It's Easier Than You Think


"This is a real treasure. Dipa Ma comes through as such a gentle, disarming, fierce, sweet presence. She is completely irresistible." —Toinette Lippe, author, Nothing Left Over

Customer Reviews

It has good pictures and can easily be read in an evening.
A. Bassuk
My heartfelt thanks to Ms. Schmidt for writing this book and collecting the very moving reflections of Dipa Ma's students.
Thomas Pruzinsky
This is a must read for any Buddhist, any seeker, but especially for any Theravadan, or Insight practitioner.
D. Radick

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful By Willhum on December 25, 2006
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This is an excellent read, very inspirational and well worth the price. I think some of the reviwers slightly missed the point - whilst Dipa Ma probably didnt eat meat, Theravadin Buddhists are not vegetarian because like the Buddha himself, they rely on alms donations for food. There is no prohibition on eating meat or fish in either the vinaya or the sutras, monks and nuns in Thailand and Burma are mostly meat eaters. As for the change in title, its really just a reprint with colour photos and a new publisher - its not done to rip anybody off, the newer version I think is a better tribute to Dipa Ma's spiritual legacy. Anyhow, for anybody wanting to read about a lay meditatior who was highly acomplished and masterd the siddhis (spiritual para normal powers), the janas (absorbtions) and three of the four paths to nirvana, this is the book!

Other highly recommended books to people who enjoy this one are "Life of a Siamese Monk" by Richard Randall and also Maha Bowas facinating biography of Ajan Mun, a Thai forest monk who attained nirvana and passed away in the late 1940's. Maha Bowas book is given away freely and a great read, I think its also on the internet.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful By Thomas Pruzinsky on April 15, 2005
Format: Paperback
My heartfelt thanks to Ms. Schmidt for writing this book and collecting the very moving reflections of Dipa Ma's students. The teachings about the power of love embodied in this book and in the life of Dipa Ma can help us all to live a life that is truly joyful.

There are many wonderful books available that provide guidance and inspiration on the spiritual path. I found this one to be particularly inspirational and instructive about how suffering can be transformed into love and how love can be shared and a source of healing and joy.

What a blessing it would have been to meet Dipa Ma in person. What a blessing it is to be able to meet her through the words of people who knew her and now know in their hearts the power of kindness.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful By bribri on November 6, 2005
Format: Paperback
I'm a dharma book junkie, I admit. But this book stands alone in its ability to move me from talking and thinking about meditation practice, to actually doing the practice. It is my favorite dharma book ever, 3 years standing (I originally bought a previous edition, when it was called "Knee Deep in Grace", which had a bit less content). My favorite Dipa quote from the book: "Practice now. Don't think you will do more tomorrow". The accounts in this book of her are inspiring. Dipa Ma was a very gentle, but practical lay woman, all about persistence. She wanted everyone to benefit from Buddhist practice. The stories reflect all of this so nicely. Amy Schmidt did an amazing job collecting all these stories. Bravo!!!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful By A. Bassuk on July 31, 2006
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Dipa Ma's life, practice and high level of attainment is truly inspirational. If you're looking for a book that will teach you the basic tenets of Theravadin Buddhism, this is not it. But, if you're looking for a powerfully inspirational story of a profoundly loving, compassionate master who transformed and inspired many Western practitioners this book is great. It really brought tears to my eyes and I keep rereading it and my wonder never ceases. It has good pictures and can easily be read in an evening. I've bought and sent copies to all the women in my life. Buy it, read it and enjoy!
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful By Jo M. Thompson on January 3, 2006
Format: Paperback
In response to the reviewer who claimed false advertising because the content of this book is the same as "Knee Deep in Grace" - with some attentiveness he will note it is in fact the same book reprinted. No one is trying to pull the wool over his eyes, the original publisher is no longer in business. Another publisher, wishing to keep this important Dhamma work in existence has republished it under a different title. (However, there are unscrupulous used book store owners attempting to sell the original title at exorbitant prices, claiming the book is out of print, which is untrue.)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful By MC on May 16, 2011
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Dipa Ma's life story was a journey of losing her mother at a young age, multiple child loss, late age childbearing, widowhood, single parenting, etc etc... Enough loss & suffering to incorporate all of our own and honor its shameless potential. Dipa Ma confirms how richly transformative such suffering can prove to be once one commits to vipassana practice.

This is a very emotionally embodied female householder version of an enlightenment journey, far removed from the repressingly tidy versions of male monastic legends and the even tidier examples of virgin saints. All this, and - she was the teacher of pivotal and now famous American vipassana senior teachers: Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzburg, to name a few. And nobody's heard of Dipa Ma, but everybody's heard of them! While that is the ultimate success of teaching (to be surpassed by one's students), Dipa Ma's role in the east-west vipassana lineage needs to known about for a variety of reasons.

This book tells the biography through factual research along with a collection of teaching quotes by Dipa Ma from a variety of interviews as well as student anecdotes. Very easy to read and hard to put down!

The last part of the book shares Dipa Ma's Metta meditations, progressing from basic beginner to more extensive ones - very cool. Sometimes she would tell a beginner to just practice Metta for months until they were capable of other practices. Those with self-deprecation/self-acceptance karma benefit greatly from Dipa Ma's insightful guidance. She taught as far outside the box of the monastic-based tradition as from deep within it, because that's what a yogini does.
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