Customer Reviews

Forest Recollections: Wandering Monks in Twentieth-Century Thailand

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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As a Westerner who has done a lot of meditation in Thailand over the last 18 years, I've been curious to know the history of meditation in Thailand. I've also wondered about the Tudong or wondering monks whom I've occasionally seen here. This book explains it all. It is also very inspirational for serious meditators and might even inspire people who are curious about meditation.

As far as I can tell (having spent about a year in Thai monasteries), Kamala is right on the button in everything she writes. My only complaint about the book is that the footnotes are in the back instead of at the bottom of the page.

This book should deserves a wide audience.

I live in the North Highlands Forest in WI. The urban lifestyle I departed from before coming here to live permanently did not develop the sensitivities this environment requires. I noticed I was " afraid to go out" I might encounter bears, wolves, coyotes etc. I might get eaten etc. This book deals with it all. The Forest Monks have taken their place in the forest as part of the cycle of life and achieved harmony with the various animals. The meditations are very useful and appropriate for those dealing with the transformation and assimilation into life in the Forrest. Anecdotes of encounters were very helpful in letting go of the fear factor. I wrote this review so I haven't been eaten by a pack of coyotes yet. But I hear the Moon Dogs singing around my house often.I enjoy their vocalizations now that I am not scared half to death of them.

Very good book . This was exactyly what I was looking for, since long time.
This is a very well and detailled information concerning the forest monks in Thailand .

This is a decent book that gives an account of a little known (outside of Thailand) Buddhist reform movement that operated in the early 20th century. However, as Thanissaro Bhikkhu points out, it has some major flaws and totally misinterprets the standards of practics among the Thai Forest monks' and their conflicts with the Mahanikai and Bangkok hierarchies:

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