Customer Reviews

The Wisdom of Solitude: A Zen Retreat in the Woods

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In the spirit of Emerson, the example of Thoreau, Jane Dobisz offers thoroughly remarkable and instructive impressions of a 100 days solo retreat in the Maine woods. The spare quality of her writing is invested with the ineffable substance of experience itself. So much of this writing remains imprinted in my consciousness. From the naive excitement of setting up her tiny cabin for the retreat, to the moments of despair about fatigue, uncertainty, loneliness, hunger, yearning, and fear; from the ecstasy of feeding a bird, splitting a log, taking a bath, wrestling with a chamber pot, to the indelible image that follows a night of rain when the world was "dripping peacefully." Brutally and tenderly honest, I wept as Ms. Dobisz recalled her father's untimely death in Viet Nam when she was a child of six. This infinitely expressive work reveals the human condition as refracted through the lens of Zen meditation, the insights of Jane Dobisz' Zen teacher, and the literature of this ancient and modern spiritual tradition. The "Wisdom of Solitude" gives a new meaning to the genre of inspirational literature.

In this book, Jane invites us to share her compelling journey of courage and contemplation, and ultimately lessons of life along the way. Her story is captivating as she tackles both inner and outer gremlins and emerges with the power of joyfulness and a vision for a better world. Jane's 100 days alone illustrate the potential offerings of the spirit. Her humor and her humanity light up the pages as she humbly chops wood and does her daily practice. A must read for the stressed out and souls on the spiritual and creative journey.

Very easy to understand how this kind of focus and activity can produce happiness and peace, as Jane whittles life down to its barest essentials and puts her obviously keen intellect to work understanding and explaining this experience to her audience. Hard to put down, I could not wait to see what experience or observation she would next describe, beautifully and clearly. I was almost there in that cabin, in the woods, in the cold, in the darkness and also in the light, in the deprivation as well as in the luxury of her weekly bath. Most of all, in the solitude, something many of us wish for more of in today's busy life. The book's format, the spareness of its words, the brevity of its episodes, match well the type of time she spent there. It's a great introduction to Zen as well, understandable to one who is a complete novice. Earthy self-deprecation, mixed with poignant scenes of magnificent nature, all extremely well-written, make reading this book a great occupation for anyone, anytime.

Not many people have actually gone off and done this kind of arduous Zen retreat. What I appreciated most about this account was the author's honesty about what it is like to sit for days on end doing zen meditation. Clearly she has synthesized ancient techniques into her own practice. Excellent quotes at the chapter headings from great masters of days gone by. Poetic and funny at the same time -- this is good "zen" stuff!

A clear, lucid and honest account of what it is like to do serious meditation practice. No bull, no pretense. With no fuss and utter simplicity, Dobisz points directly to the heart of meditation practice. It is going on my very short list (only 4 other titles) of books I recommend to people interested in or just beginning Buddhist meditation practice. But it is also a useful reminder to experienced practitioners of the basic and elemental nature of what we are doing.

In this world of materialism and the quick fix, it is refreshing to read of a young woman who has the courage to seek what matters in life, at some great cost of time and hardship. That she could accomplish this retreat is the most remarkable thing, still to relate it to others in a way that is enjoyable and provides good food for thought for any thinking person is also wonderful. I read many types of books, and can recommend this book as well worth buying and reading, very enjoyable and enlightening at the same time. Well done.

This is the real thing. The book gives you an authentic taste of the life of meditation and the quest for "the one pure and clear thing"--our true self, as the Zen Masters put it. The writer's indomitable spirit shines out, the writing is full of pithy, unexpected insights. Something new is always around the corner. The book doesn't go down easily like chocolate--but it's just like life, really, when we open our eyes. Thank you, Jane, for a great experience.

Maybe you've been in a similar situation:

I was talking with a Zen monk, lamenting how I don't think I'll have enough vacation time from work to participate in an upcoming 7-day retreat. I also said I wasn't sure if I could deal with day after day of formal practices, especially the long sitting meditation. I didn't even know what I'm supposed to get out of such a long period of formal practice. The monk told me there's a Zen Master in our school who recently wrote a good book about her experience with a solo retreat that would probably answer my questions and also alleviate some of my concerns.

I picked up this book and I was immediately relieved that it's not very long - I'm not a fast reader, yet I still finished it in a couple hours. Her style is easy to read and digest, and it's broken into small chapters only a couple pages long. It reads like a journal, and as such, it's all about her thoughts and feelings while experiencing her solo retreat. And while Jane Dobisz is a Zen Master (her Zen name is Bon Yeon), it was incredibly heartening to read that she experiences many of the same seemingly low-class problems (in Zen-speak) that novice practicioners like me have. She comes across as a very "real" person, and her insights are easy to understand and appreciate.

I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who is new to Zen and wants to learn about it - it contains many Zen references and there are other books written specifically for beginners. And I wouldn't recommend this book to someone looking for a "how to" guide for planning a solo retreat - she doesn't discuss all the logistics, options for different ways of doing it, etc. And I don't consider those to be faults - it simply isn't want this book is about.

After I finished reading this, I felt relieved, elated, and best of all - I felt even more motivated to practice! And that's the greatest thing about this book. I sometimes fall into the Zen-sickness of reading a lot about Zen instead of practicing Zen. And by it's nature, Zen cannot be attained by studying alone - there are countless stories of scholarly sutra masters who were humbled by wise practicioners. Usually, reading a book about Zen just makes my mind "sicker", leaving me with even more questions and leading me to check myself and my practice even more than before. But this book - this book made me feel more confident about my practice than ever before.

That's all I can say, and I've probably said too much already. I hope this helps.

The sounds of the woods are varied and natural. The buzz in my head gives way over time to the cold creaking of branches, the soft slumping of snow melting off the roof, the chickadee's song. A silver pail as it hits the water in the well with a metallic splash. The rope on its rusty pulley as I pull it back up. The crunching of snow under my boots as I haul it back to the cabin. ~Jane Dobisz

The thought of escaping to a cabin in the woods has a great deal of appeal, especially if there is a well-stocked refrigerator, plenty of chocolate cupcakes, hot chocolate and of course a hot lover and a hot tub. Let us not even mention the bliss of skiing.

Now, when Jane Dobisz decides to escape to a Zen retreat, chocolate, love and skiing are the last things on her mind. In fact, the only eye contact she makes during this trip is with a mouse, which is quite humorous. Not only does Jane Dobisz decide to leave society for 100 Days, she also decides to follow a traditional monastic schedule of sitting, walking, chanting, bowing and cutting wood. She decides to practice Zen for 18 hours a day.

In the first few pages I laughed more times than I can count. Jane Dobisz alternates between a conversational style, vibrant descriptions, lyrical prose and splashes of humor that catch you unawares. The first few lines of the first chapter captured my interest. Why would a woman want to strand herself in a cabin in New England? Here she has no electricity, phone or car. She must learn to tame the tigers in her mind and deal with her fears (there is no lock on the door), and learn basic survival skills. She throws herself into her own experiment like a true mystery seeker.

Through isolation, the author learns to not only deal with her loneliness, she finds her inner Henry David Thoreau. The part of herself that longs for simplicity and a clarity obtained from wandering in nature. She shows courage in trying again when things don't work out the first time, she finds beauty in the smallest of pleasures and indulges in rituals like bathing and meditation. This is really a book about experience and is not so much a book of "how-to instructions for a retreat" as it is an explanation and poetic description of Jane Dobisz's experiences.

At times the author struggles with the dicipline of mantras as her mind drifts off to visions of pumpkin pie. She at times desires nothing else than to escape back to her home and familiar environment.

Questions not answered by this book include:

How did her family cope with her 100 Day retreat?
How did she find time to cook on such a rigorous schedule?
The exact way to "bow" and "sit." Details are not given for the monastic schedule and
I think a class in meditation and yoga is probably in order if you are considering your own retreat.

Jane Dobisz is the guiding teacher of the Cambridge Zen Center in Massachusetts and is also the editor of The Whole World is a Single Flower by Seung Sahn.

For some reason, I thought this while reading this book: One of the greatest ways to love a person may be to encourage their highest good. Jane Dobisz's friends and family seem to encourage her higher good by encouraging her to develop her spiritual side and they give her the gift of an adventure by dropping her off in the woods and then returning to find out if she is still alive. She does not communicate with anyone during this time, although she could have walked to a nearby phone.

I read this book early in the morning and felt a deep connection with the author when suddenly, my husband opened the front door when I was reading: "As I open the door to the porch, my heart stops." A fresh burst of cold morning air rushed down the hallways and I suddenly understood why she said: "Why not let that kind of joy into all the little things, like smelling the air...washing the dishes....Isn't that what our whole life is? Joy comes from appreciation."

You may find yourself writing poems while reading this book, planning for a winter vacation or simply have the desire to read a number of the books mentioned throughout this heart-warming read. Perfect for reading in the morning, especially in the Fall with a window open.

~The Rebecca Review

While I cannot practically take long stretches of time off for spiritual growth (yet) nor study with a Zen master, I can carefully contemplate Jane's experience and vicariously enjoy and learn from Jane's discipline, insight, and perceived weaknesses. Her voice, always authentic and clear, is a welcome change from the emphasis on appearance and persuasion that is common in ordinary life. Her story motivated me to someday attemt a similar journey of spiritual discovery.