At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Paperback)

~ Claude Anshin Thomas (Author)
Key Phrases: mendicant monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, Plum Village, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Thomas's presentation of this difficult experience is searingly honest."—Shambhala Sun

"This gripping spiritual memoir bears witness to the transforming meditation and mindfulness in the life of a Vietnam Veteran."—Spirituality and Health

"Let me start by simply recommending that you buy, read, and think about Claude Anshin Thomas's book, At Hell's Gate. It was a long time coming but worth the wait, especially in this time of war and rampant violence."—Turning Wheel

"What gives Thomas's perspective so much weight is that it carries the rare and undeniable authority of one who has seen firsthand the extremes of both good and evil that lie in the human soul."—What Is Enlightenment?



"This is a book of great power. Thomas's story has the power to heal, to inspire, to teach."—John Laurence, former CBS News correspondent and author of The Cat from Hué: A Vietnam War Story "A powerful, wise, and genuinely profound spiritual odyssey from the insanity of violence (in the world, within ourselves, and in the assumptions of American culture) to the peace and compassion of mindfulness practice. Thomas beautifully models Zen teachings in his daily life, and by doing so he enlightens and liberates us all."—Charles Johnson, winner of the National Book Award for Middle Passage "Claude Anshin Thomas has been an inspiration to me. Our world urgently needs to listen to him tell of his life in war and then in peace."—Maxine Hong Kingston, author of The Woman Warrior "In these strange times, when fear and aggression often seem to be the only responses we can imagine to a perceived threat, this powerful book provides an honest, open-hearted, and very moving testimony to the power of Buddhist practice to break this cycle. Thomas is a hero in the truest sense of the word: having undergone an epic trial, he has generously come back to help others in need."—George Saunders, author of Pastoralia and CivilWarLand in Bad Decline



"Thomas's journey from the killing fields of Vietnam to the path of peace and pilgrimage testifies to his—and our—powerful urge to awaken. At the same time, this is not a pretty story. Anshin Thomas has lived in hell, knows its smell and taste, and continues to confront it every day of his life. Yet he remains undeterred in his work to make peace in himself and the world at large."—Bernie Glassman, author of Instructions to the Cook and Bearing Witness

Product Description

In this raw and moving memoir, Claude Thomas describes his service in Vietnam, his subsequent emotional collapse, and his remarkable journey toward healing. At Hell's Gate is not only a gripping coming-of-age story but a spiritual travelogue from the horrors of combat to the discovery of inner peace—a journey that inspired Thomas to become a Zen monk and peace activist who travels to war-scarred regions around the world. "Everyone has their Vietnam," Thomas writes. "Everyone has their own experience of violence, calamity, or trauma." With simplicity and power, this book offers timeless teachings on how we can all find healing, and it presents practical guidance on how mindfulness and compassion can transform our lives. This expanded paperback edition features: Discussion questions for reading groups A new afterword by the author reflecting on how the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are affecting soldiers—and offering advice on how to help returning soldiers to cope with their combat experiences

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (January 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590302710
• ISBN-13: 978-1590302712
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,650 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #34 in	Books > History > Military > Vietnam War
  #46 in	Books > History > Asia > Vietnam

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read in this day and age of conflict and war, February 16, 2006

By	always an admirer (Asheville, NC) - See all my reviews

If you're a veteran of any war, and everyone is whether they participated or not, this is a most important book. It gives clear and concise answers if we are going to change what we're doing to this planet and each other. As a Viet Nam veteran, this book speaks to me on every level, and says so articulately what I have felt for over 30 years. Gassho, Claude Anshin Thomas

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What did your face look like before you were born?, February 6, 2008

By	Kerry Walters (Lewisburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Claude Thomas's At Hell's Gate is the story of a terribly wounded individual (bad childhood, PTSD, alcohol and drug addictions, intimacy problems) trying to find healing for himself. His analysis of his own ill-being, to use a phrase favored by Thomas' mentor, Thich Nhat Hanh, is not only a gripping story. It's also valuable to the rest of us who, like Thomas, are likewise wounded.

Thomas' journey to healing is based on Nhat Hanh's "engaged Buddhism" model. The basic principles of engaged Buddhism are that (1) violence is caused by suffering; (2) suffering is caused by unacknowledged and unhealed interior wounds whose destructive energy manipulates us; (3) mindfulness to those wounds and the way they enslave us is essential to both personal and social liberation from violence; (4) reality is best described in terms of "interbeing," unbreakable connectedness, so that my actions or lack of actions necessarily affect everything; (5) and therefore my own healing contributes to the healing of the world.

Thomas' own breakthrough was attending a weeklong retreat conducted by Nhat Hanh. Since then, Thomas has been ordained a mendicant monk in the Soto Zen tradition, makes regular walking peace pilgrimages across the U.S. and other parts of the world, and regularly ministers to street people and veterans.

This book is well worth reading, especially for someone who has no acquaintance with Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings. The book is sometimes repetitious, although I can't quite figure out if this is deliberate of unintentional on Thomas' part. Moreover, one occasionally senses that Thomas' is still so wrestling with his own demons that his focus is more self- than other-directed.

Still, these are minor caveats, and Thomas' book stands as an eloquent and insightful testament to the deep human yearning for a return to innocence, to healing, to wholeness. As a Zen koan asks, "What did your face look like before you were born?" At the least, it was without wounds.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding the nature of war, July 15, 2007

By	David Reid (Earth) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I first read about Claude Thomas on the internet a few years ago. I found his story so strong and powerful. I was glad to finally be able to read this book. This is a very powerful story about the power to heal and transform.

Thomas's experience is proof that even people who have endured the most horrific experiences can come to peace. He is so honest about the horrific experiences in the Vietnam War, his substance abuse and other problems in his life. Through his journey he has learnt how to live with these wounds.

He writes:

"...suffering is not our enemy. It is only through a relationship with my pain, my sadness, that I can reach the other side, that I can truly know and touch the opposite, which is my pleasure, my joy, and my happiness. "

I greatly admire the path that Thomas has walked. He has truly embraced the spirit of Buddhism and the meaning of being a monk, going forth into homelessness. He studied first with Thich Nhat Hanh and then with Roshi Bernie Glassman. The pilgrimages and street retreats that Thomas has done, to me represent one of the finest expressions of engaged Buddhism.

I highly recommend this book as a spiritual biography and a guide to Buddhist practice.