This Side of Nirvana: Memoirs of a Spiritually Challenged Buddhist

Here are 5 reasons to read this book: 1. You love intimate personal memoirs. 2. You are fascinated by other peoples experiences on the spiritual path. 3. You wonder what it's like going on a meditation retreat. 4. You wonder if you could follow a spiritual path. 5. You love good writing in personal narrative. Of course there are more. I read this book when it was first published. Its wonderful story and intense open heartedness made it stand out in my mind ever since. I re-read it about six months ago after gaining additional insight into the author's experiences. The beauty of this work only intensified. We are all spiritual seekers--one way or another. I recommend this book to everyone who has any inkling they are on the path.

I read this book while on vacation at the beach. I usually like to read books that are page turners while vacationing and this book was that...and so much more. Sara has an uncanny ability to recall minute shifts in consciousness that are hard to put into words to begin with, let alone 15 years after the fact. For me, this book ranks up there with the likes of "The Teachings of Don Juan" in its tale of one woman's path from vague, cosmic discontent to a clear look at the patterns that have caused human beings to suffer for thousands of years. Her account of finding her teacher in Cheri Huber, a female, western Zen teacher, are marvelous, scary, tender and funny...everything a Zen teacher should be. Sara makes discovery of self (or should I say "no-self") not only seem possible but actually the most important thing we could ever do for ourselves, our families and the world.

Sara Jenkins freely reveals herself as she travels her road of spiritual growth. She lets us see the joy of the journey rather than a constant focus on the destination. You don't have to practice meditation or be a Buddhist to love this book although it may inspire you to do either. This is a book for those of us who, regardless of our chosen path, are open to spiritual discovery, and I highly recommend it.

I was delighted and engaged by this "meditation memoir" from start to finish. The author's style is lucid, lyrical, humerous, and at times very beauriful as she confesses the true life -- the progressions, regressions, and digressions -- of a meditator who longs for the spiritual life. There is a wonderful tension throughout the book, so that I wanted to keep reading and following Sara's adventures (from India to Tennessee and more), and didn't want the account to end! It has great intimacy as well as universality, so that, by the end, I felt I knew the author like a close friend and compatriot. This is a good book to read after you've read all the meditation masters, the meditative high-flyers -- then read this, breathe a sigh of relief, and know that "This is how the spiritual life REALLY is" for most of us here on earth. I loved it!

This is a well told insightful story of one woman's path with all of its human peaks and valleys. As Ms. Jenkins tells her story the reader becomes more aware of Buddhism and its beliefs. Her story is humorous, sad, inspiring and I found myself identifying with many of her struggles. Great reading and hard to put down. After reading this book I sent my copy to a friend. A good book is meant to be shared.