Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind: The Life and Letters of an Irish Zen Saint

by Maura O’Halloran

This month we will be reading Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind: The Life and Letters of an Irish Zen Saint by Maura O’Halloran. This book is a compilation of journal entries and letters home of a 24-year old girl from Boston, Massachusetts, who left her waitressing job in 1979 and moved to Japan to study Zen. She received her formal Zen training at a remote temple in Northern Japan and became a Zen master in an uncommonly brief amount of time. In her own words Maura describes the challenges of rituals and trainings, as well as profound joy that she had experienced as a result.

This book had become one of the most cherished Buddhist books of all time. Here is one testimonial from the Buddhist chaplain at Yale University Sumi Loundon: “Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned about Buddhism haven’t come from the Dalai Lama or Thich Nhat Hanh. Rather, they came from Maura O’Halloran. [Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind] brought the Buddhist experience into my mind and psyche in a way that no dharma book or doctrine ever had…. For me, Maura’s book is a gift, offering guidance and inspiration. Reading about her life, I’m able to reflect more clearly on my own experience, and to glimpse what I do not yet know or understand. While other books have helped me to appreciate the concept of enlightenment, reading Maura’s account of her awakening made the possibility of it much more real.”

I think that this lovely, lyrical, inspiring book is perfect for summer reading. I hope you enjoy it!