The First Free Women: Original Poems Inspired by the Early Buddhist Nuns

Product Description
An Ancient Collection Reimagined
Composed around the Buddha’s lifetime, the original
Therigatha (“Verses of the Elder Nuns”) contains the poems of the first Buddhist women: princesses and courtesans, tired wives of arranged marriages and the desperately in love, those born into limitless wealth and those born with nothing at all. The authors of the
Therigatha were women from every kind of background, but they all shared a deep-seated desire for awakening and liberation.
In
The First Free Women, Matty Weingast has reimagined this ancient collection and created an original work that takes his experience of the essence of each poem and brings forth in his own words the struggles and doubts, as well as the strength, perseverance, and profound compassion, embodied by these courageous women.
Review
“Like opening a window and letting a clean, fresh wind blow through my being.”—Joanna Macy
“In wholehearted and vibrant language, the teachings of these liberated women are transmitted across centuries, allowing us to sense fully the freedom and joy inherent in their ancient experiences.”—Sebene Selassie, author of
You Belong: A Call for Connection
“These reflections have the power to touch the hearts of all who read them.”
—Sharon Salzberg, author of
Lovingkindness and
Real
Happiness
“Curl up with a cup of tea and let these poems speak to your heart. Then let your heart follow the path to freedom.”—Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, author of
Buddhism for Beginners and founder of Sravasti Abbey
“These evocative poems by Matty Weingast, in modern idiom and inspired by the enlightenment songs of the early Buddhist nuns, are a wonderful reminder that the liberated heart is possible for us all.”—Joseph Goldstein, author of
Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening
“These are fresh, powerful, poetic translations that bring our ancient wise women to life. Let their beautiful songs of freedom inspire your own heart.”—Jack Kornfield, author of
A Path with Heart
“Here we meet an elegantly crafted version of contemporary poems inspired by the
Therigatha verses of the Buddha’s first female enlightened disciples. Weingast’s gift of devotion lets us pause to contemplate his interpretation of the clear bell rung by our ancestor Bhikkhunis.”—Thanissara, author of
Time to Stand Up: An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth
“Warmhearted, authentic, uplifting, and moving. This gem of a book deeply affirms why and how we keep practicing through periods of darkness and light. Weingast was so inspired by these poems that he freely rendered them in English from the original Pali with wisdom, love, and poetic intelligence based on years of practice and insight.”—Nirbhay N. Singh, editor of the journal
Mindfulness
“This collection of poems shifts our perspective and opens doors where before there were only walls. The metaphors are simple—a bowl, falling snow, a warm blanket, a knock at the door—and the unfoldings inside us profound. Though the voices are distinctly female, the revelations, inspirations, and encouragements are wholly human. This is a book to share. As one poem suggests, some rivers we must cross together.”—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, author of
Naked for Tea,
Even Now, and
The Miracle Already Happening
“An amazing rebirth of the
Therigatha—deeply rooted in ancient times, yet also refreshing and meaningful to contemporary hearts. A new way of looking again.”—Bhikkhuni Santacitta, cofounder of Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery, California
“The voices of the first bhikkhunis in this contemporary rendering based on the
Therigatha are vulnerable, tenacious, and ardent. Through the poems the women are felt and alive; they viscerally impact me. Because of the recent revival of full ordination for women, there are not yet many elders within modern burgeoning bhikkhuni communities. The intimacy, intensity, and insightfulness of these voices help to fill the gap.”—Bhikkhuni Ahimsa
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