One Blade of Grass cover art

One Blade of Grass

A Zen Memoir

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One Blade of Grass

By: Henry Shukman
Narrated by: Henry Shukman
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About this listen

A memoir of author and poet Henry Shukman's lifelong journey through Zen Buddhism and the experiences in his life - both positive and painful - that fuelled his quest.

One Blade of Grass is award-winning novelist and poet Henry Shukman's account of his journey through the world of Zen Buddhism.

Raised in a rationalist household in Oxford during the spiritual heyday of the '60s and '70s, an unexpected spiritual awakening would prompt a lifelong quest to integrate the experience into his life, leading him eventually to Zen Buddhism. As Shukman gets to grips with meditative practice and struggles with anxiety, depression and the chronic eczema he had had since childhood, he discovers in surprising ways the emotional, spiritual and even physical healing that he has been searching for all along.

By turns humorous and moving, this beautifully written memoir demystifies Zen training, casting its profound insights in simple, lucid language, and takes the listener on a journey of their own, into the hidden treasures of life that contemplative practice can reveal to any of us.

©2021 Henry Shukman (P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Buddhism Spirituality Memoir Meditation

Critic Reviews

"Captivating." (Times Literary Supplement)

"The book Shukman was born to write." (Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones)

"A wonderful and generous book." (David Hinton, author of The Wilds of Poetry)

All stars
Most relevant  
It deeply touched me. Thank you for writing this journey so we might know not to be afraid of entering the Great Mystery

Henry’s Presence and Essence Love

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Highly recommended, insightful and inspiring book. Really engaging and interesting, it shares an intimate and heart-felt story.

Wonderful book

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