The Messy Buddha: Dancing on the Soul's Growing Edge

By Kate McLennan

Have you ever wondered why bad things happen in your life when you know you are doing all the right things? Is illness merely a wake up call or is there a deeper spiritual meaning? What propels you to your soul's growing edge? To be a buddha means to be awake while living the questions. The Messy Buddha spotlights Kate McLennan's journey to awaken and find meaning while dancing on her soul's growing edge through cancer, chronic illness, and the path of relationship. Weaving stories of her "earth suit" adventures with tools to grow spiritually, The Messy Buddha guides you to search for meaning in all of life's messiness. Imagine Anne Lamott's gritty gospel grandeur tangling with Natalie Goldberg's zafu-riding zen zestiness. Awaken with The Messy Buddha, and find balance on your soul's growing edge.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1432735500
• ISBN13: 9781432735500
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Outskirts Press
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A strong and recommended pick for anyone who struggles to fit time for their spirit into their lives

Even when life is hectic, one can find peace and meaning. "The Messy Buddha: Dancing on the Soul's Growing Edge" is a guide to finding serenity in a life that doesn't allow it. With tips on finding the time to meditate and the benefits of meditation in life, advice for embracing creativity, and thoughts on finding one's place in the world of spirituality, author Kate McLennan proves a solid spiritual teacher. "The Messy Buddha" is a strong and recommended pick for anyone who struggles to fit time for their spirit into their lives.

"Our Soul Purpose Is Love"

Who would have thought that a book written by a person suffering through cancer, chemotherapy, and chronic illness could be filled with such hope, joy and affirmation of life. Well that's just what you'll find in the personal, uplifting biography `The Messy Buddha' by Kate McLennan, D. Min. Kate's flowing poetic writing style complimented with a warm, loving ability to share her most inner thoughts and feelings with the reader is captivating and will carry her audience blissfully through her heartfelt journey from beginning to end. As an interfaith minister, dharma teacher and performing artist she explores our spiritual underpinnings, from a Buddhist perspective, as they unfold across the biggest stage of all. Yes for Kate "all the world is a stage", a stage upon which we dance and sing and live until the curtain falls and only quiet contentment remains. `The Messy Buddha' carries on the tradition of such classic life affirming books as `The Only Dance There Is" ('74) by Ram Dass and Mathew Fox's `On Becoming A Musical, Mystical: Spirituality American Style' ('72), now titled `Prayer: A Radical Response To Life'. Learn to appreciate a world filled with beauty and breathtaking wonder hiding behind all the messiness and ambiguity seeking to distract us from our Divine Source. See through the eyes of a true spiritual warrior. Kate McLennan has lived it, correction is living it and her life is truly a magnificent piece of performance art we should all embrace.

Awesome

The Messy Buddha by Kate McLennan, D.Min. A review by Louise Warren, MSSW There are very few books I re-read. I think the last one was Gone with the Wind. This is a book I have already re-read, and I know I will go back to it often. Kate's passion for life, when letting go might have seemed easier at times, simply jumps off the pages. The range and depth of Kate's spiritual knowledge is astounding, and the ease with which she discusses the many concepts makes this information very accessible to the eager, but spiritually naïve, seeker. Kate states "I'm not sure how I turned about face to trust what I knew about life - that adversity is sometimes the compost for growing the soul" (pg 52). These are very important words for any who've come face to face with significant adversity. To be able to trust - when all physical evidence points to the contrary, when the world seems hostile, when people vanish during times of need - trust is not for sissies. Trusting - a simple, self-effacing word - and one of the very hardest lessons to incorporate. Trusting in the love and compassion in the Creator - Kate shows us both the simple truth and the hard work of achieving this state of grace. Kate discusses the movie Bruce Almighty, one I've seen several times. She shares one of her thoughts in response to the storyline: "What a great reminder of how frequently we pray for something, and how infrequently we listen for guidance" (pg 144). Kate's listened for guidance, received it, and now shares it. Read this book. Risk dancing on the precipice.

The Messy Buddha

In this first book, Rev. McClennan combines poetic inspiration with personal stories, quotes from great spiritual leaders on timeworn life lessons, and practical guidelines for being in contemplative spirit concurrently with trudging through the often mundane and "messy" experience of everyday life. I carried the volume with me throughout a very stressful two weeks, reading and rereading it as I sat in various waiting rooms....waiting to hear about the health of my car, a victim of "dirty gas," waiting to hear about the health of my blood, the victim of both anemia and a clotting disorder, and waiting to hear about the health of my finances as I face bankruptcy. The more I waited and read, the more I felt a shift from victimhood to survivorship. Rev. McClennan has a delicious, self-deprecating sense of humor regarding her own ragged journey through severe, life-threatening illness. In addition, she discloses judiciously about family problems, religious and social alienation, and healing in the face of death and rejection. This book has, among other things, allowed me a gentle passage back to my essential self.

The Messy Buddha

The Messy Buddha was a book I could not put it down - it inspired me to do one small creative thing. And lo and behold the inner voice that has been nagging me for years - took a break. Reading about your journey in this book gave me inspiration - the same inspiration I had when I read Marianne Williamson's A Woman's Worth. It also gave me a map. Thank you.