Author Description

Read, listen, and reflect. Typically, we hear stories of a person leaving his colorful life to become a monk. But here, we have the unusual account of a monk who leaves his monastic life to experience the world out there. This venture is unique in the sense that it opens our eyes to the monk's sensitivity to nature and humanity, blending ancient Buddhist wisdom with modern society's way of living. Though the monk embarks on a physical journey, it is essentially the journey of the mind, adapting and changing as life goes. His inspiring journey is narrated as a poem, with each aspect of his life being told as a musical journey. As the monk experiences changes in his life, the style of the poem follows the flow, ranging from clerihew, limericks, roundel, ballad, haiku, sonnet, and open forms. The verses remind us of the things that make us humans, from our fallibility to our willpower to seek for our life's ultimate purpose. Readers will find at least one aspect that is relatable to their own lives.Read, listen, and feel a monk's journey as he experiences the diverse flavors of life such as family, love, labor, prosperity, fame, agonies, and death. The formless foe is the mind,But it can be changed and be made kind,Allow the bliss to flow,And your life will glow.