Product Description

Buddhist initiations, mystical desert experiences and past life revelations, combined with ancient Tibetan meditation techniques, defined Zoe Ann Nicholson’s life for eleven years. Walking in the door in 1982 as a political feminist, demanding liberation for women, Zoe meets an American meditation master who turns her world upside down.

Intimately written, Zoe's brilliant story-telling invites us inside of a controversial private Buddhist community where students learn to integrate the practicalities of modern Western life with the Eastern discipline of self-discovery in search of Enlightenment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2400061 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
ZOE ANN NICHOLSON holds a BA in Theology, Quincy University and a MA in Religion USC. She is the author of Matri, Letters from the Mother.

Customer Reviews

What life was like inside a private Buddhist community
The Passionate Heart is the spiritual revelation and memoir of author Zoe Ann Nicholson, whose lifetime of political feminism and activism was incorporated the transformation and elevation of learning ancient Tibetan meditation techniques. Revealing what life was like inside a private Buddhist community where students were taught to integrate Western practicalities with Eastern self-discovery paths to enlightenment, The Passionate Heart is a moving, dynamic, and true story of dedication, study, exploration and spiritual growth.

Praise for A Passionate Heart
A Passionate Heart is a loving, insightful and thought-provoking look into the spiritual, political and personal life of a student and her interactions with her teacher. I wasn't able to put it down until I read the last page. It left me waiting in anticipation for a sequel. Zoe's insight into the world of spirituality as it relates to women, meditation, and the evolution of a community based on the enlightenment of women are thought provoking, funny and sincere. I highy recommend this book to women and men who are attempting to traverse the razor's edge of spiritual practice in the world today.

Finding Enlightenment in Life Itself
Passionate Heart is a remarkable story of one woman's search for transformation, personal growth, and enlightenment. She finds it in the most unlikely of places, simply life itself. Passionate Heart teaches how the acceptance of new life experiences is the key to finding happiness and learning to enjoy life in the current moment.

I have read many books over the years on the subject of personal growth and transformation. Some books tell a story about a student's magical journey of personal growth through interactions with a teacher that the reader could never expect to experience. Others simply tell a story about a single transformational experience that appears uncommon and unlikely for most. Passionate Heart is different. The story itself is a lesson. Passionate Heart is the teacher and the reader is the student. The reader is taught how to take the magical journey of life and use it to experience personal transformations - not just once, but over and over.

Even though the lessons of Passionate Heart apply to men and women alike, it is particularly empowering for women. It is simply a must read for women of all ages.