Transcendence can come in many forms. For Mary Rose O’Reilley a year tending sheep seemed a way to seek a spirituality based not on “climbing out of the body” but rather on existing fully in the world, at least if she could overlook some of its earthier aspects.
"Deciding that her life was insufficiently grounded in real-world experience, Mary Rose O’Reilley, a Quaker reared as a Catholic, embarked on a year of tending sheep. In this decidedly down-to-earth, often-hilarious book, O’Reilley describes her work in an agricultural barn and her extended visit to a Buddhist monastery in France, where she studied with Thich Nhat Hanh. She seeks, in both barn and monastery, a spirituality based not in “climbing out of the body” but rather in existing fully in the world.”—Publishers Weekly
Mary Rose O'Reilley is an American poet, novelist and writer of non-fiction.
From the Archives: This live interview was recorded on October 29, 2001 on the nationally syndicated radio program, hosted by Laura Lee (The Laura Lee Show) . See more at www.lauralee.com
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