a contemporary path of awakening
weaving masculine and feminine, secular and sacred, walking together through the heart of the world
Like all true spiritual teachings, Buddhism offers a radical reorientation: from me to we; from fracture to unity; and from fear to love. But too often traditional Buddhist teachings are entrenched in structures of patriarchy and power that deny our innate connection, wholeness and beauty. We need new ways of seeing, new ways of being, and new ways to meet the challenges of our time—climate change, entrenched systems of racism, misogyny and oppression, and the longing for meaningful engagement … more about Pamela
Available June 9, 2020!
A BIGGER SKY
awakening a fierce feminine buddhism
Reimagining Buddhism though a feminine lens: a powerful memoir of healing, strength and spiritual awakening.
A Bigger Sky explores what it means to ll the gaps of a Buddhism created by and for men, to navigate the seemingly contradictory domains of secular and spiritual life, and to walk a path through the heart of the world. Pamela Weiss shares a personal spiritual journey that speaks to the bits of brokenness in us all, and shines a light on pathways we can walk to become whole. … more about A Bigger Sky
“Employing a treasure-trove of stories, dreams and myths, Pamela Weiss helps us to imagine what a “bigger sky,” no-part-left-out, fierce feminine Buddhism might actually feel like. This is a deeply soulful, engaging and ultimately joyous book. I read it in one sitting and put it down with a broad smile.
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“With ruthless honesty, Pamela Weiss leads us through her life’s journey – as a child with chronic illness, a devoted young Zen monk, a loving wife, a successful business woman, and always a deeply human being. Her yearning to awaken never leaves her, and with fierce persistence and love she transforms the obstacles on her path into the path itself. There are deep teachings in here – dive in.
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“Straddling the “quiet depths of Zen” and the “dynamism of corporate America,” suddenly thrown into the crucible of her husband’s devastating accident and many months of constant caregiving, Pamela Weiss undergoes a mysterious transformation into wholeness. A Bigger Sky takes the reader on a profound, groundbreaking, and totally engaging journey of awakening and healing. Bringing into vivid everyday life the model of the bodhisattva, she teaches us that nothing is outside of our spiritual practice and lays out the secret of how alchemy happens and true transformation takes root. She reveals a path of profound surrender, embodiment, and engagement with the world. In a time torn apart by patriarchal psychopathy, this book is a lion’s roar to bring us back to our senses. Throw open the windows. Step into your life.
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As a little girl, I had a keen curiosity and a deep yearning to explore the edges of the known. I also loved putting on my mom’s cast off dresses and high heels and belting out show tunes with a hairbrush-microphone in hand.
When I was ten, I was diagnosed with diabetes. Living with a chronic illness forced me into the nitty-gritty: counting grams of carbohydrates; titrating insulin syringes; carrying lifesavers in my pocket in case my blood sugar dropped. My body became a battlefield, with clear lines drawn between me and it.
In 1987, I knocked on the door of San Francisco Zen Center to learn meditation. I was greeted by a bald man in a long black gown. Although I found the place odd, I was moved by the simple honesty, presence and kindness of the people there. “Whatever it is they’ve got, that’s what I want,” I remember thinking.
So I quit my job and lived for five years at Green Gulch Farm and Tassajara, sitting many (many) long hours in meditation, dicing vegetables, pulling weeds and scrubbing toilets. During that time, I received lay ordination and took Bodhisattva vows. A Bodhisattva is someone dedicated to waking up for the benefit of all beings. Bodhisattvas understand that we are part of an intimate web of inter-being; that no one of us can be free unless all of us are free; that our well-being as humans is intricately tied to the health and well-being of the planet.
When I left Zen Center, I carried my vows with me into the world, where they have permeated and informed everything I do. I’ve done my best to articulate the heart of the Bodhisattva spirit in accessible, down-to-earth language, and to offer clear principles and practices that address the pressing issues and of our time.
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Over the years, this expression has unfolded in a variety of forms:
I spent a decade on the faculty of New Ventures West, training dozens of professional coaches.
I created the Personal Excellence Program (PEP), an award-winning mindfulness-based group coaching program which has rolled out to over 3,000 people at organizations including: Genentech, Roche, Salesforce and Pixar.
I completed 5 years of teacher training with Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock Meditation Centerwhere I now sit on the Teacher’s Council, lead meditation retreats, and co-lead the Community Dharma Leader Program.In 2016,
I received Dharma Transmission from Teah Strozer at the Brooklyn Zen Center.For the past fifteen years I’ve been a member of two amazing circles of women engaged in intimate, courageous dialogue about race and racism.
Three years ago, I rescued and fell in love with my little dog, Grover. (And as anyone who has ever had a dog knows: really, he rescued me.)
Like all true spiritual teachings, Buddhism offers a radical shift: from me to we, fracture to unity, and fear to love. But like most institutionalized religions, Buddhism developed under systems of hierarchy, patriarchy, and power that have become interwoven into its structure. Written by the first layperson to receive full Dharma Transmission in the Suzuki Roshi Soto Zen lineage, A Bigger Sky explores what it means to fill the gaps of a Buddhism created by and for men, to navigate the seemingly contradictory domains of secular and spiritual life, and to walk a path through the heart of the world. Reorienting Buddhist practice through a wider, more inclusive feminine lens, Pamela Weiss’s personal and spiritual journey speaks to the bits of brokenness in us all, shining a light on the different pathways we can walk to become whole. Blending memoir, Buddhist practice, and cultural observation, Weiss explores the illness that led her to seek healing and brought her to Buddhism; life at Tassajara Zen Mountain monastery; feelings of helplessness amidst the legacy of intergenerational trauma; her husband's near-fatal accident; her work translating mindfulness and Buddhist principles to a broad lay audience; and stories of Buddhist women, past and present.
Through beautifully crafted prose, Weiss shares what it means to be an ordinary Bodhisattva—describing how the Buddha’s profound vision of freedom can be lived outside of institutions and rule-bound practice, and supporting us in deepening our connection—with ourselves, each other and the planet. A Bigger Sky illuminates how integrating a more feminine approach to Buddhist teachings can be applied in spiritual practice, in community, in relationships, and in day-to-day life.
A Bigger Sky explores what it means to ll the gaps of a Buddhism created by and for men, to navigate the seemingly contradictory domains of secular and spiritual life, and to walk a path through the heart of the world. Pamela Weiss shares a personal spiritual journey that speaks to the bits of brokenness in us all, and shines a light on pathways we can walk to become whole.