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I Give You My Life by Khema, Ayya (2000) Paperback Paperback – January 1, 1722

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

You can imagine how their eyes grow round when Ayya Khema's students are treated to tidbits of her life. "There was that time with the anaconda in Brazil.... We crashed on a cliffside Himalayan road on our way to meet the mir of Hunza.... Torched by rebels, and I had to decide what to do with my nuns on our island..." Of course, her students badger her to write a book. The Jewish/German refugee, California housewife, Australian farmer, global nomad, and Buddhist nun comes through with a quiet, methodical story, that, if written in any other way, would seem more hyperbole than biography. At the age of 55, when most people are mulling how many tulip bulbs to plant for next spring, Ayya Khema took Buddhist vows. She then established three monasteries, arranged Buddhist women's conferences, and gave teachings on a lost meditation technique at venues around the world. And that's only the second half of the book. With 25 titles to her credit and an established reputation, Ayya Khema hardly needed more publicity. Fortunately, she gave in to her students' goading, offering not only a fast-paced story but a model of freedom, energy, and accomplishment. --Brian Bruya
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00ZLWXDJM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shambhala (January 1, 1722)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

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Ayya Khema
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4.5 out of 5 stars
40 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2024
    Really touched me.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2018
    Really enjoyed the book about a true meditator
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2018
    Wow! What an inspiration?
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2021
    Shallow
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2016
    All the above have turned out well. My husband likes the Depend products.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2015
    I purchased this book just over the past weekend in order to read on a cross country flight. The compelling details of Ayya Khema's early life set the stage for her later development into one of the west's wisest and most influential Buddhist teachers. This book reads easily in that the factual details of her life are laid out in quite straightforward fashion, but the details themselves are so unusual, so compelling, that even with her conversational style of writing the narrative is thick with deep, brilliant, and sometimes dark colors.

    Some may see her life as that of a survivor, and certainly she survived traumas that many would have folded under. Yet, more than survival, she speaks to a journey of inquiry and a passion for pushing the limits of human adventure and existence that lead her to pursue what was, to her, the most meaningful path she could pursue: that of a Theravada nun (Bhikkhuni) and teacher.

    This is a book for Theravada practitioners and for Buddhists seeking to understand the path of one of the west's most compelling teachers. Yet, I plan to send this copy to my daughter at college to read..for this book is the narrative of a woman who courageously "leaned in" before the term was made popular, and despite her curious adventures through countries, marriages and lay family life, later left a legacy as a teacher with but a few equals in the west.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2007
    I have read all of Ayya Khemas other books and many of her Dhamma talks on Buddhanet.net but this book is written from the heart of Ayya Khema descibing her and her family's incredible journey from Nazi Germany to Shanghai, to US then to South America and finally her journey to the far east and back to Germany where she established Buddha Haus. This is such a well written book that I simply could not put it down and felt her genuine sense wanting to give us her life on every page. I felt connected to sister Khema from the first to last page. I highly recommend it. Floyd in Idaho
    12 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2005
    Ilse Kussel's, life covers over half of this autobiographical book, the remainder is the life of Ayya Khema; both lives are well worth reading.

    The 'death' of Ilse (and the birth of Ayya Khema and the love for the children) is connected with letting go of her two children. She writes beautifully:

    "My love for them did not depend on their being alive; on their living the way I wanted them to; on from their side, feeling connected to me, on their being grateful to me, or on their being 'well-behaved'. All that no longer mattered."

    This for me is the highlight in the book; what follows in the life of Ayya with her teaching and with the establishment of various monasteries and centres was made possible by this kind of detatchment.
    6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Pauline K Leong
    5.0 out of 5 stars An execellent book
    Reviewed in Canada on May 23, 2017
    I am truly inspired by her writing about her extraordinary life and her hard work to spread the teachings of the Buddha globally. The book is filled with insights and wisdom. I feel her spiritual drive and generosity to share her experiences with anyone who ones to listen and practice the dharma.
  • adele redfern
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2015
    Love, love, love it. This woman was amazing and she leaves me stunned by her life and how she has managed it. She writes simply and clearly and I found very engaging and was drawn into her life so much that I couldn't put it down. She includes some Buddhist teachings but nothing is heavy or pushed down your throat so I think that even non Buddhists would enjoy this book.
  • Rob Hearne
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and fruitful life of a Buddhist nun.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2018
    An interesting read. I liked her emphasis on the practice of jhana in meditation... although such states are not easy to achieve!
  • jasonhu
    5.0 out of 5 stars The book is very helpful for anyone to persue spirital improvement
    Reviewed in Canada on January 3, 2014
    I found the book informative with the author's own cultivation quest and path, which can help others to understand better how to start on spiritual development.
  • owl
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2016
    Fascinating