Journey in Search of the Way

Sallie B. King heads the Department of Philosophy and Religion at James Madison University. She has been the recipient of several honors and awards, including a professional scholarship from the Japan Foundation and a summer stipend from the National Endowment for the Humanities. She has published many articles and is the author of Buddha Nature, also published by SUNY Press.

• Preface Acknowledgments Part One: The Spiritual Autobiography of Satomi Myodo 1 Moral Education 2 Sincerity 3 My Strange Mental Condition 4 I Lose My Baby 5 Complete Nervous Breakdown 6 Kageki Actress 7 I Find a Teacher 8 Leaving Ryo-chan 9 A Fool's Freedom 10 Shinto Shamaness 11 Possessed by Spirits 12 Return to My Village 13 A Heart Full of Longing 14 Knocking at the Gates of Zen 15 Sick of Chasing Satori 16 "I Can't Die Before Making You Buddhas!" 17 Dharma Friend 18 Two Cracks in the Rice Paper 19 Knocking Over Flagpoles 20 Joy Epilogue Notes for Part One Part Two: Commentary by Sallie B. King The World of Satomi-san Religion in the Prewar Era Kami, Buddha, Bodhisattva Makoto and Kokoro Purification Women in Japanese Religion Encounters with Spirits Mysteries and Marvels The New Religions Pure Land Buddhism Zen Buddhism Notes for Part Two Bibliography

"…Journey has stayed with me for the unselfconscious cheer with which Myōdō recounts her misery … As Myōdō tells it, frustration and misery are not the final word, but are part of a wholly ordinary, if dramatic, confusion, from which one may emerge. Her voice is quite a tonic for these times." — Theo Davis, Public Books"The second half of the book is devoted to a commentary by Sallie King relating the autobiography to various aspects of Japanese history and religion. The topics are well chosen and will be especially helpful for readers with little or no background in Japanese religion. This book is to be highly recommended, especially for college courses on Japanese religion, anthropology, women's studies, and human development. It offers a rich and detailed account of one Japanese woman's journey through life." — Winston Davis, Journal of Asian Studies