Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage, by Paul Barach

Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage, by Paul Barach

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Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage, by Paul Barach

Ebook PDF Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage, by Paul Barach

Age 28 and fed up with the office job he settled for, Paul Barach decided to travel to Japan to follow a vision he had in college: to walk the ancient 750-mile Shikoku pilgrimage trail.

Here are some things he did not decide to do: learn Japanese, do any research, road test his hiking shoes, or check if it's the hottest summer in history.

And he went anyway, hoping to change his life.

Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains is the absurd and dramatic journey of one impulsive American's search for answers on a holy path in an exotic land. Along the pathway connecting 88 Buddhist temples, he'll face arduous mountain climbs, hide from guards in a toilet stall, challenge a priest to a mountaintop karate battle, and other misadventures.

He'll also delve into the fascinating legends of this ancient land, including a dragon-fighting holy man, a berserker warrior-priest, haunted temples, and a vendetta-driven ghost that overthrew a dynasty.

Told with humor and humility, Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains is a funny, engaging memoir about the consequences of impulsive decisions, and the things you can discover while you're looking for something else.

Also, that boars are terrifying in person.

Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage, by Paul Barach

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27402 in Audible
• Published on: 2015-09-02
• Format: Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Running time: 482 minutes

Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage, by Paul Barach

Where to Download Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage, by Paul Barach

Most helpful customer reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful. I loved it! Author Paul Barach has an amazing command ... By Billy Anderson I loved it!Author Paul Barach has an amazing command of the English language that fits the wry tone of the book perfectly.I look forward to reading more from him in the future, since according to a google search this is his first novel.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Humorous Enlightenment By Anica I wasn't entirely sure I would like this book when I first picked it up. My genre choices usually lean more towards fantasy/sci fi. After reading it, though, I can say I'm glad I did! Paul Barach does an amazing job of balancing humor and insight--the narrative never feels like it's trying too hard to get a laugh or seem profound. I like that the story is liberally salted with facts about the history and culture of the Shikoku trail; pure subjective narrative would've made the book seem whiny, when instead it reads as a genuinely insightful, broadening experience. If you're a fan of personal growth through grueling experiences (think Cheryl Strayed's "Wild") I recommend this book

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Funny, earnest, insightful, poignant, interesting memoir of a challenging journey By The Enthusiastic Reader For a memoir to be ultimately interesting and satisfying, it's not enough for interesting things to happen to an interesting person; additionally, the book has to actually be written in an interesting, engaging or at least unique way. Fortunately for the reader, "Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains" meets this criteria.This book is voiced by an intriguingly flawed narrator who experiences many compelling "misadventures" along his journey, which he describes in clear, vivid detail. Impressively, Barach seamlessly interweaves interesting historical/cultural anecdotes about the Shikoku pilgrimage and Japanese culture in between his nakedly honest (and often humorous) details about the usually brutal (yet sometimes transcendent) day to day struggles of the 700+ mile Shikoku pilgrimage.While Barach's external struggles and triumphs are memorable and engagingly written (yes, there are actual monk fights), I found his internal journey to be the most compelling and unique aspect of this travel memoir. Barach captures the ambivalence one acutely feels in the midst of what he hopes will be in retrospect a character-building or "life changing" experience. He captures the ping ponging many travelers feel between feeling earnest and eager about "being in the moment" and alternately fighting the urge to rush through the boredom/tedium/difficulty to the next accomplishment/stage. As he puts it, "While fighting to be in the moment, I must also accept that while I’m hot, tired, and enduring another drudging hour of nothing on a concrete ribbon, the moment kinda sucks." Yet he continues to put one foot in front of the other, rouses himself back to attempt meditation when his mind wanders, and in the end honestly and humbly faces the prospect that the journey might afford different answers than those he initially sought/expected.Almost equally impressive is how Barach weaves his witty humor in and out of his depictions of personal challenges and historical details. When describing a fudo, he writes: "He’s armed with a sword to cut through delusion and a lasso to rein in focus. I like these the best, because it’s a demon with fire and a blade. Like chocolate peanut butter ice cream, three things I love separately, together at last." His humorous approach almost always remains in the service of the story itself, by which I mean that Barach fails to fall into the trap many comedians can't resist of crafting a funny sentence/take on a situation just to show how clever they are, without having any overall relevancy or poignancy. Barach displays an earnest enthusiasm for the history and cultural significance of the Shikoku pilgrimage and Japanese culture, while also applying a searingly honest appraisal of the at times absurd minute to minute challenges the journey affords, and the humor often arises from the juxtaposition of these factors. Overall I found this a very satisfying read .

See all 77 customer reviews... Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage, by Paul Barach

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Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage, by Paul Barach

Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage, by Paul Barach