In this raw and moving memoir, Claude Thomas describes his
service in Vietnam, his subsequent emotional collapse, and his
remarkable journey toward healing. At Hell''s Gate is not only a
gripping coming-of-age story but a spiritual travelogue from the
horrors of combat to the discovery of inner peace—a journey that
inspired Thomas to become a Zen monk and peace activist who travels
to war-scarred regions around the world. "Everyone has their
Vietnam," Thomas writes. "Everyone has their own experience of
violence, calamity, or trauma." With simplicity and power, this
book offers timeless teachings on how we can all find healing, and
it presents practical guidance on how mindfulness and compassion
can transform our lives.
This expanded paperback edition features:
Discussion questions for reading groups
A new afterword by the author reflecting on how the current wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan are affecting soldiers—and offering advice
on how to help returning soldiers to cope with their combat
experiences
關於作者:
Claude Anshin Thomas went to Vietnam at the age of eighteen,
where he received numerous awards and decorations, including
twenty-seven Air Medals, a Distinguished Flying Cross, and the
Purple Heart. Today he is a monk in the Soto Zen tradition and an
active speaker and Zen teacher in the United States and Europe. He
is also the founder of the Zaltho Foundation, a nonprofit
organization that promotes peace and nonviolence www.zaltho.org.
This is his first book.