The Spiritual life of Martine Batchelor - Book Report/Review Example

?How can being a Zen nun change the lives of women? Martine Batchelor was a French woman living in the countryside of France. She is a type of personwho is very interested in politics. Hence, she once decided to be a journalist. At the age of eighteen to twenty-two, she wanted to travel the world and experienced a different culture. However, Martine Batchelor’s interest in being a journalist changed when she became interested in meditation that made her travel to other Asian countries. One of the countries that she visited was Thailand. The monk she met in the said country gave him the address of nunnery located in South Korea (Batchelor and Sunim 4). The spiritual life of Martine Batchelor started when she got interested in meditation and then got herself to live for ten years in South Korea’s meditation hall. When Martine Batchelor arrived in South Korea’s nunnery, she met a few nuns and even met Master Kusan who made her impressed which motivated her to become a nun (Batchelor and Sunim 10). Hence, it was the start of Martine Batchelor to realize that she wanted to be a Zen nun. When Martine Batchelor was ordained to be a nun, one of the nuns that she met is Son’gyong Sunim. Though Martine Batchelor is really different from Son’gyong Sunim, both of them have the same interest and passion which is the Buddhist meditation as well as becoming a Zen nun. Martine Batchelor is a woman who started to be rebellious just to find herself in the middle of France and England where she first started her life. On the other hand, Son’gyong Sunim is a very humble and kind woman who seemed to have the strength and wisdom in terms of Buddhism (Batchelor and Sunim xiv). It was even cited by Batchelor and Sunim that “her being is her awakening, and her poems express this clearly. They are evocative, pithy, and direct and show fully her power as a realized woman” (xv). In addition, Martine Batchelor seemed to have a good life since she was raised in a French family. Her father is an engineer and even at the early age, she can study different courses in England (Batchelor and Sunim xiii). Living with Son’gyong Sunim, viewed by Martine Batchelor as another memorable experience she had (Batchelor and Sunim 49). She got to learn the life of son’gyong Sunim before she decided to become a Zen nun. Son’gyong Sunim’s life is totally different. She is born during the Korean War. She had an extremely difficult life. Her family was very poor, and at that time, there was no chance for her to develop herself. Hence, she decided to be a nun. Since she was born in the time when society did not give her the chance to develop herself, she thought that becoming a Zen Buddhist nun would be the only way to change her life (Batchelor and Sunim xv). Son’gyong Sunim became a Zen Buddhist nun during the times when hearing about nuns was very rare. Her life of being a Zen Buddhist nun reflects the country of Korea at that time. Korea was still a very poor country wherein temples showed poverty (Batchelor and Sunim 49). Zen Buddhist nuns were not given any financial help. However, when Martine Batchelor experienced living with Son’gyong Sunim, she became more dedicated on the path that she chose (Batchelor and Martine 50). In addition, Martine Batchelor decided to be a Zen Buddhist nun because of her longing to know the answers to the questions that she had. For that reason, she believed that being a Zen Buddhist nun will help her renew herself. By being a Zen nun, one of the Zen texts that Martine Batchelor learned during her stay in Songgwangsa stated “one should question with the pores of one’s skin and the narrow of one’s bones.” (Batchelor and Sunim 12). Martine Batchelor and Son’gyong Sunim showed different personalities that reflect their own culture. In contrast with the life of Son’gyong Sunim, Martine Batchelor became a Zen Buddhist nun when the standard of living in Korea is developing over time. Korean people became very kind and generous toward their religion. The temples already showed progress and development. They showed a modernized way of practicing Buddhism through their temples, but still remain to follow the same Buddhism practices. As stated above, there is really a big difference in terms of the cultural factor between the two authors namely Martine Batchelor and Son’gyong Sunim. In terms of generational factors, both of them also showed differences. Although these two persons have differences, they also have similarities. Obviously, these similarities were fully developed when they engaged themselves in the same practice. Both of them decided to live as Zen Buddhist nuns. Since Buddhism has a long and complex history, when it comes to the status of women, it is believed about its capacity to achieve awakening of each person. Thus, they have this connection because both of them wanted to achieve something beyond themselves. Further, both of them achieved and developed in becoming realized women through their own ways and experiences. On the other hand, it is still important to know that in Buddhism, all humans are capable of achieving awakening. Since the status of women in Buddhism remained controversial for centuries, Martine Batchelor and Son’gyong Sunim shared stories that women can reflect on in Korean Zen Buddhism. In Buddhism, it is stated that women’s capacity for awakening is contested although Buddha acknowledged them as the same as men in attaining such. In addition, Korean women have different views in terms of Zen Buddhism. Hence, most young Korean women who decided to become nuns have different reasons of joining. In relation, Martine Batchelor and Son’gyong Sunim influenced women to have a different role in Korean society in a way that they opened a new dimension for women when it comes to its roles and responsibilities. In the Korean society, the status of women is plain and simple. It is never questioned so as how women can play their role in society. The status of Korean women in the Korean society is mainly to serve her family (Batchelor and Sunim xx). Once women have their own family, it is expected that she should serve her husband and child. Basically, that is the typical role of Korean women in its society. However, Martine Batchelor and Son’gyong Sunim made a different shed on the status of women, not just in the Korean society, but as well as in Korean Zen Buddhism. The early history of the order of the nuns in Korea is unclear. It was clearly introduced from China relatively quickly, as there were references to Korean nuns dating as far back as 577 CE. Obviously, Buddhism became very influential even to Korean women. Korea has now a vibrant and growing order of nuns, which are approximately 10,000 nuns. The status of women in Korean Zen Buddhism became firm and stable. The teachings about meditation in Buddhism have become uncovering. Martine Batchelor and Son’gyong Sunim became good examples that women can actually survive in giving up their earthly desires and choose to live in a peaceful way wherein cultivating one’s self is essential. One of the things that Martine Batchelor learned in a Zen saying is “when a master raises his eyebrows or blink his eyes, do not think he is giving instructions about the meaning of hwadu” (Batchelor and Sunim 19). It only means that one must rely and trust his or her own wisdom as well as buddha-nature and never look for any answer aside from one’s self. Hence, even though Martine Batchelor is a French woman while Son’gyong Sunim is a Korean woman and both of them have different cultures, they still shed what Korean women should be in Korean Zen Buddhism. Thus, becoming a nun is never easy. It is not just a one-week meditation, but a whole-life of dedication. The status of being a nun is totally different from typical women in the society. Martine Batchelor and Son’gyong Sunim showed Korean women that being a nun is not about putting limitations to one’s self. Work Cited Bachelor, Martine, and Son’gyong Sunim. Women in Korean Zen: Lives and Practices. New York: Syracuse University Press, 2006. Print. Read More