A book which has GOT to be interesting, for the unique perspective its author can provide, is "At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace," by Claude Anshin Thomas. (See sidebar for link to the book on Amazon.) Thomas is a Vietnam vet turned Zen Buddhist monk who was heavily influenced by famous Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. Here's what the publisher, Shambala, had to say about this book:--
New Memoir by Vietnam Veteran Turned Zen Monk Explores
the Causes of Violence and offers Viable Alternatives
At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace |
"Written with relentless courage and utter compassion, this account of violence and transformation is one of the most amazing and wonderful stories Iíve ever read." -- Michael Herr, author of Dispatches, and screenwriter of Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now
At Hell's Gate (Shambhala Publications, on sale September 14, 2004) is Claude Anshin Thomas's dramatic coming-of-age story and spiritual odyssey, offering profound insights into how we can end suffering and violence in ourselves and in our world.
At Hell's Gate is a first-hand account of how the dehumanizing experience of war, along with the experience of family trauma and violence passed down from generation to generation, can create a perception of reality in which atrocity becomes commonplace. At a time when American soldiers are returning home from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, injured both in body and soul, Thomasí memoir of serving in Vietnam and returning home is especially relevant.
In this raw and moving memoir, Claude Anshin Thomas recounts the story of his service in Vietnam, his subsequent emotional collapse, and how he was ultimately able to find healing and peace. Thomas volunteered for duty in Vietnam at the age of eighteen, where he served as a crew chief on assault helicopters. By the end of his tour of duty, he had been awarded numerous medals, including the Purple Heart. He had also been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people, witnessed horrifying cruelty, and narrowly escaped death on a number of occasions.
But upon his return to "normal" life, he hit rock bottom, unable to function. Like many Vietnam vets, he struggled with post-traumatic stress, drug and alcohol addiction, and even homelessness. He suffered intense flashbacks, and thought regularly of suicide. He was not alone. Roughly 58,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam, but, according to a former director of the Veteransí Administration, over 100,000 Vietnam veterans have committed suicide in the years since.
A turning point came when Thomas attended a meditation retreat for Vietnam veterans offered by a Vietnamese Buddhist monk. The experience so moved him that he soon became a student of Zen Buddhism, and eventually a monk himself.
Thomas, who has taken vows of mendicancy, now actively travels the world, making peace pilgrimages and teaching people how to end violence and war personally and globally. He leads "street retreats," meditation trainings and is invited to present over 130 talks per year. Thomas takes the unequivocal position that "war is never the answer." At the heart of Thomas' message is the understanding that war is actually the collective expression of individual suffering, and it is only through our personal actions and insights that we can hope to end war globally.
At Hell's Gate is not just a war memoir - it is an inspiring manual for healing that anyone who has experienced trauma can truly appreciate and benefit from. Thomas had the extreme experience of serving in Vietnam, but he reminds us that, "everyone has their Vietnam." We all experience suffering and have our own wounds. In simple and direct language, Thomas offers timeless teachings on how to heal emotional suffering, as well as practical guidance in using mindfulness and compassion to transform our lives.
Around the time of the book's publication, Thomas will be conducting a peace pilgrimage, walking from Concord, Massachusetts, where the first shot of the American Revolution was fired, to the site of the World Trade Center in New York City, to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. From there he will be traveling to over 60 cities across the country giving talks to universities, religious organizations and veterans groups.
Claude Anshin Thomas went to Vietnam at the age of eighteen, where he received numerous medals, 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. This is his first book.
At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace
By Claude Anshin Thomas
September 2004
$19.95 hardcover _ 192 pages
ISBN: 1-59030-133-1
Shambhala Publications
