“From math teacher to Buddhist Dharma teacher, fellow Quaker, Richard Brady’s latest book, Short Journey Home is a lively and brilliantly written account of a life transformed. A work of imagination, generosity, and penetrating wisdom, guided over decades as a student of Zen Master Thich Nhat
Hanh and the Plum Village community, Brady’s is a life well lived, saturated with keen insight, character, and boundless heart.”
—Valerie Brown, Buddhist-Quaker Dharma teacher inthe Plum Village tradition, author of Hope Leans Forward and coauthor of Healing Our Way Home
“My life has been graced by spiritual teachers from a wide range of wisdom traditions. In this moving book, Richard Brady shares the story of how his life was blessed by his relationship with the great Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. Richard’s narrative is so vivid and vulnerable it left me feeling as if I had spent time with Thầy himself. I highly recommend this book to people of any and all backgrounds who seek to make their own ‘short journey home.’ I think you’ll find companionship here, as I did.”
—Parker J. Palmer, author of Let Your Life Speak, A Hidden Wholeness, and On the Brink of Everything
“Every good student tries to follow their teacher’s guidance, with varying degrees of success. In this very personal book, Richard Brady shows us, with humility and loving honesty, how he took on this formidable task. Through the inspiring teaching of Thich Nhat Hanh, enriched by Judaism and Quakerism, he finds ways to plant and water the seeds of awakening in the specific circumstances of his life. His stories are unique but will resonate with all of us who have searched for the wisdom to transform our lives.”
—Mirabai Bush, coauthor with Ram Dass of Walking Each Other Home and Compassion in Action
“Each story in this lovely collection is more than just a story. It is the discovery of a new insight, inviting us to awaken to our own insights on the path to freedom.”
—Dzung X. Vo, MD, Author of The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skillsto Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time
“Brady is a seeker, teacher, communicator, storyteller, and a restless soul who seeks and often finds peace.… It is [his] honest questioning and his ability to remain vulnerable that surely made Brady a good teacher and a good writer.… The paradox of the book is that Brady understands that life itself is the teacher: that the here and now is the time and place to be, and that home is where you are.”
—Harvey Gillman in Friends Journal
“Richard Brady is both seeker and spiritual guide, one who deftly explores how Judaism, Quakerism, and his work with Thich Nat Hanh have illuminated his spirit and enabled profound transformation. His poignant narrative carries us compassionately through family drama and routine trauma, all the while expanding our understanding of his teacher and the Dharma. Brady demonstrates how and why the path is the way: The road is not always easy, but when this traveler walks it with his capacious heart, when he offers and receives the loving kindness forged in our myriad and dual roles as teachers and learners, the way home opens for author and reader alike.”
—Bryan K. Garman, PhD, Head of School, Sidwell Friends School
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