Rude Awakenings: Two Englishmen on Foot in Buddhism's Holy Land

By Ajahn Sucitto and Nick Scott

Book Overview

Half raucous adventure and half inspirational memoir, Rude Awakenings documents an unusual pilgrimage. Two very different men--life-loving naturalist Nick Scott and austere Buddhist monk Ajahn Sucitto--together spend six months retracing the Buddha's footsteps through India. Told alternately by Sucitto and Scott in their distinctive voices, this story blends self-effacing humor, philosophical explorations, drama, travel observations, and the occasional giant fruit bat. Rude Awakenings is a heady record of survival and spirituality set against the dramatic backdrop of one of India's most lawless regions.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0861714857
• ISBN13: 9780861714858
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Buddhist Pilgrimage by Westerners

A monk and his buddy from the west take off, on foot, to walk the trail of the Buddha. And it is as if you are with them each step, through the dust, oddities, mis-directions, wonders, people, gurus, monks and so much more. But most of all the varying perspectives of these two men seeking an enlightment all their own. Highly recommended arm-chair traveling.

Unique Awakenings

If I try to be careful with my adjectives, there are few books I would describe as beautiful, and even fewer as unique. Rude Awakenings is both beautiful and unique. The fact that it also contains some wisdom puts it among the rarest of all books.

There are many pearls hidden inside!

This is a lovely book! It really seems like a genuine account of the travels of these 2 guys through "Mother India," which seems a little too, um, rough for my likes in travel. Yet it is just a great book! I was especially Ajahn Sucitto's words, which contained many wonderful pearls of wisdom, especially when he speculates about mental processes, meditation, what the Buddha really did under the Bodhi tree, and so forth. This is a must-read for people who love "travel Buddhism," as I do!!

A book that you will read over and over...

This is one of my favourite books of all time. You will laugh, you will cry and then you will be glad that you read this book. The authors write from their hearts and you almost feel like you are on the journey with them. They talk about their journey in India and also this journey called life. Buy it. Read it. Lend it to your family and friends. This book deserves a place in your home and heart.