Quest for the Enlightened Feminine - by Anna Howard (Paperback)

About the Book

"Describes how the author gave up her life of comfort to move to the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the West, Kagyu Samye Ling. Details her 18-month pilgrimage around the world inspired by the compassion and wisdom of the female Buddha Green Tara and her entourage of 21 emanations. Woven throughout with Tibetan Buddhist teachings and methods, including practices with Green Tara and White Tara"--

Book Synopsis

A spiritual journey to discover the feminine face of God

- Describes how the author gave up her life of comfort to move to the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the West, Kagyu Samye Ling

- Details her 18-month pilgrimage around the world inspired by the compassion and wisdom of the female Buddha Green Tara and her entourage of 21 emanations

- Woven throughout with Tibetan Buddhist teachings and methods, including practices with Green Tara and White Tara

Can traditional spiritual practices bring about radical change for a happier existence in modern life? A life-changing dream encounter with Jesus the Christ propels former broadcaster and healer Anna Howard on a profound journey of spiritual awakening. From her roots in mystical Christianity, her quest leads her to discover Vajrayana Buddhism in the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the West, Kagyu Samye Ling, in Scotland. Awakening to the feminine face of God, Anna immerses herself in the compassion practices of the female Buddha Green Tara and her 21 emanations. Deeply inspired, her inner work finds its outer expression in an 18-month global pilgrimage, from Holy Island Lindisfarne to South Africa. As she and her friends distribute 21 small Tara statues, blessed by Akong Tulku Rinpoche, Anna too finds transformation.

Touching the deep core of human longing, Quest for the Enlightened Feminine is a story of faith, courage, and determination. Illustrating a path to freedom and happiness, Anna Howard shows how the divine feminine can awaken our enlightened potential. Interwoven with Tibetan Buddhist teachings and methods, including practices with Green Tara and White Tara, Tonglen meditation, and exercises for working with the 21 Taras, this book reveals how to put these sacred teachings into practice in your own life.

Review Quotes

"For many reasons, Quest for the Enlightened Feminine by Anna Howard was a difficult title to write a review that gives justice to the complexity, passion, and nuances that flow through this autobiographical offering. I found myself re-reading sections to draw out more of the emotions that are embedded within the words. It was much like observing someone on their spiritual path as they move through the stages of wonder, disappointment, grief, learning, and all that holds the lessons needed to move forward, evolve, grow, and find your own unique way. This is one of the more intimate books I've read in a while, theory still present but as a support to the primary goal of peace and oneness with self."-- "Robin Fennelly, Musing Mystical"

"Quest for the Enlightened Feminine is the engaging and entertaining recounting of one woman's path towards enlightenment. Her pursuit of higher spiritual understanding has been punctuated by tough challenges, deep disappointments, and times of fundamental realization and profound insight as her path guided a constant expansion of her consciousness. I found the book a fascinating read and learned a lot from it. And, of course, such a journey never really ends."-- "Peter Rhodes-Dimmer, retired international businessman and author of The Human Journey"

"I loved Anna's book. As someone also on a spiritual journey, I welcomed her openness and honesty when describing the highs and the lows of this journey--the intense experience of love and light and, at the same time, the bruising and painful struggles with her ego in its many manifestations. Anna was not afraid to plough her own furrow, turning away from a conventional life and truly honouring what it means to search for her truth. In that journey, Anna finds compassion for herself and the world and a deep and enduring sense of peace and presence that lies in the background of awareness, waiting to be noticed and enjoyed--a context within which suffering no longer holds her in its thrall."-- "Rachel Lebus, psychotherapist and mindfulness meditation teacher"

"Initiated by a life-changing dream, Anna abandons all that is familiar, to follow her inner calling. Eventually, she discovers Tara, the feminine aspect of Tibetan Buddhism, and embarks on a pilgrimage to understand this deity in all of her aspects. This healing journey eventually brings her home. Told in a compelling, unsparingly honest and contemporary way, this is a woman's story of journeying into the heart of the divine, through the Tibetan Buddhist teachings and through discovering Tara. Clear and insightful as she shares her longings and vulnerability, this is a spiritual quest for our times, when the reemergence of the feminine is what is needed to heal and transform our crisis-ridden world. This book is a companion, a guide, a support, and a reminder of the living presence of the divine within us all."-- "Dr. Sara Trevelyan, psychotherapist, interfaith minister, and author of Freedom Found"

"The spiritual quest--when it arises, it can become a driving passion, often with many challenges. Anna Howard, in this personal narrative, shares with us the agonies and ecstasies she has encountered along her particular path. The spiritual journey indeed varies for all of us, and I have found this book a heart-warming read, inspiring, and reminding me of my own spiritual unfoldings."-- "Kenneth Ray Stubbs, Ph.D., author of The Essential Tantra"

"This is a wonderful and informative book. Anna teaches us that Christianity and Buddhism are not mutually exclusive but are complements of each other. The author writes in such an honest and fresh manner that cannot fail to delight her readers. A must for anyone seeking a spiritual path. I didn't want to put this book down."-- "Lolai O'Dwyer, sales manager and mother"

"This is the extraordinary story of a genuine seeker after truth, whose 'calling' was lived out in a very unorthodox manner. Candid, brutally honest, and inspiring, Quest for the Enlightened Feminine is a veritable adventure story in one of its most important forms: the search for oneself. I loved it."-- "Pete Lowry, philosopher and poet"

About the Author

Anna Howard, M.A. (Oxon), is an Oxford-educated student of Buddhism, whose work focuses on the healing and transformative energies of Tara. A workshop facilitator, teacher, healer, and writer, Anna lives in Dorset, England.