This Truth Never Fails

Book excerpt: This Truth Never Fails is a playful yet well-grounded narrative of a year in the life of an unusual Zen master. Far from the silent and detached stereotype of Zen teachers, Rynick writes with disarming humor, offering both the struggles and the joys of ordinary life as opportunities for insight. Anyone looking for inspiration to bring a simple spiritual awareness into their daily lives, and also those interested in finding ways to more deeply integrate faith (in any tradition) with practice will find this book reassuring and encouraging. This book appeals to the broad "mindfulness" and "general spirituality" audiences that transcend any one formal tradition. Leaning toward Anne Lamott's humor, universal spirituality, and Mary Oliver's love of the natural world, Rynick's writing bypasses Zen theory and doctrine. Simple, clear prose illustrates, vividly, an insightful and tender appreciation of ordinary life as the Way itself. Includes a brief "study guide for further inquiry" offering opportunities for personal reflection and exploration on themes touched on in the book.