Snow in the summer

Ven. Sayadaw U Jotika

Oct 2021 · Viet Hung

5.0

4 reviews

Ebook

246

Pages

About this ebook

This book is a compilation of extracts from letters written by Sayadaw U Jotika, a Burmese Buddhist monk, to his Western students - ten to fifteen years ago. These letters have been collated under the topics as indicated by the chapter headings below.

Chapter 1. Mind, Mindfulness and Meditation

Chapter 2. Solitude

Chapter 3. Parental Love and Guidance

Chapter 4. Life, Living and Death

Chapter 5. Learning and Teaching

Chapter 6. Value and Philosophy

Chapter 7. Friendship, Relationships and Loving-kindness

"Dhamma is in living your life, not in books. If you don’t understand your life, meaning your experience at this moment, you don’t understand Dhamma, no matter how much book knowledge you have. Without understanding your life, talking about Dhamma is just an intellectual game."

Ratings and reviews

5.0

4 reviews

Viet Hung Nguyen

October 23, 2021

I happened to know this book, Snow in the Summer, nearly 15 years ago, once I started my journey to learn and practise Buddhism. At that time, I read the Vietnamese version of it. Then, I got to know about Sayadaw U Jotika and his teachings. Till now, I always considered that I was so fortunate reading the book in time, during my Buddhism journey — the happiness journey. Books are many. Yet many times, you don’t need that many. You only need to read the right one. And for me, this is it. Since I have started meditating, I re-read Snow in the Summer every year. Each time, it continues “exposing” the deeper layers of meaning that Sayadaw has “implanted” inside the book. How powerful and wonderful it is! For me, the book is like the bible for meditation. And much beyond that, it is like the code of living this life to the most of it, happier and more meaningful. I believe it is the same for whoever really pursue happiness, the ultimate goal of anyone of us. I can’t express enough how thankful and how respectful I am for this ever great book from Sayadaw U Jotika.

Marble Goat

December 9, 2022

A beautiful book overall. Full of quotations and reflections on them but also full of personal reflections on life, solitude and responses to the personal problems of two of his students (though their letters are not included). An excellent source of pañña (insight), reflections, and overall dhamma.

About the author

Born into a non-Buddhist family in Moulmein, Myanmar (Burma) on August 5, 1947. He received his basic education at a Roman Catholic missionary school. During his younger days, he didn't believe in any organized religion although he studied and exposed himself to many different religions, as well as western philosophy and psychology.

He graduated as an Electrical Engineer in 1973 from Rangoon Institute of Technology. He became very interested in Buddhist meditation. He discovered that life was unsatisfactory and majority of the people devoted their precious time mainly in gathering wealth, enjoying sensual pleasures, fame, power and position.

Thus, he decided to leave behind his family and became a "Samenera" (Novice) at the age of 26. He was ordained as a "Samgha" in 1974 at Taung Pu Lu Tawya, Meiktila with Ven. Taung Pu Lu Sayadaw as his preceptor. He practiced meditation under the guidance of the late Ven. Taung Pu Lu Sayadaw for (3) years. He continued to practice meditation with Htantabin Tawya Sayadaw for (15) years.

Ven. Jotika visited Melbourne in 1977 and again in 1998. He was in the United States in 1983-84 for about (16) months, conducting Dhamma talks in Santa Cruz, New York, Boston and Washington. He had visited Singapore several times on Dhamma Duta missions as well.

He has established a monastery in a rural environment overlooking a great lake near Pago, (50) miles north of Yangon. His Dhamma talks and books are in great demand in Myanmar as well as with overseas Burmese. He has published about (13) titles so far. One of his popular Dhamma book in English is "Snow in the Summer"

He visited the United States and Canada after visiting London, Liverpool and Birmingham.

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