I Opened the Gate Laughing - 20th Anniversary Edition: An Inner Journey - Hardcover

by Mayumi Oda (Author)

A tribute to the power of spiritual practice, creative expression, and true self-acceptance

I Opened the Gate Laughing is the story of one woman's journey to creative freedom through gardening and the teachings of Zen. Born in Japan, Mayumi Oda comes back to the practice of Buddhism at beautiful Green Gulch Farm retreat center in Northern California, where she finds a new tranquility and creative spirit through her pen, her brush, and her trowel to overcome the constraints of a traditional upbringing and the sadness of the end of a marriage. This enchanting book is a meditation on the search for inner peace and reawakening. awash with luscious prints and watercolors, beautifully designed, and filled with vivid stories and verse. I Opened the Gate Laughing is a resource for anyone seeking a slower pace, a sacred space, and a garden path.

Author Biography

Mayumi Oda, known to many as the "Matisse of Japan," has exhibited over 50 one-woman shows throughout the world. Her artwork is part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Yale University Art Gallery; the Library of Congress; and many others. She has authored books about her own creative life, including Sarasvati's Gift, Goddesses, and I Opened the Gate Laughing. She has also illustrated several books for notable authors, including the esteemed Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. In addition to her work as an artist, Oda has spent many years of her life as a global activist participating in anti-nuclear campaigns worldwide. She founded Plutonium Free Future in 1992, launched the WASH (World Atomic Safety Holiday) Campaign in 1999.