Prologue

This book is a sequel. The first half, published as Rude Awakenings , began the account of a six-month epic journey by two Englishmen, a monk and layman, to the Buddhist holy places in India. On this seven-hundred–mile pilgrimage on foot across one of the most overcrowded places on the planet, we supported ourselves by going for alms—just as Buddhist monks had done in times gone by—and slept under the stars. Rude Awakenings was a great adventure story. While the second part of the journey still had its share of adventure, and some amazing encounters with wildlife, the novelty of the endeavour had worn off, and we came face to face with both our own and the other’s deeper humanity. Thus this sequel is, to us, the more valuable of the two accounts.

You needn’t have read Rude Awakenings to enjoy and share our trials, joys, and lessons here, but some scene setting may make the story clearer. Ajahn Sucitto was neither the abbot of Chithurst Buddhist Monastery nor the well-known teacher he is today when his teacher, Ajahn Sumedho, chose him in response to Nick’s invitation to take a Buddhist monk on[…]”

Excerpt From: Nick Scott. “Great Patient One.”