Endless Path

"Rafe Martin . . . is an amazing performer and storyteller."
--Arthur A. Levine, editor and publisher of Harry Potter

Praise for Birdwing:
"Extraordinary . . . The marvelous thing about Birdwing is that, given its highly literary origins, it is so tough, colloquial, funny and moving." --The Washington Post ("Year's Best Children's Books, 2005")

". . . a magical tale . . . of extraordinary beauty and philosophical depth . . . as inventive and soaring as Harry Potter and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials." --Book Page

“Oh, such stories and commentaries! They stand side by side with the koans, the words and doings of the Zen masters of old and new, and together with them help us rise above narrowness and know a life of greater selflessness and affection, bringing peace to ourselves and the world. Svaha! Nine bows to Rafe Martin.”

—Danan Henry Roshi, founder and spiritual director of the Zen Center of Denver

“Rafe Martin’s retelling of the ancient jataka tales, and his insightful commentaries that relate the stories to our daily lives and the paramitas, is an inspiration. We hear a new voice here from the old storyteller and it brings great joy!”

—Susan Ji-on Postal Sensei, teacher and spiritual director of the Empty Hand Zen Center, New Rochelle, NY

“Endless Path is a gem. Martin’s enthusiasm for the jatakas leaps off each page, bringing the reader into a realm where the deepest truths are revealed by even the most humble creatures. This book should be required reading for all Buddhist practitioners—actually, for everyone!”

—Sunyana Graef Sensei, Zen teacher and spiritual director of the Vermont Zen Center

“Reading Endless Path, I can actually hear a familiar voice coming alive, telling me stories of the Buddha’s lives. The world I enter is vast, wonderful, inspiring! I love this book!!”

—Hogen Bays Roshi, leader of Zen Community of Oregon and co-abbot of Great Vow Zen Monastery

“Endless Path is a treasure for all seekers of the Way! Rafe Martin relates wondrous ancient Buddha stories and then unravels them, delivering meaning for today’s Western lay practitioners. A much-needed integration of the awesome past and our perplexing present. And a delightful read.”

—Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, abbot of The Village Zendo, guiding spiritual teacher for the New York Center for Contemplative Care, and co-spiritual director of the Zen Peacemaker Family

“As I work with designing the final pages done for Endless Path, I am struck with how much this book is a book of inspiration—a book to inspire others on the Buddhist path. … So many, many fine Buddhist books instruct, teach, even offer enlightened glimpses into the teachings. But Endless Path will be a truly helpful book, in the sense of Avalokiteshvara’s thousand outstretched hands, to fill those who read it with real heart’s yearning, rededicated commitment, and excitement for the possibility—the endless path—it offers.”

—Richard Wehrman, illustrator and designer

“As a skilled Zen practitioner and teacher, Martin is in an ideal position to help bring the truths of Buddhism alive, which he does with admirable ease. He also acknowledges the role played by many different communities of listeners in refining how he tells the tales and reveals the insights that he and others have gained from each one… Endless Path is a truly insightful work… Accessible, inspired, and clearly marked by a generosity and foresight of spirit, it is a work well worth obtaining and keeping in one’s own private collection.”

—BookPleasures.com

“With Endless Path, Martin has found 10 Jataka tales that relate directly to the 10 paramitas (also known as the 10 perfections)… he brings them off the children’s shelf and into the lives of every modern-day Buddhist, young and old… Rafe Martin breathes fresh new life into these wonderful old tales, and in doing so, provides us with a much-needed perspective into our individual lives and practice… I wholeheartedly recommended this book to any practitioner out there.”

—Adam, Fly Like a Crow

“Endless Path weaves together story, myth, and meaning to reveal the practical power of imagination in our spiritual development and everyday life.”

—Spiritual Media Blog

“Martin retells each [jataka] tale, keeping the general story line, and often adding a Zen twist… After the story, Martin presents a teisho, a formal presentation of the teachings, expounding on how this particular tale bears on one of the ten paramitas. Each teisho is chock full of nondual wisdom, references to Zen koans and indigenous storytelling traditions and classical Buddhist teachings… Really energetic, living Dharma here.”

—The Big Old Oak Tree

“Rafe’s ability to retell the [jataka] stories draw the reader into an almost ‘round the fire’ type of feeling. I can picture numerous folks, throughout the years, passing these stories around. His mastery of storytelling transports one into this very setting, cozy and comfortable… If you are looking to take a break from the academic books on Buddhism you have your nose buried in, then Endless Path is not only the book to read, it’s a great one! Each story represents an opportunity to contemplate the true meaning of compassion and kindness in a way that is not only fun, but truly enjoyable.”

—Precious Metal

“Imagine this book morphing into a real-life friend: it will make for an earnest and sincere Buddhist companion… For it is a book that comes to life, made accessible to modern (in particular, Western) readers by its affable readability, honest humour and grounded sentiments… Martin’s retelling of the Jataka tales is engaging and accessible, while importantly preserving the stories’ elemental guiding inspirations… The commentaries fluidly connect the dots between the paramitas, and are markedly grounded in the reality of daily living.”

—Moonpointer

Also by Rafe Martin:

The Banyan Deer:

“The Banyan Deer shows that the lives of all living beings are equally important.”

—His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje

“A sweet and sensitive story of courage, sacrifice, and kindness.”

—Dan Millman, author of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Birdwing:

“Extraordinary … The marvelous thing about Birdwing is that, given its highly literary origins, it is so tough, colloquial, funny and moving.”

—A Washington Post Year’s Best Books

“Martin deftly weaves fairy tale into fiction … The many original characters and unusual adventure scenes ensure that readers will remember this well-paced fantasy.”

—Booklist

The Rough-Face Girl:

“A welcome rediscovery of an American Indian Cinderella variant whose heroine is both a religious mystic and a seeker after true love.”

—Newsweek on The Rough Face Girl