The poems John M. Travis shares in this collection are deeply personal. They offer a glimpse into decades of devoted practice – living the teachings of the Buddhist masters of our age.
His poems transport readers to a cave in Nepal, a hut in Tibet, or along the banks of a Wyoming river. Perhaps John’s greatest gift is his direct transmission of the Dharma to his audience.
This compact size of this book, Scuffed-Up Shoes, makes it a wonderful trekking companion. The collection is filled with devotional insights and is, in part, raw, humorous, and painful as well as often rebellious. A delightful read and it’s a refreshing taste of spirituality.
SCUFFED-UP SHOES
Longing for ground,
Scuffed-up shoes,
A flower opens.
“As a poet, John Travis’s teachings unfold like the Ganges, one river with a myriad of voices, becoming many streams in the delta, always open, graceful from its first plunge in the Himalayas until pouring into the vast ocean below.”
Jack Kornfield
Scuffed-Up Shoes is available online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. The books will also be available soon as an ebook.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Drawn to Asia by some unknown magnet in the 1960s, John Travis pursued the Dharma directly from Buddhist masters in India, Tibet, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar and other centers. 50 years later, John still treks, still studies, and still captures his contemplations in poetic form.
Today he lives as “a wandering holy sadhu, a dauntless yogi, a courageous spiritual adventurer. He is a poet and a meditator, a student of 100 spiritual teachers, and a beloved teacher himself. He is a father, grandfather and a community builder – all along a lover of the Path of the Heart.”
“In this volume of poetry, John Travis shares his open, generous, wise heart with us all.”
Joseph Goldstein
John is a poet and a seeker. This book, Scuffed-Up Shoes, offers a look inside the mind of a man on a spiritual odyssey. It depicts reflections on navigating a Buddhist trek of human experience.
This rich sampling of John’s poems – 64 of them – provide a deep insight into Buddhist teachings and the path to relieve suffering.
Sixty-four is a spiritual, meaningful number in Chinese culture.
These poems incorporate insights from his many Asian experiences and travels.
