Sutra of the Boundless Heart

The uniqueness of this book is to treat the Buddha's notion of rebirth not as a spiritual phenomenon, but literally as the repeat or purity of birth in the same line that is motivated by prejudice. The notion of rebirth or samsara comes to life as lineage and birthright in the caste reality of ancient India. In language that is both lyrical and profound, the eighty-five prose poems address the caste alienation of the Buddha, and show the pain that this caused. They address the practice of nonidentity or anatta that allowed the Buddha to escape rebirth, and the joy of nirvana that this brought. Thus the notion of rebirth is preserved in a rational way-in the desire that exists in all societies to perpetuate lineage; as is the notion of anatta in the need to refute the stigma and stereotype that is directed at lineage.