A wonderful book for reading and pondering, but not what you'll want to pick up if you want to learn about basic Buddhist fundamentals. The writings by the three monks - Saigyō, Chōmei and Kenkō - were (for me) more a glimpse into Japan's past (12th century) and a look at their reflections of Buddhism at the time. Very interesting reading.

Many others who have read the book before me point to how readable and relatable these musings were, some 800-900 years after the ink dried. I think in this regard, much must be said of Meredith McKinney's outstanding research and translation to bring us this slim but important artefact.

I would happily recommend this book to anyone with a background in Buddhism and an interest in contemplative writing.

Four out of five stars.

Sincerest thanks to Penguin Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. This in no way impacted my review or rating.