Paula Arai -- "Of Mud and Lotuses"
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time
- Tuesday, Oct 27, 2026 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Location
Boulder Bookstore
1107 Pearl St
Details
Paula Arai will speak about and sign her new book, Of Mud and Lotuses: Dreaming the Lives of Buddhist Women, on Tuesday, October 27th at 6:30pm, at Boulder Bookstore. Tickets for this event are $5 (plus a small processing fee) and are available on Eventbrite.
About the Book:
With lyrical storytelling and a perspective informed by decades as a Japanese American scholar of women in Buddhism, Paula Arai conjures the kitchens, temples, and intimate moments of Buddhist women’s lives across India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, and the contemporary U.S.
A mother and daughter circle a stupa amidst a scent of jasmine. The Buddha exchanges letters with Mahaprajapati, his aunt and adoptive mother. An ancient Indian queen proclaims the womb as the very cradle of Buddha-nature. In these creative histories, motherhood is sacred and everyday, caregiving is both burden and liberation, and the “womb of the Buddha” pulses at the heart of spiritual awakening.
Complementing these fictional pieces are Arai’s personal and scholarly reflections on Buddhist women’s history, as well as several nonfiction narratives of contemporary American Buddhist women whose struggles and triumphs reveal a striking continuity with the ancestors who preceded them.
IMPORTANT TICKETING AND EVENT INFORMATION
Tickets are $5 (plus a small processing fee).
A coupon good for $5 off a copy of Of Mud and Lotuses, or a purchase on the day of the event is included with your ticket. You will receive this coupon at the event.
Please note: our events are held on the second floor. To request a reasonable accommodation or discuss your needs, contact us.
