Dipa Ma

Book

Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master

This biography of one of the few women in her generation to devote herself entirely to the pursuit of meditation also includes Dipa Ma’s spiritual teachings, which have made her a major figure in contemporary Buddhism.

A study of the life and teachings of Nani Bala Barua—the Indian saint more commonly known by her affectionate nickname, Dipa Ma (1911–1989). The book begins with a swift but engaging outline of Dipa Ma’s life, including her marriage at age 12, her struggle as a single mother to practice meditation, her mastery of such “supernatural powers” as mind reading and time travel and her eventual establishment in a tiny Calcutta apartment as a gentle, playful and world-renowned teacher of mindfulness—indeed, Dipa Ma deeply influenced such American Buddhist heavyweights as Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield, who provide the foreword and afterword, respectively.

Next the book highlights a number of Dipa Ma’s teachings, such as “the mind is all stories”; “you can do anything you want to do”; and despite strongly patriarchal economic and religious systems, “you should not think that women are helpless.”

It rounds out the book by exploring Dipa Ma’s continuing legacy, including how many of her students continue to experience her presence even after her death. It is a compelling tribute to a beloved teacher whose “combination of gentleness, no pretense, and power” continues to inspire many interested in the Buddhist path.

All author profits from the Dipa Ma book go towards sponsoring the care of a nun with the Tibetan Nun’s Project.  Since 2018, the Dipa Ma book has been sponsoring a teenage nun at the Dolma Ling monastery.

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Please Note:  “Knee Deep in Grace” is the same book as “Dipa Ma The Life and Legacy”

There are not two Dipa Ma books.  “Knee Deep in Grace” was the first version of the book about Dipa Ma, but in its first year the USA distributor Bookpeople declared bankruptcy, and the publisher was not able to continue with Knee Deep. In order to keep the book in circulation, and not be forever lost as an out of print book, I had to find a new publisher.  Thankfully BlueBridge stepped in to save the book from extinction. The result was a new ISBN #, which meant we had to give it a new title and new cover. “Knee Deep in Grace” is the very same book as “Dipa Ma The Life and Legacy” with the exception that we added 10 extra stories to “Dipa Ma The Life and Legacy.” So the loss of the original book Knee Deep ended up creating an even better book with more stories in Life and Legacy. Unfortunately there are misunderstandings about the two versions of Dipa Ma, with some people thinking there was intentional deception, and others trying to sell the original version at exorbitant prices. Please do not buy Knee Deep.  You are not missing anything and it is the very same book as “Dipa Ma The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master,” available above at a normal price.  If any misunderstandings have occurred for you around these two titles, I offer my sincere apologies.

The Dipa Ma book in other countries/languages):