{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20260418T162306Z","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802140718?tag=bookfrontier-20","asin":"0802140718","authors":["Joan Halifax","Thich Nhat Hanh"],"book_id":"9780802140715","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/the-fruitful-darkness-0802140718","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780802140715.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","description":"“The wisdom of cultures that live harmoniously with nature spoken through the heart and mind of a true gnostic intermediary.” —Ram Dass In this “masterwork of an authentic spirit person,” Buddhist teacher and anthropologist Joan Halifax Roshi delves into “the fruitful darkness”—the shadow side of being, found in the root truths of Native religions, the fecundity of nature, and the stillness of meditation (Thomas Berry). In this highly personal and insightful odyssey of the heart and mind, she encounters Tibetan Buddhist meditators, Mexican shamans, and Native American elders, among others. In rapt prose, she recounts her explorations—from Japanese Zen meditation to hallucinogenic plants, from the Dogon people of Mali to the Mayan rain forest, all the while creating “an adventure of the spirit and a feast of wisdom old and new” Halifax believes that deep ecology (which attempts to fuse environmental awareness with spiritual values) works in tandem with Buddhism and shamanism to discover “the interconnectedness of all life,” and to regain life’s sacredness (Peter Matthiessen).","forthcoming":false,"isbn13":"9780802140715","publication_date":"20040325","publisher":"Grove/Atlantic","slug":"the-fruitful-darkness","subtitle":"A Journey Through Buddhist Practice and Tribal Wisdom","title":"The Fruitful Darkness"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"REL124050","confidence_band":"high","label":"Indigenous Teachings","score":1,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL007020","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Buddhist Practice & Ritual","score":0.8187,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL007050","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Tibetan Buddhism","score":0.8058,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"hint":[{"bisac_code":"REL124050","confidence_band":"high","label":"Indigenous Teachings","score":1,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL007020","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Buddhist Practice & Ritual","score":0.8187,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL007050","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Tibetan Buddhism","score":0.8058,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"REL007020","confidence_band":"high","label":"Buddhist Practice & Ritual","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"REL092000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Zen Buddhism","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"REL124050","confidence_band":"high","label":"Indigenous Teachings","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"Indigenous Teachings","score":1,"slug":"indigenous-teachings"},{"label":"Buddhist Practice & Ritual","score":0.8187,"slug":"buddhist-practice-ritual"},{"label":"Tibetan Buddhism","score":0.8058,"slug":"tibetan-buddhism"}],"reader_fit":["Good for readers who enjoy Indigenous Teachings","Good for readers interested in religion","Good for fans of Buddhism"],"related_lists":[],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Thich Nhat Hanh","Vo-Dihn Mai","Mobi Ho"],"book_id":"9780807012390","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780807012390.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":13.7709,"title":"The Miracle of Mindfulness","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780807012390"},{"authors":["Thich Nhat Hanh","Edoardo Ballerini","Gabra Zackman","HarperOne"],"book_id":"9780063276482","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780063276482.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":13.4765,"title":"The Art of Living","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780063276482"},{"authors":["Thich Nhat Hanh","Melvin McLeod","Sherab Ch÷dzin Kohn"],"book_id":"9781590308387","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781590308387.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":13.4143,"title":"You Are Here","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781590308387"},{"authors":["Thich Nhat Hanh"],"book_id":"9781937006112","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781937006112.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":13.0222,"title":"Awakening of the Heart","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781937006112"},{"authors":["Thich Nhat Hanh"],"book_id":"9781888375343","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781888375343.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":12.6111,"title":"Finding Our True Home","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781888375343"},{"authors":["H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama","Jeffrey Hopkins","Elizabeth S. Napper","& 0 more"],"book_id":"9781611808643","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781611808643.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":12.0811,"title":"Kindness, Clarity, and Insight","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781611808643"},{"authors":["Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye","Padmakara Translation Group"],"book_id":"9781645472926","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781645472926.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":11.594,"title":"Nyingma: Mahayoga, Anuyoga, and Atiyoga, Part Two","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781645472926"},{"authors":["Ngawang Zangpo"],"book_id":"9781559391641","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781559391641.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-19T10%3A16%3A55Z","score":11.34,"title":"Sacred Ground","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781559391641"}],"topics":[{"evidence_refs":["keyword:religion"],"label":"Religion","score":0.084,"slug":"religion"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:nature"],"label":"Nature","score":0.0537,"slug":"nature"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:teacher"],"label":"Teacher","score":0.0532,"slug":"teacher"}],"what_you_get":["Themes: Religion, Nature, Teacher.","Reading lane: Indigenous Teachings and Buddhist Practice & Ritual.","Publisher: Grove/Atlantic."]},"llm_signals":null,"source_presence":{"amazon":true,"book_detail":true,"goodreads":true,"llm_signals":false,"similarity_seed":true},"stats":{"amazon_ratings_count":207,"goodreads_ratings_count":513,"goodreads_reviews_count":41,"quality_score":0.9079}}