The Revolutionary Life of Freda Bedi: British Feminist, Indian Nationalist, Buddhist Nun Paperback – March 28, 2017

A brilliant book about the life of Freda Bedi and women in Buddhism. I was eagerly waiting for it after I read Cave in the Snow, a biography of Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo by the same author. I strongly recommend others to read it!

This woman was amazing and incredibly influential throughout her lifetime and it's crazy that it took this long for a biography to be written about her. It's not the best-written biography I've read, but the story itself more than makes up for it. Very inspiring.

It was a good book where it provided historical info that help me connect the dots regarding Buddhism in this country. There was some error like referring to Thomas Merton as a Jesuit when he belong to the Trappist.

I enjoyed this portrait of Freda's life immensely. It would be of special interest to Buddhists but really anyone who enjoys reading about the lives of spiritual and dedicated people would like it. Vicki Mackenzie writes very well.

The life of Freda Bedi is one of those rare and extraordinary presences that passed through our world changing the course of history, influencing and benefiting the life of uncountable people.As a buddhist practioner one should compare his own life with hers, in order to learn and discover how a person like her developed fearless capacity and qualitys to serve the whole world. It's amazing observe the force of compassion and karma, moulding and pushing her life going forward through several phases. From Christianism in her childhood, to socialist idealism in Oxford to whole new life in India where she totally absorb the culture and became one more indian woman.Her life story is a total Five Stars, but this book no so much.The book itself is an important journalistyic work, which I respect and enjoyed. Unfortunately it's biased in favor of feminism, portraiting a FB idealised version distant the from real personal character that she had. We read that FB helped all kind of people under the worst condition and necessity, which was her sole objective. She was a humanist not feminist.Apparently Mackenzie has a personal and not resolved issue about gender. She not only create several opportunities to heavily criticize the tibetan buddhist hierarchy without explaining the real reason why women in Tibet didn't have Bhikshuni/Gelongma status, creating in this way a distorted image of the male tibetan buddhist authorities, but also, she fastly opens an umbrella to protect FB's image from the negative opinion of readers due two unethical and controversial decisions taken by her. The first one was break her marriage commitments by taken celibacy vows without consulting or discussing it with her husband.The second was to abandon her family specially her young teenage daughter in order to formaly ordein as a novice. Mackenzie in the epilogue plays the feminist-victim card to justified these obvious mistakes.Fortunatley, we have now Naomi Levine`s  The Spiritual Odyssey of Freda Bedi: England, India, Burma, Sikkim, and Beyond  a far better book, more extensive and detailed that presents the FB's original letters. So there are no possible personal biases or agenda on behalf of the author.Above all, buddhist students and practitioners can recognize in Freda Bedi's life and conduct the vividly enlighted action of Tara, a life warrior.

Amazing story of life, pure inspiration! The only thing I missed in the end, is the opportunity to meet Freda in person, she is truly fenomenal woman

A wonderful book on a very awesome Lady Mrs Freda Bedi who became the first woman to be a buddist Nun!!

Fascinating biography. One of Freda's children is a friend - can't wait to discuss book from that person's perspective.

Das Buch habe ich in einem Rutsch durchgelesen. Sehr interressant und berührend.

Well written biography. Great read.

inspiring life of an commited, unshakable woman who followed her heart all the way, we can all learn something from this example.

I had come across the name Fredi Bedi whilst reading other books on the Tibetans escaping the invasion of their homeland so as soon as I saw this book I had to buy it. I read it over several days and it was a book that clearly set out Freda's background and motivations and wasn't afraid to question and provide answers to the choices she made in her life. It's another well written and engrossing book by Vicki Mackenzie. Vicki Mackenzie has written some fantastic books on Tibet, Buddhism and the western view-this is another one of those.

A fascinating biography of an extraordinary woman. Vicki Mackenzie has done an excellent job in telling her story. From her modest upbringing to St Hugh's College, Oxford , and her association with idealistic left-wing individuals, and her unconventional marriage to the Sikh Baba Phyare Lal Bedi (BPL), to becoming a freedom fighter for Indian independence, and finally to becoming an ordained Buddhist nun and helping to bring Buddhism to the West. Well-researched and beautifully written, Vicki Mackenzie has captured the essence of a remarkable woman.