Toni Packer began studying Zen at the Rochester Zen Center in 1967 with Roshi Philip Kapleau (author of The Three Pillars of Zen). She teaches and leads retreats at Springwater Center in Springwater, New York.

In The Silent Question, Packer provides fresh insights on using the experiences of life that are raw, messy, painful, and sometimes full of laughter, to open a way to compassion. She urges us to let go of our thoughts and to sit "in the stillness of not knowing" in order to reflect upon the essential question of who we are. Packer encourages us to discover that life, energy, and insight come from the questioning, the looking, the listening.

"Packer has a real gift for expressing complicated concepts in single yet personal anecdotes. . . . That, in itsef, makes The Silent Question a healing and reassuring book."—Yoga Journal

"This is a rare and remarkable book. It embodies mindfulness and the fruits of mindfulness practice in their most spacious yet precise and grounded manifestations. And most remarkably, it does it through free and easy dialogue and inquiry between teacher and students. Anyone can enter here, and benefit hugely."—Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our Senses“‘Beginner's mind,’ ‘don’t know mind,’ ‘not knowing,’ are familiar terms for those of us who practice some form of awareness meditation. Toni Packer in simple, clear, and direct language, does a magnificent job of bringing these important concepts to life. Again and again we are brought into her way of coming to a fresh and clear mind, a mind able to see and act with wisdom and kindness. An invaluable guide for all meditators.”—Larry Rosenberg, author of Breath by Breath and Living in the Light of Death

“Toni Packer is a treasure. With a deep and demanding inquiry of a Zen master, she invites us back to mystery and wonder, to rediscover the innocence and wholeness that is our own true nature.”—Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart

"Toni's voice these days comes from a space of absolute transparency. It touches us, stops our galloping minds mid-stride. We breathe, with relief and gratitude. Then, only silence."—Lenore Friedman, author of Meetings with Remarkable Women

Publisher: Shambhala
Distributor: Random House, Inc.
Publication Date: 03-13-2007
Pages: 208
Measurements: 8.39in X 5.46in X .62in X .555lb