Poetry. Translated from the Japanes by John Stevens. At 33, Otaguki Nobu renounced a world that had visited great tragedy upon her (after losing two husbands and two infant children) and was ordained a Buddhist nun, taking the name Rengetsu (Lotus Moon). LOTUS MOON is a selection of her finest poetry presented in John Steven's elegant translations and includes illustrations of her artwork and pottery. "One pleasure of discovering the lives and teachings of the rare women we find in the history of Buddhism is seeing how they take up the tragedies of their lives and transform then. Because their stories are less accessible--finding someone like Rengetsu is a great gift. To sit with the poems of Rengetsu is to allow a teacher into the depth of one's mind"--Bonnie Myotai Treace.