The Buddha Tree (Tuttle Classics)

The Buddha Tree tells the story of Soshu, an effete and handsome Buddhist priest whose hypocrisy and addiction to sensual pleasures lead him to carry on an affair with his own mother-in-law, even as he offers pious counseling to his parishioners. Ridden with guilt, Soshu tries to reform after his wife leaves him but becomes enmeshed in his own web of deceit. Throughout The Buddha Tree Niwa reveals remarkable insight into human weaknesses and casts a keen eye at the materialism of the modern Japanese Buddhist church.

Fumio Niwa (1904--), the son of a Buddhist priest, was the author of more than 80 novels, 106 volumes of short stories, and 10 volumes of essays. As the heir of a family of priests, Niwa was ordained during childhood, but left the priesthood after finishing college. A graduate of Waseda University, he was the winner of every major Japanese literary prize and the long-time chief director of the Japanese Writers Association.