The StoryField Blog
Review by Andrew Berger
“The Weaver's Daughter” is a beautiful story of a teenage girl’s encounter with the wise and compassionate Buddha. In a narrative that is both clear and poetic, storyteller and Dharma student Margo McLoughlin brings the story to life.
Through Margo's use of narrative, dialogue, and description, we become witness to the unfolding story of the weaver's daughter, a young village person whose chance encounter with the Buddha will lead to a profound awakening.
Inspired by the Buddha’s words, the weaver’s daughter resolves quietly to reflect on impermanence and death. Through Margo’s telling of the story, we become first-hand witnesses to the simple efforts of the character to reflect upon impermanence in her daily life – while she is weaving, walking through the village, and thinking about her mother.
The story is enriched by details that help us envision daily life as it might have appeared to the character - from the Banyan tree she passes to the work of preparing a loom to the smells in the air of her village.
With her resonant voice and hypnotic cadence, Margo captivates and draws us into this unique time and place. Punctuating and enriching the story are the warm, mesmerizing sounds of Doug MacKenzie. He creates a palette of magical, strange, and sometimes humorous sounds out of percussion and string instruments. They create a rich texture through which the words float and dance into one's mind.
Through well-chosen details, a clear and melodic voice, and spell-binding narration, Margo brings the ancient story of the weaver’s daughter alive in a way that awakens our own desire to practice. We are left full of awe for the powerful results of a young woman’s determined practice and full of delight in the Buddha’s teachings. In accompanying the weaver's daughter on her journey, we too, become recipients of the beautiful teachings she has learned from the Buddha.
Through Margo's use of narrative, dialogue, and description, we become witness to the unfolding story of the weaver's daughter, a young village person whose chance encounter with the Buddha will lead to a profound awakening.
Inspired by the Buddha’s words, the weaver’s daughter resolves quietly to reflect on impermanence and death. Through Margo’s telling of the story, we become first-hand witnesses to the simple efforts of the character to reflect upon impermanence in her daily life – while she is weaving, walking through the village, and thinking about her mother.
The story is enriched by details that help us envision daily life as it might have appeared to the character - from the Banyan tree she passes to the work of preparing a loom to the smells in the air of her village.
With her resonant voice and hypnotic cadence, Margo captivates and draws us into this unique time and place. Punctuating and enriching the story are the warm, mesmerizing sounds of Doug MacKenzie. He creates a palette of magical, strange, and sometimes humorous sounds out of percussion and string instruments. They create a rich texture through which the words float and dance into one's mind.
Through well-chosen details, a clear and melodic voice, and spell-binding narration, Margo brings the ancient story of the weaver’s daughter alive in a way that awakens our own desire to practice. We are left full of awe for the powerful results of a young woman’s determined practice and full of delight in the Buddha’s teachings. In accompanying the weaver's daughter on her journey, we too, become recipients of the beautiful teachings she has learned from the Buddha.
