This Monk Wears Heels

Book excerpt: Kodo Nishimura rose to fame following his appearance in Queer Eye: We're in Japan. Now this celebrity make-up artist and ordained Buddhist monk shares his unique and practical guide to positivity and self-acceptance. Readers will learn from the author's path to self-love and resilience and modern take on Buddhist teachings. IT’S TIME TO BE TRUE TO YOU This book is for anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t fit in. And for all those who dare to be different. Do you show who you truly are? Do you say what you really think? Or do you hide your heart’s desire and camouflage yourself to look like others? It is too easy to limit ourselves for fear of what other people will think. The message of this book is that we can choose to love our uniqueness—and that our diversity offers hope for the world. This Monk Wears Heels is a guide to self-love, self-acceptance, and taking a Buddhist approach to life. Kodo Nishimura reveals how inclusive the Buddhist teachings really are—and that, yes, it is possible to be a Buddhist monk and do makeup and wear sparkly earrings. This book is about being who you really are, totally unapologetically and with full conviction. It will show you how to shine in your own colors and be celebrated for yourself. This is the English translation of Seisei Dodo, published in Japan in 2020 by Sunmark Publishing, Inc., Tokyo.