Buddha’s Words for Tough Times
Twenty translations from the vast corpus of Buddhist literature come alive in this full-color anthology of ancient wisdom for turbulent times, as a master scholar uncovers their sources and significance. Change and loss have always been part of the human condition, but in today's world, the pace and intensity of uncertainty has reached new extremes. The Buddha observed the truth of impermanence more than 2,500 years ago and diagnosed the source of the anxiety it engenders so incisively that his prescription still resonates and heals here and now. In Buddha's Words for Tough Times, Peter Skilling, one of the world's foremost authorities on Buddhist scripture, brings the reader face to face with the wealth of Buddhist literature, from a teaching in a single word, to a seminal collection of verses on impermanence, to narrations of the Buddha's teaching journeys across the Gangetic Plain. Translating from sources in Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Pali, he uncovers the complex history of the vast writings of the Buddhist canons, and his skill in revealing the meaning of twenty gems from within those riches brings them alive for English readers. We could have no better guide for this exploration, an exploration whose value is more urgent than ever.
The Metaphysics of Meditation
In this book Stephen Phillips focuses on one of the most important poems about meditation in world literature, as understood by two of the greatest philosophers of India, one classical, one modern. Sankara's commentaries on the Upanisads are a core of the Vedanta tradition and Aurobindo is a towering figure of 20th-century Hindu thought. This is the first time their approaches have been studied together. The Isa (c. 500 BCE) an "Upanisad" belongs to a genre of "adhyatmika" learning-concerning self and consciousness-in early Indian literature. According to the Ancient Indian tradition of yoga, meditation is antithetical to willful bodily and mental action. Breathing is all you do. In the conception of the Isa Upanisad, we are told that the best that comes from meditation is because of what the "Lord" is. In Sankara's interpretation it comes to block out the little "you," whereas according to Aurobindo it comes as a divine connection, an occult "Conscious Force" belonging to truer part of oneself, atman, and an "opening" to that self's native energy. Framed around Aurobindo's translation of each of the Isa's eighteen verses, along with a translation of each verse, Phillips follows a different reading of Sankara as laid out in his commentary. All this is done against the backdrop of modern scholarship. Convergences and divergences of these streams are the focus throughout. Appendix A presents the Upanisad with the two readings side by side. This book traces a worldview and consonant yoga teaching common to two authors who are typically taken to be oceans apart, not only chronologically but in intellectual stance. Addressing a huge gap in the contemporary literature on meditation in the Hindu traditions, Phillips presents a compelling new way of thinking about meditation in the Advaita Vedanta philosophy and Upanisad.
Origin of Human Nature
Offers an original and fertile way to integrate spiritual and scientific views of human evolution. It offers a new and refreshing alternative to the way we think about our origins: random mutation (mechanistic neo-Darwinism), Genesis (God did it all personally), and Intelligent Design (God personally does what we can't otherwise account for). The result is an invigorating perspective on how our best qualities -- our capacity for love, our appreciation of beauty, our altruistic capability, our creativity and intelligence -- have come into being and evolved. How we think about our origin matters: if we think we are machines living among other machines, we will act accordingly. By showing evolution as a creative and intelligent process with its own inherent logic, THE ORIGIN OF HUMAN NATURE resolves the dilemma of how to have, at the same time, both truth and ethics. Instead of starting in an imagined remote and 'uncertain past' and moving to the present, this book starts at the certain and 'immediate present' and works back. That consciousness, creativity, and intelligence exist is certain. The question is: how can these have evolved? Dr Albert Low has made a study of human nature throughout his life. To write this book he draws on his prolonged meditations on creativity and the human condition, his years of providing psychological and spiritual counseling, and a wide-ranging knowledge of Western psychology, philosophy, and science.
Daily Fragrance of the Lotus Flower, Vol. 12 (2003)
Product Description: Daily Fragrance of the Lotus Flower is a multi-volume collection of teachings by Buddhist master Ji Kwang, the Supreme Matriarch of the Lotus Sangha of World Social Buddhism. Since 1992, these teachings have been offered daily as "Dharma food," or spiritual sustenance, for anyone striving to attain peace of mind in their families and workplaces. Deftly integrating personal concerns with social issues, Great Dharma Master Ji Kwang's teachings simply and yet powerfully express both the meaning of and the means to realizing enlightening relationships in the midst of the complex and challenging world of the 21st century. Each annual volume is a luminous treasury of daily guidance from a spiritual master to her students and to all who would work out from within their present situation to bring about world peace. About the Author: Ji Kwang, Dae Poep Sa Nim ("Great Dharma Master"), is the Chung Chong or Supreme Matriarch of the Yun Hwa Denomination/Lotus Sangha of World Social Buddhism, which has centers in the United States and Europe. Born in Korea in 1946, she has been training in Buddhism since she was twelve, and is one of the very few women to be recognized as an enlightened master in Korean Buddhist history. She now resides at the Lotus Buddhist Monastery in Hawaii.
Ground, Path, and Fruition
Ground, path, and fruition is a type of logic used to understand a whole subject clearly. Here, it is applied to teachings on mind and mind essence from Tsoknyi Rinpoche by Lama Tony Duff to make a complete guide to the higher practices of Essence Mahamudra and the Thorough Cut of Great Completion. The book contains several, complete teachings on these subjects all carefully arranged into ground, path, and fruition presentations. Moreover, the path instructions are extensively presented using the logic of view, meditation, and conduct. Lama Tony has additionally highlighted the special type of instructions, called upadesha or foremost instructions, that form the core teachings of these practices.
Secrets of True Happiness
Secrets of True Happiness is a straightforward guide to becoming Truly Happy by living wisely. When happy, you can be at ease as a Buddha in Blue Jeans: a person of presence, openness, love, and benefit.Reader's Reviews: A single page gives such a gift that I take in my breath and am drawn to stop and take it in.The simplest things are always the most precious. Tai Sheridan has shown this to be true. Concise, accessible, and remarkable. Everything we need to know is found in these pages. You can flip them open to any page and find inspiration.Tai Sheridan delivers quality books over and over. Tai practiced Zen for fifty years with Berkeley and San Francisco Zen Centers. After ordination, he took the path of teacher-writer. His books transform Zen and Buddhist teachings into accessible contemplations.
Esoteric Buddhism in China
During the Republican period (1912-1949) and after, many Chinese Buddhists sought inspiration from non-Chinese Buddhist traditions, showing a particular interest in esoteric teachings. What made these Buddhists dissatisfied with Chinese Buddhism, and what did they think other Buddhist traditions could offer? Which elements did they choose to follow, and which ones did they disregard? And how do their experiences recast the wider story of twentieth-century pan-Asian Buddhist reform movements? Based on a wide range of previously unexplored Chinese sources, this book explores how esoteric Buddhist traditions have shaped the Chinese religious landscape. Wei Wu examines cross-cultural religious transmission of ideas from Japanese and Tibetan traditions, considering the various esoteric currents within Chinese Buddhist communities and how Chinese individuals and groups engaged with newly translated ideas and practices. She argues that Chinese Buddhists' assimilation of doctrinal, ritual, and institutional elements of Tibetan and Japanese esoteric Buddhism was not a simple replication but an active process of creating new meanings. Their visions of Buddhism in the modern world, as well as early twentieth-century discourses of nation building and religious reform, shaped the reception of esoteric traditions. By analyzing the Chinese interpretation and strategic adaptations of esoteric Buddhism, this book sheds new light on the intellectual development, ritual performances, and institutional formations of Chinese Buddhism in the twentieth century.
Esoteric Buddhism in China
During the Republican period (1912-1949) and after, many Chinese Buddhists sought inspiration from non-Chinese Buddhist traditions, showing a particular interest in esoteric teachings. What made these Buddhists dissatisfied with Chinese Buddhism, and what did they think other Buddhist traditions could offer? Which elements did they choose to follow, and which ones did they disregard? And how do their experiences recast the wider story of twentieth-century pan-Asian Buddhist reform movements? Based on a wide range of previously unexplored Chinese sources, this book explores how esoteric Buddhist traditions have shaped the Chinese religious landscape. Wei Wu examines cross-cultural religious transmission of ideas from Japanese and Tibetan traditions, considering the various esoteric currents within Chinese Buddhist communities and how Chinese individuals and groups engaged with newly translated ideas and practices. She argues that Chinese Buddhists' assimilation of doctrinal, ritual, and institutional elements of Tibetan and Japanese esoteric Buddhism was not a simple replication but an active process of creating new meanings. Their visions of Buddhism in the modern world, as well as early twentieth-century discourses of nation building and religious reform, shaped the reception of esoteric traditions. By analyzing the Chinese interpretation and strategic adaptations of esoteric Buddhism, this book sheds new light on the intellectual development, ritual performances, and institutional formations of Chinese Buddhism in the twentieth century.
The Buddha
Alongside Jesus and Muhammad, the Buddha is the most significant figure in the history of religion. Philip Almond's engaging new book is the first to combine a history of early traditions about Siddhartha Gautama's life with an authoritative account of how he and the tantalizing philosophy inspired by him came to the attention of the West. It takes the reader on a remarkable journey encompassing (among other topics) Alexander the Great, the courts of the Mongol Khans, Jesuit missions to China and Japan, and intrepid European travellers and scholars from the modern era. Melding Pali and Sanskrit sources with vivid reception, Almond presents the Buddha's story as multi-layered: one of transition from a world of angels and demons, water and tree spirits, to an altogether different context where Buddhism mixed with the cultural preoccupations of those who tentatively - sometimes following false trails - tried to make sense of its fascinating complexity.
The Ethnography of Tantra
This is the first collection of essays to approach the topic of Tantric Studies from the vantage point of ethnography and lived religion, moving beyond the centrality of written texts and giving voice to the everyday life and livelihoods of a multitude of Tantric actors. Bringing together a team of international scholars whose contributions range across diverse communities and traditions in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayan region, the book connects distant shores of Tantric scholarship and lived Tantric practices. The contributors unpack Tantra's relationship to the body, ritual performance, sexuality, secrecy, power hierarchies, death, magic, and healing, while doing so with vigilant sensitivity to decolonization and the ethics of fieldwork. Through diverse ethnographies of Tantra and attention to lived experiences and life stories, the book challenges normative definitions of Tantra and maps the variety of Tantric traditions, providing comparative perspectives on Tantric societies across regions and religious backgrounds. The accessible tone of the ethnographic case studies makes this an ideal book for undergraduate or graduate audiences working on the topic of Tantra.
Calm Abiding and Special Insight
Calm Abiding and Special Insight presents an intimate and detailed picture of the intricacies of meditation so vividly that the reader is drawn into a Tibetan worldview of spiritual development. Geshe Ged羹n Lodr繹, one of the foremost scholars of Tibet, reveals methods for overcoming afflictive states and disorders to create a mind which is stable, calm, and alertly clear. This book illustrates the mind's potential for profound transformation. The dangers of not recognizing states contrary to successful meditation are great, and the possibilities of implementing the wrong antidote, or of overextending an appropriate one until it becomes counterproductive, are many. Through such detail, Geshe Ged羹n Lodr繹 makes vividly clear a Tibetan approach to meditative transformation. This is a completely revised new edition of Walking Through Walls.
The Lion’s Roar
This book is based on two historic seminars of the 1970s, in which Ch繹gyam Trungpa introduced the tantric teachings of Tibetan Buddhism to his Western students for the first time. Each seminar bore the title "The Nine Yanas." Yana, a Sanskrit word meaning "vehicle," refers to a body of doctrine and practical instruction that enables students to advance spiritually on the path of Buddha-dharma. Nine vehicles, arranged in successive levels, make up the whole path of Buddhist practice. Teaching all nine means giving a total picture of the spiritual journey. The author's nontheoretical, experiential approach opens up a world of fundamental psychological insights and subtleties. He speaks directly to a contemporary Western audience, using earthly analogies that place the ancient teachings in the midst of ordinary life.
Dangerous Friend
Although Tibetan Buddhism continues to grow in popularity, the crucial relationship between teacher and student remains largely misunderstood. Dangerous Friend offers an in-depth exploration of this mysterious and complex bond, a relationship of paramount importance in Tibetan Buddhist practice. According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the student must have complete trust in the teacher (the "dangerous friend") if he or she is to achieve any understanding. It is the teacher's responsibility to uphold the integrity of the tradition, the basis of which is compassion for all beings, by transmitting it properly to an appropriate student. Likewise, it is the student's responsibility to meet the challenge of carrying on the lineage of teachings. By entering such a relationship, both teacher and student accept the burden of protecting those teachings by understanding them completely and correctly, by practicing them fully and faultlessly, and by transmitting them without omission. Dangerous Friend includes discussions of the following topics: - Meeting and recognizing an appropriate teacher. - Understanding the gravity of entering the teacher-student relationship. - Shifting one's approach from spiritual materialism to genuine Buddhist practice. - Accepting the challenge of being truly kind, honest, and courageous.
Teachings of Zen
Zen Buddhism emerged in China some fifteen centuries ago and remained the most dynamic and influential spiritual movement in Asia for more than a millennium. Though the teachings of the first Zen masters are sometimes considered innovation, they were actually a return to the core of Buddhist teaching and to an understanding of the importance of the personal experience of enlightenment. This anthology presents talks, sayings, and records of heart-to-heart encounters to show the essence of Zen teaching through the words of the Zen masters themselves. The selections have been made from the voluminous Zen canon for their accessibility, their clarity, and above all their practical effectiveness in fostering insight.
Perseverance
Dive deep into perseverance, one of the core practices of the bodhisattvas, with beloved teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche as a guide. Awakening depends on fortitude; because, without fortitude there is no merit, as there is no movement without wind. --Shantideva, Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life Perseverance, or virya, is also translated as "energy," "fortitude," or "vigor." One of the six perfections, or paramitas, it is one of the trainings of the bodhisattvas and a deeply necessary quality for the Buddhist path. But it's far from the kind of head-down, stubborn determination the name could imply; instead, it's joyful energy that enables us to practice. Rinpoche's commentary is structured around the fifth and seventh chapters of the beloved Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life by the eighth-century philosopher-poet Shantideva. Interweaving his teaching with Shantideva's verses, Rinpoche elucidates this prerequisite for enlightenment, explaining what it is and how to cultivate it: guard your mind, gather virtue, work for others--and find incredible joy in these things. "When we have perseverance, we will have no obstacles, which means obstacles to any happiness, especially to ultimate happiness, the freedom from the oceans of samsaric suffering, and most importantly to peerless happiness, the state of the omniscience that is enlightenment." --Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Just As You Are
Just As You Are is a clear and warm introduction to the Pure Land Buddhism of the Bright Earth Buddhist Temple. It outlines Bright Earth's three themes of ecological, engaged and everyday Buddhism, and it introduces simple practices that connect us to our environment, that encourage us to speak up for justice, and that help us to make positive changes in our ordinary lives. This book has an important message: that we are all loveable just as we are, and that when we come to believe this we become kinder towards ourselves, towards all sentient beings and towards the Earth. "A sincere, humble, and intimate record of the transformative encounter with Other Power. Satya and Kaspa deftly interweave stimulating reflections on Pure Land thought and history with poignant, personal testimonies that beckon us into a space of deepening awareness and profound connection."-Nagapriya is author of The Promise of a Sacred World: Shinran's Teaching of Other Power. "This book offers a rich patchwork of articles sharing not just the fundamentals of Pure Land Buddhism, but also the lived experiences of practitioners. I particularly appreciate the way in which it interweaves the ground of ideas, practice and lifestyle with personal anecdotes from members of the Bright Earth group.... the picture painted in this book is religiously well informed and at the same time deeply embedded in the real worlds of environmental action, psychological therapies and social action. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more in particular about the Bright Earth tradition, but also to those seeking to broaden their understanding of Buddhism in its breadth and depth."-Caroline Brazier is a Jodo Shinshu priest and author of The Other Buddhism."I was a fan of the first edition of Just as You Are: Buddhism For Foolish Being but I think the second edition really hits the sweet spot in explaining the form of Buddhism Kaspa and Satya practice in their temple. It continues to introduce readers to Pure Land Buddhism but with more detail about its history, and expanding beyond an introduction to Pure Land to include new spiritual influences from their study with Bright Dawn and the Reverends Gyomay and Koyo Kubose.... Their dedication to this three-fold structure of an everyday, engaged, and ecological Buddhism is a rare combination that answers the needs of the world right now with sound Buddhist teachings that they write about with a bright passion."-Wendy Shinyo Haylett is the founder & host of the podcast, Everyday Buddhism: Making Everyday Better, and author of Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices For Real Change. "Just as You Are is a warm, accessible introduction to the practices of Pure Land Buddhism and a delightful glimpse into the life of two committed practitioners who not only teach the path, but live it. The writing is both honest and clear, personable and open, and it paints a compelling picture of the practices of Pure Land Buddhism and of temple living - or, short of that, of a life dedicated to the dharma. Satya and Kaspa are trustworthy guides, and those interested in exploring Pure Land Buddhism and its devotional practices do well to entrust themselves to their guidance."-Vanessa Zuisei Goddard is author of Still Running: The Art of Meditation in Motion. "What the authors have done in this book is show the way toward attentive compassion - compassion towards others but also, and maybe more importantly, towards oneself. I laughed out loud at the idea of the validation of our foolish, bombu nature."-Terrance Keenan is a Zen Monk, Artist and Writer and the author of Zen Encounters with Loneliness.
Father for a Buddha
King Suddhodana, the loving father of Lord Buddha, is a prominent figure in the historyof the Buddhist order. He is a character who went through many setbacks and traumas in hislife because of his overflowing love for his son. He was able to finally discover the reality of life, right through all such challenges. This novel beautifully portrays King Suddhodana's character, utilizing the faculties of meaningful imagination. And "grace of expression" is manifest in manyinstances as the story gradually climaxes. As an excellent work of literature, it deals with atheme of permanent and universal interest since the story is webbed around one of thegreatest personalities in the history of mankind. The main challenge in recreating King Suddhodana's life story into a novel is the rarity oflife-related facts about him, other than the stories usually heard within the life story of Buddha.The book has overcome those challenges by carefully selecting and arranging the available factsin proper order and has beautifully reconstructed them into a narrative of rare distinction. Thenovel transforms the character of Suddhodana from a mundane position culminating step bystep into a higher level of spiritual attainment in a fascinating manner. The ultimate outcome isa historical personality immortalized in literature. King Suddhodana was considered eighty-five years old at the time of his death. That wasfive years after the Supreme Buddha's Enlightenment. Therefore, it is important to rememberthat the king was approximately eighty years old at the time of Prince Siddhartha'senlightenment. He was seventy-four years old at the time of the Great Renunciation, and forty-five years old at the time of Prince Siddhartha's birth. These are all valuable information inunderstanding the contextual behaviour of King Suddhodana. How sensitive a father is in his affection for his son is evident only when you delve intohis life. Unfortunately, not enough has been written about it. The life story of the great KingSuddhodana, which stands as a symbol of a father's love for his son, gives such aninterpretation. "Of course, at first, I wanted to make you a universal king... It was a sentiment thatemerged from my ego. And a sentiment that arose in thinking about the dynasty... Forgive me...Today, you are a greater person than that. The number of people who have found happinessthrough your Dhamma is immeasurable. I'm now a victim of both aging and sickness, which Itried to hide from you in your childhood. I'll die soon... Even in your household days, you toldme that there is no escape for people from this truth. I did not accept them then. Now, I realizevery well that for the cessation of Samsaric suffering, the path of Nirvana must be followed." Near his death, this confession made by King Suddhodana is like a mirror reflecting howhis life was transformed by his love for his son, the Buddha.
The Beginner's Guide to Karma
Twenty-six centuries ago, the Buddha fleshed out the universal law of the spiritual realm: karma, which holds that our actions, our words, and even our thoughts inevitably produce effects that return to us in some form -- in this lifetime or a future one. In The Beginner's Guide to Karma, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche and Mordy Levine encourage readers to forget what they've heard about karma and look at the subject afresh. Delving into Buddhist scripture and tradition, the authors give a comprehensive overview that incorporates psychology, ethics, and metaphysics. Using everyday language and real-life examples, they clear away myths, illustrate how karma works in daily life, and offer practices to build positive karma. The Beginner's Guide to Karma neatly sums up the Buddhist worldview and makes a compelling case for a way of being that nurtures compassion, joy, and inner peace in an uncertain world.
Cloudless Sky
His Eminence the Third Jamg繹n Kongtr羹l Rinpoche offers a masterful exploration of mahamudra, the pinnacle of Tibetan Buddhist meditation practices. Drawing from the rich traditions of the Kagy羹 lineage, this seminal work unveils the essence of mind's true nature, guiding practitioners through the intricacies of ground, path, and fruition mahamudra. Rinpoche's commentary on the Vajra Song of the First Jamg繹n Kongtr羹l blends philosophical insight with practical meditation instructions, making the lofty concepts of emptiness and luminosity accessible to both novice and experienced practitioners. Through vivid metaphors and clear explanations, he illuminates the path to recognizing one's innate buddha-nature, challenging readers to transcend conceptual limitations and experience the boundless clarity of awareness--inviting them to discover the "cloudless sky" of their own minds, free from the obscurations of ignorance and confusion.
The Notion of Solitude in Pali Buddhist Literature
Exploring how notions of solitude in Pali literature are encompassed in various literary forms, such as stock formulae, poetry, narrative, and imagery, this book includes close analysis of some of the most famous Buddhist verses about solitary practice. Indaka Nishan Weerasekera considers how solitude is valued as one significant aspect of the Buddhist path, including how the imagery of landscape, especially the forest, serves to both inspire solitary practice as well as functions as a metaphor for meditation. The author employs a cross-section of primary sources to explore the practical and psychological aspects of solitude in relation to Buddhist meditation, as well as relational/attitudinal concepts such as renunciation or desirelessness, independence, and self-reliance. This 'lonely' aspect of the Buddhist path sits alongside the 'communal' aspect of the Buddhist teachings. Together, they serve to maintain monastic harmony, while the 'social' aspect preserves monastic relations with wider society.
Storehouse of Treasures
Storehouse of Treasures unearths wise and beautiful elements of Chan and Zen still little known in the West, revealing unexpected aspects of the tradition and new implications for practice. Since the dawn of Chan and Zen in medieval China and Japan, members of these schools have enlivened their teaching by creatively adopting and adapting terms, images, principles, poetry, and lore native to their societies. Unfortunately, so much of that cultural wealth has been "lost in translation" that Western practitioners have barely begun to discover and appreciate this extraordinarily rich legacy. In Storehouse of Treasures, second-generation American Zen teacher Nelson Foster makes a series of adventuresome forays into the trove of material laid up by the Dharma ancestors, bringing to light: Masters' delight in playing with words, stories, and inherited Buddhist concepts, bending them to express the Dharma in inspired ways The powerful influence that Taoist and Confucian thought exerted in the formation of Chan and Zen The emphasis the two schools have laid on excellence of character as well as on profound awakening The experiential meaning and enduring importance to the tradition of ideals little associated with it today, like integrity, shame, and contentment How "knowing the tune" of a fellow student, a mentor, or a teacher of old lies at the heart of transmitting the Dharma Lifting to attention a diverse set of ancient yet still luminous Dharma gems, Foster urges their relevance and value to us as students of the Buddha Way and as citizens of a world increasingly fractious and imperiled.
Ocean of Dharma
Here is an inspiring collection of short teachings from the writings of the renowned Tibetan meditation master Ch繹gyam Trungpa. Pithy and immediate, these teachings can be contemplated and practiced every day--or any day--of the year. Drawn from a wide variety of sources--including never-before-published writings--Ocean of Dharma addresses a range of topics, including fear and fearlessness, accepting our imperfections, developing confidence, helping others, appreciating our basic goodness, and everyday life as a spiritual path.
Confucianism and Its Rivals
"Confucianism and Its Rivals" by Herbert A. Giles offers a comprehensive exploration of the rich tapestry of Chinese religions, spanning the dominance of Confucianism and Taoism to the historical role of Northern Buddhism. As China's state religion, Confucianism evolved, shedding metaphysical aspects to become the dominant spiritual force until the 20th century. Giles, a seasoned British diplomat and renowned sinologist, provides a detailed historical account of Chinese religion, originally delivered as the Hibbert lectures in 1914.From the indigenous expressions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to the profound impact of Confucianism and Taoism, Giles navigates the complex religious landscape of China. This scholarly work not only reflects Giles' expertise but also serves as a valuable resource for those seeking a nuanced understanding of Chinese religious history, making it an essential read for scholars and enthusiasts alike.
Consciousness Mattering
Consciousness Mattering presents a contemporary Buddhist theory in which brains, bodies, environments, and cultures are relational infrastructures for human consciousness. Drawing on insights from meditation, neuroscience, physics, and evolutionary theory, it demonstrates that human consciousness is not something that occurs only in our heads and consists in the creative elaboration of relations among sensed and sensing presences, and more fundamentally between matter and what matters. Hershock argues that without consciousness there would only be either unordered sameness or nothing at all. Evolution is consciousness mattering. Shedding new light on the co-emergence of subjective awareness and culture, the possibility of machine consciousness, the risks of algorithmic consciousness hacking, and the potentials of intentionally altered states of consciousness, Hershock invites us to consider how freely, wisely, and compassionately consciousness matters.
Ordinary Enlightenment
This classic scripture of Mahayana Buddhism and Zen emphasizes spiritual practice in the midst of secular life. Composed in about the second century CE, The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra tells the story of a householder named Vimalakirti who lived a worldly life while following the Bodhisattva path. This sutra is particularly applicable to Western students of Buddhism because it teaches that people in the secular life can practice Buddhism as effectively as members of monastic communities. The translator provides an accurate and accessible text complete with explanatory notes and a glossary.
What the Ancestors Knew
This book is intended to engender debate. Its subject, faith in a modern Buddhist context, almost always carries with it the widespread but erroneous assumption that it is completely unimportant to the Buddhist path. Without really knowing what it is and how it differs from theistic versions, faith has been given a bad name. Moreover, naivety regarding the colonial orientalist agenda and bias of early Zen exegetes in the West has allowed modern Zennists to accept, almost unquestioningly, the view that faith and knowledge occupy opposite ends of the practice spectrum. As a result, trusted and authentic sources of authority, Zen ancestors and sutras, have often been prevented from speaking about a doctrinally sound and legitimate tool of realization mentioned in a stunningly large amount of sutras. It has also resulted in an erroneous and often condescending view of ""faith schools"" of Buddhism. Now is the perfect time in Zen's journey in the West to reassess and address these shortcomings.
Buddhist Psalms
NEW PRINT WITH PROFESSIONAL TYPE-SET IN CONTRAST TO SCANNED PRINTS OFFERED BY OTHERS Buddhist Psalms: Translated From The Japanese Of Shinran Shōnin By S. Yamabe And L. Adams Beck This book is a result of an effort made by us towards making a contribution to the preservation and repair of original classic literature. In an attempt to preserve, improve and recreate the original content, we have worked towards: 1. Type-setting & Reformatting: The complete work has been re-designed via professional layout, formatting and type-setting tools to re-create the same edition with rich typography, graphics, high quality images, and table elements, giving our readers the feel of holding a 'fresh and newly' reprinted and/or revised edition, as opposed to other scanned & printed (Optical Character Recognition - OCR) reproductions. 2. Correction of imperfections: As the work was re-created from the scratch, therefore, it was vetted to rectify certain conventional norms with regard to typographical mistakes, hyphenations, punctuations, blurred images, missing content/pages, and/or other related subject matters, upon our consideration. Every attempt was made to rectify the imperfections related to omitted constructs in the original edition via other references. However, a few of such imperfections which could not be rectified due to intentional\unintentional omission of content in the original edition, were inherited and preserved from the original work to maintain the authenticity and construct, relevant to the work. We believe that this work holds historical, cultural and/or intellectual importance in the literary works community, therefore despite the oddities, we accounted the work for print as a part of our continuing effort towards preservation of literary work and our contribution towards the development of the society as a whole, driven by our beliefs. We are grateful to our readers for putting their faith in us and accepting our imperfections with regard to preservation of the historical content. HAPPY READING!
What the Ancestors Knew
This book is intended to engender debate. Its subject, faith in a modern Buddhist context, almost always carries with it the widespread but erroneous assumption that it is completely unimportant to the Buddhist path. Without really knowing what it is and how it differs from theistic versions, faith has been given a bad name. Moreover, naivety regarding the colonial orientalist agenda and bias of early Zen exegetes in the West has allowed modern Zennists to accept, almost unquestioningly, the view that faith and knowledge occupy opposite ends of the practice spectrum. As a result, trusted and authentic sources of authority, Zen ancestors and sutras, have often been prevented from speaking about a doctrinally sound and legitimate tool of realization mentioned in a stunningly large amount of sutras. It has also resulted in an erroneous and often condescending view of ""faith schools"" of Buddhism. Now is the perfect time in Zen's journey in the West to reassess and address these shortcomings.
The Dalai Lama
A moving story of an influential global voice and a potent example of what leadership informed by compassion and selflessness could become in the 21st century. The Dalai Lama crafts an intricate tapestry of the Tibetan diaspora with evocative and moving photographs. Framed with the eye of a photographer, The Dalai Lama: Leader for a Compassionate Humanity crafts an intricate tapestry of the Tibetan diaspora, finely woven through accounts from the Dalai Lama's storied life, the everyday lives of the Tibetan people, and the insights of a leadership coach who has applied the principles of Buddhism in her professional life. Along the way, evocative and moving photographs of the author's decade long journey provide deeper context into the Dalai Lama's organic evolution into a dynamic global leader who has modernized Tibetan culture and shaped a potential humanitarian catastrophe into a thriving, if exiled, community. The Dalai Lama emerges as an influential global voice and a potent example of what leadership informed by compassion and selflessness could become in the 21st century. The Dalai Lama's passionate appeal for a spiritual and ethical revolution, which calls for a total reorientation away from our habitual preoccupation with the self, and toward the wider community, has new urgency. Nothing illustrates this concept of global interconnection more than the rapid spread of the global corona virus pandemic, which spared no one and affected every one of us. Because COVID has played out at a global scale, we can see how important a strong, effective, compassionate leader is. The Dalai Lama provides this selfless, compassionate role model.
Buddhism
Buddhism is made up of a variety of beliefs, traditions, and spiritual practices based primarily on the teachings of buddha. It's practiced by over 300 million people worldwide.This book is aimed at people wanting to learn about buddhism. In this book, i'll discuss the basic principles and tenets of buddhism, buddhist teachings and buddhist rituals, along with how you can incorporate buddhism into your daily life. Here's what to expect in the beginner's guide: What buddhism is and what its teachings areThe core concepts of buddhism: karma, suffering, nirvana, and reincarnationThe practice and benefits of yogaThe four noble truthsPractices, treasures, and poisons of buddhismHow to practice the five precepts of buddhismHow to practice mindfulness in order to reduce stress and anxietyIf the books, articles, and manuals you read in the past were too confusing or have not helped, this one certainly can. Written especially with beginners in mind, the topics are clearly explained and come with relatable examples. This book will allow you to fully understand the concept and teachings of zen buddhism. At the same time, it will show you how you can practice mindfulness effectively to achieve true inner peace and calmness.
A Sourcebook in Classical Confucian Philosophy
Roger T. Ames's A Sourcebook in Classical Confucian Philosophy is a companion volume to his Conceptual Lexicon for Classical Confucian Philosophy. It includes texts in the original classical Chinese along with their translations, allowing experts and novices alike to make whatever comparisons they choose. In applying a method of comparative cultural hermeneutics, Ames has tried to let the tradition speak on its own terms. The goal is to encourage readers to move between the translated text and commentary, the philosophical introduction that attempts to sensitize them to the interpretative context, and the companion Lexicon of key philosophical terms, with the expectation that in the fullness of time they will be able to appropriate the original Chinese terminologies themselves. Armed with their own increasingly robust insight into these philosophical terms, readers will be able to carry this nuanced understanding over into their critical reading of other available translations. Ultimately, for students who would understand Chinese philosophy, tian 天 must be understood as tian 天, and dao 道 must be dao 道.
Embodying Tara
Realize the power of Tara, the Buddhist goddess of compassion, within yourself in this modern guide to her 21 forms. Explore down-to-earth meditations and stories of real women who embody Tara's qualities. Tara, the Buddhist goddess of compassion, can manifest within all of us. In this illustrated introduction to Tara's twenty-one forms, respected female Buddhist teacher and practitioner Dorje Lop繹n Chandra Easton shows you how to invite Tara's awakened energy to come alive in yourself through: insight into core Buddhist concepts and teachings;meditations;mantra recitations; andjournal exercises.The relatable stories from Buddhist history and the author's personal reflections will give you the tools to live a more compassionate life, befriend your fears, and overcome everyday challenges. Find out how important women and movements in modern history have achieved this through their own embodiment of Tara's enlightened activities. The stories of Jane Goodall, Nawal El Saadawi, Oprah Winfrey, Vandana Shiva, Black Lives Matter, Me Too, and others will inspire you to bring these aspects of Tara into the world in creative and socially conscious ways for the benefit of all.
Cultivating Compassion
The massive disruptions caused by climate change, the Covid-19 Pandemic, war, and ever-rising inequalities have presented the world with challenges across social and economic life, health and education, policy, politics, and community life. Compassion is a central Buddhist value and practice but is also essential to our survival. Defined as feeling genuine concern about the suffering of others and, critically, coupled with a commitment to attempt to alleviate or prevent it. The desire and commitment to help are what differentiates compassion from similar emotions like empathy and sympathy. Compassion demands the courage to turn toward suffering with clarity and skilful means. Hence, we have the Buddhist recognition that compassion is inseparable from wisdom, in the analogy of the two wings. This book is titled, Cultivating Compassion: Going Beyond Crises as it is rooted in this perspective while presenting different approaches which aim to advance our understanding of the questions and dilemmas posed by the current global crises and the cultivation of compassion.
Buddhism
A groundbreaking and lavishly-illustrated chronicle of Buddhist art and artefacts from the first century to the present, accompanied by stunning photographs that establish the significance of every piece in antiquity. Buddhism: A Journey through Art chronicles art and artefacts from the first to the twentieth century in a celebration of the artistic exchange of culture as Buddhism spread through Asia. Featuring a selection of over 300 of the most important works that exemplify a rich and diverse array of Buddhist art, each accompanied by stunning photographs, the book establishes the significance of every piece in antiquity, highlighting the stylistic and iconographic traits of the art objects as well as the distinctive features of their historical-cultural milieu. Buddhism: A Journey through Art showcases astonishingly diverse and exquisitely rendered artistic production in the Asian Buddhist world over two millennia. This important book showcases the magnificent array of visual mythology, sculpture, and iconography deriving from the various Buddhist communities found around the world.
Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Volume II
Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Volume II explores the major categories of traditional Tibetan books, introducing their specific features and the main approaches to their study. In five major sections, it surveys manuscript collections including Buddhist scriptural canons, official and administrative documents, works on technical subjects--medicine, veterinary practice, liturgical chant, and the arts of divination--and Tibetan books from China and Mongolia. Two case studies exemplify the roles of paleographic and iconographic analysis in the examination of antique manuscripts. Like Volume I, the second volume of Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books has been written by the foremost experts in the field, whose wide-ranging essays are illustrated with numerous full-color images of original works. Addressing students and scholars of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan history and culture in their varied dimensions, this volume will also interest scholars and other readers oriented more broadly to the global history of the book. Volume I was published simultaneously with volume II and is also now available.
Heidegger and DAO
In this innovative contribution, Eric S. Nelson offers a contextualized and systematic exploration of the Chinese sources and German language interpretations that shaped Heidegger's engagement with Daoism and his thinking of the thing, nothingness, and the freedom of releasement (Gelassenheit). Encompassing forgotten and recently published historical sources, including Heidegger's Daoist and Buddhist-related reflections in his lectures and notebooks, Nelson presents a critical intercultural reinterpretation of Heidegger's philosophical journey. Nelson analyzes the intersections and differences between the Daodejing, the Zhuangzi, and Heidegger's philosophy and the linguistic and conceptual shifts in Heidegger's thinking that correlate with his encounters and interactions with Daoist, Buddhist, and East Asian texts and interlocutors. He thereby traces hints for encountering things and environments anew, models for intercultural hermeneutics, and ways of reimagining the thing, nothingness, and freedom with and beyond Heidegger's thought. This work elucidates the thing, the mystery, and freedom in Heidegger and Daoism in Part I and Heidegger's thinking of nothingness, emptiness, and the clearing in relation to Daoist and Buddhist philosophy in Part II. In each part, Nelson unfolds a fresh perspective for thinking further with Heidegger and East Asian philosophies in relation to the contemporary existential and environmental situation for the sake of nourishing life amidst damaged life.
Essential Chan Buddhism
In this highly readable book, Master Gou Jun brings Chan's powerful and profound teachings to the page in a way that is accessible and warm. This is a book for those new to Chan, and for seasoned practitioners.Essential Chan Buddhism is the rare unearthing of an ancient and remarkable Chinese spiritual tradition. Master Guo Jun speaks through hard-won wisdom on Chan's spiritual themes familiar to Western readers, such as mindfulness and relaxation in meditation, as well as profound, simply expressed teachings and insightful explorations of religious commitment. Essential Chan Buddhism filters formal spiritual practices through the lens of mundane and everyday life activities. The work captures the lyrical beauty and incantatory style of Guo Jun's spoken English from the talks he gave at a fourteen-day retreat near Jakarta in 2010 and in subsequent conversations with his editor Kenneth Wapner.
Pith Instructions from my Teachers
Essential teachings from major contemporary Kagyu and Nyingma Vajrayana Buddhist teachers, complemented with more than 115 photographs.FeaturingCh繹gyam TrungpaGuadalupe Gonzales RiosJigme Khyentse RinpocheTsoknyi RinpocheDzogchen Ponlop RinpocheDzongsar Khyentse RinpocheHis Holiness the 16th KarmapaHis Holiness the 17th KarmapaMingyur Rinpoche James Gritz is a professional photographer who has travelled extensively with these teachers for decades, documenting their Dharma work. You could say this is your unique window into "the room where it happened."
A Fire Runs Through All Things
PubWest 2023 Book Design Award (Silver) At a time of climate emergency, Zen koans show us how crisis itself can reveal the regenerative openness of life, mind, and being. Zen koans are a tradition of holistic inquiry based on "encounter stories" from East Asia's most radical Buddhist tradition. Turning this form of inquiry toward the climate crisis, Susan Murphy contends that koans can help us enter the mind of not-knowing, from which acceptance and possibility freely emerge. Koans reveal intimate, mythic, artful, playful, provocative, humorous, and fierce ways to engage the work of protecting and healing our world. The koans point firstly at ourselves--at the very nature of "self." Until we hold "self" as a live question rather than its own unquestioned answer, we're stuck looking on from the "outside," hoping to engineer change upon a problem called "climate crisis," all the time oblivious to the fact that we're swimming in a reality with no outside to it, an ocean of transformative energy. Do we dare relinquish our wish for absolute control and fearlessly surf the intensity of our feelings about the suffering earth? In addition to her use of dozens of traditional and new koans, Murphy illuminates the little-known Zen resonance with the oldest continuous body of indigenous wisdom on earth, summed up in the subtle Australian Aboriginal word Country. Murphy draws from her study and coteaching with Uncle Max (Dulumunmun) Harrison, a distinguished Yuin Elder, to show how this millennia-deep taproot of intelligence confirms the aliveness of the earth and the kinship of all beings.
WEEKLY BUDDHIST DISCOURSE CHANTING - Vol 1
Every day Nuns and Buddhists at Hương Sen Buddhist Temple, California, USA, have practiced and recited following the Vietnamese scripture, "Nghi Lễ H?ng Ng?y - 50 Kinh Tụng v? c獺c Lễ V穩a trong Năm" (Daily Chanting) - Fifty Discourses and Annual Festivals) of the Pureland Sect, which was composed in 2021 by Bhikkhunī Th穩ch Nữ Giới Hương. It is based on the original ritual of her late Master, the Venerable Elder Hải Triều ?m at Li礙n Hoa Temple and Dược Sư Temple.Since many Vietnamese-Americans, Hispanic, native Americans, and English speakers have come to Huong Sen Temple in search of practice and ritual, Bhikkhunī Giới Hương composed 3 volumes of the English version of WEEKLY BUDDHIST DISCOURSE CHANTING.The first volume includes 54 popular Buddhist discourses from the sources of "The Middle Length Discourses of The Buddha" (Majjhima Nikāya), "The Connected Discourses of the Buddha" (Samyukta Agama), "Increased by One Discourses" (Anguttara Nikaya), "Chanting from the Heart" (Buddhist Ceremonies and Daily Practices) of Th穩ch Nhất Hạnh, "Daily Chanting-50 Discourses and Annual Festivals" of Huong Sen Temple and others.We should chant at least once a week, any place and any time, or more often if we have more time. The chant will help to avoid negative thoughts, defilements, distractions-any of the myriad things that intrude into the one-pointed mind. We definitely feel the connectedness with Dharma (the Buddha's teaching), we feel the spirit being lifted up, the awakening and the settling of the mind to enter meditation. We will become bright, enduring, detached, diligent, generous, loving, understanding and so on . . . because we practice following the chanting and the role model of Buddhas.Chanting out loud or silently listening to chanting can also be very relaxing as we go about our day. It can be used to calm our mind before work or sleeping.For the sake of all the general practitioners, there are some changes, combinations, additions, reductions, and creations made in this English version. This is the first time that both traditions have been combined in an English version for the necessary needs at Huong Sen Buddhist Temple.We would like to gratefully acknowledge with special thanks the Buddhas, Boddhisattvas, Sanghas, the English translators, Master Th穩ch Nhất Hạnh, our Late Respectful Teacher - Venerable Elder Bhikkhunī Hải Triều ?m and others. You all provided us the awakening words to remind and guide us in the right way of practice. We will keep chanting, learning and practicing it until we and all beings get the enlightenment as well as realize our Buddha nature.If there is any merit in compiling this book, may it be shared with all sentient beings. May they diligently practice and soon gain the way of love and understanding. Hương Sen Temple, Riverside, CaliforniaMarch 7, 2023Bhikkhunī TN Giới Hương
Daily Monastic Chanting
Every day Nuns and Buddhists at Hương Sen Buddhist Temple, California, USA, have practiced and recited following the Vietnamese scripture, "Nghi Lễ H?ng Ng?y - 50 Kinh Tụng v? c獺c Lễ V穩a trong Năm" (Daily Chanting - Fifty Discourses and Annual Festivals) of the Pureland Sect, which was composed in 2021 by Bhikkhunī Th穩ch Nữ Giới Hương. It is based on the original ritual of her late Master, the Venerable Elder Hải Triều ?m at Li礙n Hoa Temple and Dược Sư Temple.Since many Vietnamese-Americans, Hispanic, native Americans, and English speakers have come to Huong Sen Temple in search of practice and ritual, Bhikkhunī Giới Hương composed 3 volumes of the English version of WEEKLY BUDDHIST DISCOURSE CHANTING.The first volume includes 54 popular Buddhist discourses from the sources of "The Middle Length Discourses of The Buddha" (Majjhima Nikāya), "The Connected Discourses of the Buddha" (Samyukta Agama), "Increased by One Discourses" (Anguttara Nikaya), "Chanting from the Heart" (Buddhist Ceremonies and Daily Practices) of Th穩ch Nhất Hạnh, "Daily Chanting - 50 Discourses and Annual Festivals" of Huong Sen Temple and others.We should chant at least once a week, any place and any time, or more often if we have more time. The chant will help to avoid negative thoughts, defilements, distractions any of the myriad things that intrude into the one-pointed mind. We definitely feel the connectedness with Dharma (the Buddha's teaching), we feel the spirit being lifted up, the awakening and the settling of the mind to enter meditation. We will become bright, enduring, detached, diligent, generous, loving, understanding and so on... because we practice following the chanting and the role model of Buddhas.Chanting out loud or silently listening to chanting can also be very relaxing as we go about our day. It can be used to calm our mind before work or sleeping.For the sake of all the general practitioners, there are some changes, combinations, additions, reductions, and creations made in this English version. This is the first time that both traditions have been combined in an English version for the necessary needs at Huong Sen Buddhist Temple.We would like to gratefully acknowledge with special thanks the Buddhas, Boddhisattvas, Sanghas, the English translators, Master Th穩ch Nhất Hạnh, our Late Respectful Teacher - Venerable Elder Bhikkhunī Hải Triều ?m and others. You all provided us the awakening words to remind and guide us in the right way of practice. We will keep chanting, learning and practicing it until we and all beings get the enlightenment as well as realize our Buddha nature.Hương Sen Temple, Riverside, CaliforniaMarch 7, 2023Bhikkhunī TN Giới Hương
A History of Uyghur Buddhism
Today, most Uyghurs are Muslims. For centuries, however, Uyghurs were Buddhists. By around 1000 CE, they, like many of their neighbors, had decisively turned toward the Dharma, and a golden age of Uyghur Buddhism flourished under the Mongol empire. Dwelling along the Silk Road in what is now northwestern China, they stood at the center of Buddhist Eurasia, linking far-flung regions and traditions. But as Muslim power grew, Uyghur Buddhists converted to Islam, rewriting their past and erasing their Buddhist history. This book presents the first comprehensive history of Buddhism among the Uyghurs from the ninth to the seventeenth century. Johan Elverskog traces how the Uyghurs forged their distinctive tradition, considering a variety of social, political, cultural, and religious contexts. He argues that the religious history of the Uyghurs challenges conventional narratives of the meeting of Buddhism and Islam, showing that conversion took place gradually and was driven by factors such as geopolitics, climate change, and technological innovation. Elverskog also provides a nuanced understanding of lived Buddhism, focusing on ritual practices and materiality as well as the religion's entanglements with economics, politics, and violence. A groundbreaking history of Uyghur Buddhism, this book makes a compelling case for the importance of the Uyghurs in shaping the course of both Buddhist and Asian history.
A History of Uyghur Buddhism
Today, most Uyghurs are Muslims. For centuries, however, Uyghurs were Buddhists. By around 1000 CE, they, like many of their neighbors, had decisively turned toward the Dharma, and a golden age of Uyghur Buddhism flourished under the Mongol empire. Dwelling along the Silk Road in what is now northwestern China, they stood at the center of Buddhist Eurasia, linking far-flung regions and traditions. But as Muslim power grew, Uyghur Buddhists converted to Islam, rewriting their past and erasing their Buddhist history. This book presents the first comprehensive history of Buddhism among the Uyghurs from the ninth to the seventeenth century. Johan Elverskog traces how the Uyghurs forged their distinctive tradition, considering a variety of social, political, cultural, and religious contexts. He argues that the religious history of the Uyghurs challenges conventional narratives of the meeting of Buddhism and Islam, showing that conversion took place gradually and was driven by factors such as geopolitics, climate change, and technological innovation. Elverskog also provides a nuanced understanding of lived Buddhism, focusing on ritual practices and materiality as well as the religion's entanglements with economics, politics, and violence. A groundbreaking history of Uyghur Buddhism, this book makes a compelling case for the importance of the Uyghurs in shaping the course of both Buddhist and Asian history.
The Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Zhongfeng Mingben
After the death of his master Gaofeng Yuanmiao, Zhongfeng Mingben (1263-1323) left Gaofeng's mountain and lived in solitude. For many years, he resided in various small mountain hermitages (often called "Dwelling-in-the-Phantasmal Hermitages") or houseboats. He drew students from all over East Asia: Yunnan, Turfan, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and elsewhere. The Recorded sayings of Chan Master Zhongfeng Mingben provides an introduction, from the perspective of Chan/Zen Studies, to the teachings of this key figure of Yuan-dynasty Chan. Jeffrey Broughton focuses on selected works in Zhongfeng's two Chan records, the enormous Extensive Record of Preceptor Tianmu Zhongfeng, and the much smaller ancillary Zhongfeng Record B. Included translations are Instructions to the Assembly; selected Dharma Talks; the miscellany Night Conversations in a Mountain Hermitage; the dharma talk entitled House Instructions for Dwelling-in-the-Phantasmal Hermitage; In Imitation of Hanshan's Poems (one-hundred poems); Song of Dwelling-in-the-Phantasmal Hermitage; Cross-Legged Sitting Chan Admonitions (with Preface); Ten Poems on Living on a Boat; and Ten Poems on Living in Town.
The Hidden Face of the Dalai Lama
Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Dalai Lama embodies the martyrdom of a Tibet subjected to the Chinese yoke. A symbol of wisdom, he is adulated and even sacralized in the West. Who then would question this living god who claims to carry with him the hope of freedom for an entire people? Maxime Vivas dares to tackle the myth: what if the Dalai Lama is a theocrat who fills his palace coffers with gold, while the Tibetans are merely serfs denied an education? What if he was playing into the hands of the Americans and the CIA rather than the Tibetans he claims to defend? What if he has known for many years about the sexual assaults, rapes and acts of paedophilia that have recently come to light in his religious movement?Drawing on the Dalai Lama's own words, the testimonies of proselytizers and confidential documents, the author paints a vitriolic portrait of "His Holiness" and shows us that all is not so Zen in Buddha's kingdom.
A Zen Life of Bodhisattvas
Drawing on myth, legend, Zen koans, and Buddhist folklore, as well on his own more than 50 years of formal Zen practice and over 10 years of Zen teaching, in this companion volume to A Zen Life of Buddha, (Sumeru 2022), award-wining author Roshi Rafe Jnan Martin looks at the nature and role of bodhisattvas, the wise and compassionate beings at the core of Zen Buddhism and at the heart of Zen practice. Along the way he explores such questions as: What are bodhisattvas? Are they real? Who are the specific bodhisattvas central to Zen? How do they function? How are they different from Buddhas? From The Buddha? What's the connection between bodhisattvas and our own Zen practice? What's their connection with our ordinary lives?
The Buddhist Praying-wheel
This book is an in-depth exploration of Buddhist religious symbolism and the role of the praying-wheel in Buddhist practice. Includes photographs and detailed descriptions of praying-wheels from around the world, and explores the significance of circular movement in Buddhist ritual.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
