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The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path
By Ethan Nichtern. 2015
A lively exploration of contemporary Buddhism from one of its most admired teachersDo you feel at home right now? Or…
do you sense a hovering anxiety or uncertainty, an underlying unease that makes you feel just a bit uncomfortable, a bit distracted and disconnected from those around you? In The Road Home, Ethan Nichtern, a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, investigates the journey each of us takes to find where we belong. Drawing from contemporary research on meditation and mindfulness and his experience as a Buddhist teacher and practitioner, Nichtern describes in fresh and deeply resonant terms the basic existential experience that gives rise to spiritual seeking—and also to its potentially dangerous counterpart, spiritual materialism. He reveals how our individual quests for self-awareness ripple forward into relationships, communities, and society at large. And he explains exactly how, by turning our awareness to what's happening around us and inside us, we become able to enhance our sense of connection with others and, at the same time, change for the better our individual and collective patterns of greed, apathy, and inattention. In this wise and witty invitation to Buddhist meditation, Nichtern shows how, in order to create a truly compassionate and enlightened society, we must start with ourselves. And this means beginning by working with our own minds—in whatever state we find them in.The Empty Mirror: Experiences in a Japanese Zen Monastery
By Janwillem van de Wetering. 1973
Seen by many as a contemporary classic, Janwillem van de Wetering's small and admirable memoir records the experiences of a…
young Dutch student—later a widely celebrated mystery writer—who spent a year and a half as a novice monk in a Japanese Zen Buddhist monastery. As Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, author of Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, has written, The Empty Mirror "should be very encouraging for other Western seekers."It is the first book in a trilogy that continues with A Glimpse of Nothingness and Afterzen.Fourth Uncle in the Mountain: A Memoir of a Barefoot Doctor in Vietnam
By Quang Van Nguyen, Marjorie Pivar. 2004
Set during the French and American wars, Fourth Uncle in the Mountain is a true story about an orphan, Quang…
Van Nguyen, who is adopted by a sixty-four year old monk, Thau, who carries great responsibility for his people as a barefoot doctor. Thau manages, against all odds to raise his son to follow in his footsteps and in doing so, saves his son, as well as a part of Vietnam's esoteric knowledge from the Vietnam holocaust. Thau is wanted by the French regime, and occasionally must flee into the jungle, where he is perfectly at home living among the animals. Thau is not the average monk; he practices an ancient lineage of Chinese medicine and uses magic to protect animals and help people.As wise and resourceful as Thau is, he meets his match in his mischievous son. Quang is more interested in learning Cambodian sorcery and martial arts than in developing his skills and wisdom according to his father's plan.Fourth Uncle in the Mountain is an odyssey of a single-father folk hero and his foundling son in a land ravaged by the atrocities of war. It is a classic story, complete with humor, tragedy, and insight from a country where ghosts and magic are real.Welcoming Beginner's Mind: Zen and Tibetan Buddhist Wisdom on Experiencing Our True Nature
By Gaylon Ferguson. 2024
This nuanced commentary on the famous Zen oxherding pictures explores the paradox of welcoming our true nature anew at each stage…
of spiritual unfolding. Renowned for centuries, the classic Zen oxherding pictures vividly illustrate the stages of the spiritual journey—from seeking and finding to ultimately forgetting the illusory self and awakening to our true nature. In his commentary on these images, Gaylon Ferguson guides us on an experiential path into these seeming contradictions through welcoming—the simple, challenging, and always new possibility of opening to exactly what&’s occurring in our experience. Distinct from meditation and mindfulness, this contemplative exercise leads us beyond spiritual bypassing (using spiritual practices to repress or avoid parts of ourselves) and spiritual materialism (practicing with a heavy sense of ego). Rich with teachings from the great Zen teacher and author of Zen Mind, Beginner&’s Mind Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, as well as extensive commentary from Tibetan meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and others who have illuminated the oxherding pictures, this book invites you into a process of spiritual maturation that never occurs elsewhere than here or other than now. Featuring a foreword by David Chadwick, author of Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki.Footprints on the Journey: One Year Following the Path of Dzogchen Master Khenpo Sodargye
By Khenpo Sodargye. 2024
Inspiring diary entries from a challenging year in the life of the renowned Dzogchen master Khenpo Sodargye demonstrate right conduct…
for the path to liberation.This personal diary that the renowned Dzogchen master Khenpo Sodargye kept for one year gives serious Dharma practitioners a lifetime of inspiring, wise guidance for practicing right conduct on the path. The backdrop is the Tibetan plateau, from which Khenpo invites us to see the world—from native people to a spider, from vast galaxies to a water droplet—as he does, with candor and humor, and with a Dzogchen master&’s sharp analysis. He shares with us his perceptions of this world, describing his ups and downs in a way that we can relate to and be inspired by, even if we do not have the fortitude to stand up to the oppression of crustaceans or to ransom yaks from the slaughterhouse. Spontaneous and lively, the entries play out the vicissitudes of his life throughout a challenging year, tracking the passage of his thoughts and actions, leaving footprints for whoever is able to follow.Mount Wutai: Visions of a Sacred Buddhist Mountain
By Wen-Shing Chou. 2018
The northern Chinese mountain range of Mount Wutai has been a preeminent site of international pilgrimage for over a millennium.…
Home to more than one hundred temples, the entire range is considered a Buddhist paradise on earth, and has received visitors ranging from emperors to monastic and lay devotees. Mount Wutai explores how Qing Buddhist rulers and clerics from Inner Asia, including Manchus, Tibetans, and Mongols, reimagined the mountain as their own during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.Wen-Shing Chou examines a wealth of original source materials in multiple languages and media--many never before published or translated—such as temple replicas, pilgrimage guides, hagiographic representations, and panoramic maps. She shows how literary, artistic, and architectural depictions of the mountain permanently transformed the site's religious landscape and redefined Inner Asia's relations with China. Chou addresses the pivotal but previously unacknowledged history of artistic and intellectual exchange between the varying religious, linguistic, and cultural traditions of the region. The reimagining of Mount Wutai was a fluid endeavor that proved central to the cosmopolitanism of the Qing Empire, and the mountain range became a unique site of shared diplomacy, trade, and religious devotion between different constituents, as well as a spiritual bridge between China and Tibet.A compelling exploration of the changing meaning and significance of one of the world's great religious sites, Mount Wutai offers an important new framework for understanding Buddhist sacred geography.Help teens find their way to inner peace with Buddhist teachings It's not always easy for teens to navigate their…
lives at home, at school, and with friends, but through Buddhist meditation and mindfulness practices they can discover a path to inner calm and awareness. Buddhism for Teens introduces curious teens to the Buddhist way of seeing things and helps them build their emotional strength, their sense of self, and their connection to the world around them. What sets this Buddhism guide apart: Learning through action—There's no long-winded introduction to Buddhism here; teens can jump straight into immersive stories and activities that will change the way they look at life. Meditation made simple—Teens will find simple meditations to help them explore Buddhist concepts like joy, balance, and starting a new journey. Buddhism for beginners—This book is designed to be friendly to young newcomers, meaning teens can read from cover to cover or just choose the sections that resonate with them the most. Teens can experience the peace and balance of Buddhism with this enlightening guide made just for them.Healing Lazarus: A Buddhist's Journey from Near Death to New Life
By Lewis Richmond. 2002
Lazarus lies in his bed, helpless to move. But he sees now that he is not alone. His beloved wife…
is with him, all of his relatives and closest friends. They mop his brow; they change his clothes and linen. They stroke his limbs and speak soothing words into his ear. For so many years Lazarus had been the master, the authority, the one who made decisions and told others what to do. And now, for the first time, the roles were reversed, and he found his heart filled with such gratitude, even over the simplest things -- the light streaming in from the window, the warmth of the fire in the fireplace. How wonderful it was to be alive. For Lewis Richmond, overcoming a swift and devastating brain injury -- one that left him unable to sit up or speak -- was only the beginning of a journey to recovery. As the 52-year-old Buddhist teacher soon discovered, regaining his health would be the most difficult thing he could ever imagine. But love, courage, and the Buddhist teachings that sustained him throughout his adult life would help guide him not only back to wellness, but to rebirth and transformation. Richmond's timely, compassionate memoir can help anyone on the road back to health -- be it from illness, life crisis, or other catastrophe. In sharing this experience, as well as many others, Richmond offers insightful information about the struggles, setbacks, and frustrations of getting well -- and tells of the lessons learned and rewards gained. Illuminating from the first page to the last, Healing Lazarus is one man's affirmation of life, as well as a steadfast companion for those who may face days that are physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging.A Call for Revolution: A Vision for the Future
By Dalai Lama, Sofia Stril-Rever. 2018
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * A LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * A SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE BOOK AWARD WINNER* A…
NAUTILUS BOOK AWARD WINNERA Landmark Message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Are we ready to hear it? Are we ready to act?I call on you to confront the challenges of our era by rising up and embarking upon a revolution that has no precedent in human historyThis eloquent, urgent manifesto is possibly the most important message the Dalai Lama can give us about the future of our world. It’s his rallying cry, full of solutions for our chaotic, aggressive, divided times: no less than A CALL FOR REVOLUTION.That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being A Faithful Jew and a Passionate
By Sylvia Boorstein. 1997
In this landmark book, esteemed Buddhist teacher Sylvia Boorstein addresses this incisive question in a warm, delightful and personal way.…
With the same down-to-earth charm and wit that have endeared her to her many students and readers, Boorstein shows how one can be both an observant Jew and a passionately committed Buddhist.Zen in the Vernacular: Things As It Is
By Peter Coyote. 2024
• Shows how Zen offers a creative problem-solving mechanism and moral guide ideal for the stresses and problems of daily…
life• Shares the author&’s secular, vernacular interpretations of the Four Noble Truths, the Three Treasures, the Eightfold Path, and other fundamental Buddhist ideasDuring the nearly 3,000 years since the Buddha lived, his teachings have spread widely around the globe. In each culture where Buddhism was introduced, the Buddha&’s teachings have been pruned and modified to harmonize with local customs, laws, and cultures. We can refer to these modifications as &“gift wrapping,&” translating the gifts of Buddha&’s teachings in ways sensible to particular cultures in particular times. This gift-wrapping explains why Indian, Tibetan, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, and Indonesian Buddhism have significant differences.In this engaging guide to Zen Buddhism, award-winning actor, narrator, and Zen Buddhist priest Peter Coyote helps us peer beneath the Japanese gift-wrapping of Zen teachings to reveal the fundamental teachings of the Buddha and show how they can be applied to contemporary daily life. The author explains that the majority of Western Buddhists are secular and many don&’t meditate, wear robes, shave their heads, or believe in reincarnation. He reminds us that the mental/physical states achieved by Buddhist practice are universal human states, ones we may already be familiar with but perhaps never considered as possessing spiritual dimensions.Exploring Buddha&’s core teachings, the author shares his own secular and accessible interpretations of the Four Noble Truths, the Three Treasures, and the Eightfold Path within the context of his lineage and the teachings of his teacher and the teachers before him. He looks at Buddha&’s teachings on our singular reality that appears as a multiplicity of things and on the &“self&” that perceives reality, translating powerful spiritual experience into the vernacular of modern life.Revealing the practical usefulness of Buddhist philosophy and practice, Zen in the Vernacular shows how Zen offers a creative problem-solving mechanism and moral guide ideal for the stresses and problems of everyday life.The Heart of Tibetan Buddhism: Advice for Life, Death, and Enlightenment
By Khenpo Sherab Sangpo. 2024
Authentic and practical teachings on what lies at the heart of Tibetan Buddhism, including karma, renunciation, bodhichitta, kindness, preparing for…
death, and much more.Perfect for practitioners, meditators, and anyone who wishes to better understand their own mind, this is an important message from a fresh voice within the tradition.Discover thoughtful advice and applicable practices for following a genuine Buddhist path and living a meaningful life in this succinct book. This profoundly graspable introduction to the heart of Tibetan Buddhism comes from a fresh voice within the tradition who has a growing online teaching presence. Khenpo Sherab Sangpo studied for decades with some of modern history's greatest teachers in the Dzogchen lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, achieving impressive theoretical knowledge and experiential realization.This wide-ranging book offers easy-to-follow teachings and practices to cultivate a kind mind—bodhichitta—in order to enter and progress along the Buddhist path toward death, rebirth, and enlightenment. Included are: Guided meditations on love; compassion; forgiveness; the three precepts of body, speech, and mind; and moreGuided practices of tonglen, phowa, vase breathing, and moreAdvice to handle difficult emotions in relationships like jealousy, loneliness, and attachmentTeachings to develop love, kindness, and compassion for yourself and othersInstructions to prepare you for death, rebirth, and enlightenmentThis is a book you will want to always keep with you as a reminder that this wisdom can ground you in daily life and beyond—whether you're Buddhist or not.An Appeal to the World: The Way to Peace in a Time of Division
By Dalai Lama, Franz Alt. 2017
#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • FEATURES EXCLUSIVE NEW MATERIAL ON THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY "Makes the case for unity in a world rife…
with divisions." —New York Times Book ReviewIn this brief yet profound address to global humanity, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet reveals that we all hold the seeds of world peace within us: “I see with ever greater clarity that our spiritual well-being depends,” the Nobel Peace Prize winner writes, “on our innate human nature, our natural affinity for goodness, compassion, and caring for others.”Already a major international bestseller, An Appeal to the World, the new book by one of the most revered spiritual leaders of our time, outlines both the inward and outward paths to peace, addressing a wide range of contemporary topics—from the rise of nationalism, Trump presidency, refugee crisis, climate catastrophes, and materialism to meditation, universal ethics, and even neuroscience. Here is a small book that can truly change the world.My Spiritual Journey: Personal Reflections, Teachings, and Talks
By Dalai Lama, Sofia Stril-Rever. 2010
In this elegant self-portrait, the world’s most outspoken and influential spiritual leader recounts his epic and engaging life story. The…
Dalai Lama’s most accessible and intimate book, My Spiritual Journey is an excellent introduction to the larger-than-life leader of Tibetan Buddhism—perfect for anyone curious about Eastern religion, invested in the Free Tibet movement, or simply seeking a richer spiritual life. The Dalai Lama’s riveting, deeply insightful meditations on life will resonate strongly with readers of Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, or the His Holiness’s own The Art of Happiness and Ethics for the New Millennium.One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism
By Joseph Goldstein. 2002
China Root: Taoism, Ch’an, and Original Zen
By David Hinton. 2020
A beautifully compelling and liberating guide to the original nature of Zen in ancient China by renowned author and translator…
David Hinton.Buddhism migrated from India to China in the first century C.E., and Ch'an (Japanese: Zen) is generally seen as China's most distinctive and enduring form of Buddhism. In China Root, however, David Hinton shows how Ch'an was in fact a Buddhist-influenced extension of Taoism, China's native system of spiritual philosophy. Unlike Indian Buddhism's abstract sensibility, Ch'an was grounded in an earthy and empirically-based vision. Exploring this vision, Hinton describes Ch'an as a kind of anti-Buddhism. A radical and wild practice aspiring to a deeply ecological liberation: the integration of individual consciousness with landscape and with a Cosmos seen as harmonious and alive.In China Root, Hinton describes this original form of Zen with his trademark clarity and elegance, each chapter exploring in enlightening ways a core Ch'an concept--such as meditation, mind, Buddha, awakening--as it was originally understood and practiced in ancient China. Finally, by examining a range of standard translations in the Appendix, Hinton reveals how this original understanding and practice of Ch'an/Zen is almost entirely missing in contemporary American Zen, because it was lost in Ch'an's migration from China through Japan and on to the West.Whether you practice Zen or not, taking this journey on the wings of Hinton's remarkable insight and powerful writing will transform how you understand yourself and the world.Heart Medicine: How to Stop Painful Patterns and Find Peace and Freedom—At Last
By Radhule Weininger. 2021
Find freedom from life&’s painful recurring patterns in 12 simple steps, with guided practices of self-compassion, mindfulness, and embodiment.Do you…
ever feel trapped by experiencing challenging feelings over and over again--sometimes without realizing it? Or do you find yourself thinking "Why is this happening to me again?" or "Why do I always feel this way?" You're not alone. With Heart Medicine, you can learn to identify your emotional and behavioral patterns through the lens of loving awareness--without self-judgment or blame, learning to hold yourself as you would a dear friend, with space and grace. Radhule Weininger draws on decades of experience as a therapist and meditation teacher to help readers understand the trauma behind their patterns, then offers twelve simple steps to work toward healing. Each chapter includes short practices so readers can begin to put the book's concepts to work for transformation in their own lives. With Heart Medicine you can finally be equipped with the tools to break through the patterns that hold you back and begin to live with more freedom, confidence, and peace. And that's good medicine, indeed.Zurchungpa's Eighty Chapters of Personal Advice was the final teaching given by the great Nyingma master Zurchung Sherab Trakpa before…
he passed away. His counsels are the distillation of a lifetime's experience and comprise the practical instructions of a master who had made the teachings of the Great Perfection truly part of himself. The original text consists of almost 580 maxims, organized into eighty chapters covering the entire path of Dzogchen, from fundamental teachings on devotion and renunciation, through to a whole series of pith instructions that bring the Dzogchen view to life. Much of the meaning of these pithy, often cryptic, instructions could be lost on the reader without the help of the notes Shechen Gyaltsap Rinpoche provided in his annotated edition, which he based on the explanations he received from his own teacher, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. This book contains a complete detailed teaching on Zurchungpa's text by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, based on Shechen Gyaltsap's notes. Originally intended as essential instructions for a group of practitioners in three-year retreat, it will undoubtedly serve as an indispensable guide to anyone who seriously wishes to practice the Great Perfection. Zurchung Sherab Trakpa (1014-1074) was a key teacher in the Zur tradition, one of the handful of kama lineages through which the teachings of the Ancient Tradition were transmitted from master to disciple, beginning with Guru Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra, right down to the Nyingma masters of the present day. He was a learned scholar and accomplished meditation master who spent many years in retreat, practicing the teachings of the Great Perfection. Shechen Gyaltsap Rinpoche (1871-1926) was an important disciple of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo the Great and one of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's root teachers. An accomplished meditator, he was also one of the most respected scholars of his day, whose writings fill thirteen volumes.Mindfulness: Where It Comes From and What It Means (Buddhist Foundations)
By Sarah Shaw. 2020
A quick guide to the history of the world's most popular meditation practice.From the time of the Buddha to the…
age of meditation apps, this straightforward introduction gives an entire overview of the use of the term "mindfulness" in Buddhist meditative traditions. Drawing upon years of experience through practicing, researching, and teaching the history of mindfulness, Dr. Sarah Shaw offers the first-ever accessible guide to the roots of this ancient meditation technique that continues to benefit millions throughout the world. Although the term is heard everywhere from boardrooms and classrooms to gyms and yoga studios, surprisingly little is known about the origins of mindfulness. This easy-to-read short history will give readers, whether they are seasoned or novice practitioners, a better sense of the most practiced meditation in the world.S. N. Goenka: Emissary of Insight (Lives of the Masters #5)
By Daniel Stuart, S. N. Goenka. 2020
In a life that saw him evolve from a staunchly religious Hindu to an ecumenical master of Buddhist insight meditation,…
Satyanārāyaṇ (S. N.) Goenka (1924–2013) emerged as a leader in the spread of lay mindfulness and insight meditation practice on a global scale. A second-generation Burmese of Indian origin, Goenka was a successful businessman before turning to Buddhist meditation for help with crippling migraines. Becoming first a close student and then assistant teacher under the innovative Burmese lay Buddhist teacher U Ba Khin, Goenka eventually felt the pull of karmic destiny to teach meditation in India and thereby repay the ancient debt that Burmese Buddhists owed to the original Indian Buddhist tradition. In the 1970s, as he became an integral part of the Indian Buddhist spiritual landscape, thousands of young people from the United States and Europe flocked to India to explore its spiritual possibilities. Out of this remarkable convergence was launched a global network of practitioners and meditation centers that would become Goenka&’s legacy.Drawing heavily on Goenka&’s own autobiographical writings and Dharma talks, Daniel Stuart draws the first comprehensive portrait of the master&’s life and demonstrates that Goenka&’s influences, teaching, and legacy are much more complex than has been commonly thought. Stuart incorporates a wide range of primary documents and newly translated material in Hindi and Burmese to offer readers an in-depth exploration of Goenka&’s teachings and his practice lineage in Burma. Stuart further details the trials and tribulations Goenka faced in building a movement in India in the 1970s, developing a global network of meditation centers, and negotiating a range of relationships with students and religious leaders worldwide. This fascinating addition to the Lives of the Masters series reflects on Goenka&’s role in the revival of Buddhism in postcolonial India and his emergence as one of the most influential meditation masters of the twentieth century.