Designed to provide just such a framework, In the Buddha's Words is an anthology of the Buddha's works that has been specifically compiled by a celebrated scholar and translator. For easy reference, the book is arrayed in ten thematic sections ranging from "The Human Condition" to "Mastering the Mind" to "The Planes of Realization." Each section comes with introductions, notes, and essays to help beginners and experts alike draw greater meaning from the Buddha's words. The book also features a general introduction by the author that fully lays out how and why he has arranged the Buddha's teachings in this volume. This thoughtful compilation is a valuable resource for both teachers and those who want to read the Buddha on their own.

    In this new book, she invites readers to venture further along the path of the "bodhisattva warrior," explaining in depth how we can awaken the softness of our hearts and develop true confidence amid the challenges of daily living. In No Time to Lose Chödrön reveals the traditional Buddhist teachings that guide her own life: those of The Way of the Bodhisattva ( Bodhicharyavatara), a text written by the eighth-century sage Shantideva. This treasured Buddhist work is remarkably relevant for our times, describing the steps we can take to cultivate courage, caring, and joy—the key to healing ourselves and our troubled world. Chödrön offers us a highly practical and engaging commentary on this essential text, explaining how its profound teachings can be applied to our daily lives. Full of illuminating stories and practical exercises, this fresh and accessible guide shows us that the path of the bodhisattva is open to each and every one of us. Pema Chödrön urges us to embark on this transformative path today, writing, "There is no time to lose—but not to worry, we can do it."

    This biography of one of the few women in her generation to devote herself entirely to the pursuit of meditation also includes Dipa Ma's spiritual teachings, which have made her a major figure in contemporary Buddhism.

    Commentaries, meditations, and personal anecdotes invite us to find joy in the moment, work for world peace, and sustain inner peace by turning the "mindless" into the mindful. 96 pages.

    A memoir in the form of tales told by Rinpoche toward the end of his life, the book spans his lifetime — a lifetime rich in adventures of both spirit and body. His reminiscences weave a rich tapestry of family history and also describe the lives of some of the most realized and genuine practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

    Meditations to focus and expand on the small 'sweetnesses' to fullfill your life.

    The line isn’t moving. You’re angry at the security personnel for taking so long, you’re irritated at the other passengers for having so much stuff, you’re mad at your boss for sending you on this trip in the first place. By the time you get to your gate you’re angry, deflated, and exhausted. Then someone cuts in front of you in the line to board and you snap. “There’s a line, you know!” Is that really you, standing in an airport, yelling at a stranger, emotions raging? It happens to most of us more than we’d like to admit. In an instant, our lives seem out of control and overwhelming. It’s always something, isn’t it? But what if you could approach every part of your life—from the smallest decisions to life’s biggest setbacks—with total confidence, clarity, and control? According to Sakyong Mipham, we all have that power. The secret is simple: If you just stop thinking about yourself all the time, happiness and confidence will come naturally. It sounds absurd and, what’s more, impossible. But in Ruling Your World, Sakyong Mipham shares ancient secrets on how to take control of our lives and be successful while cultivating compassion for others and confidence in our own intelligence and goodness. The key to this well-being lies in the ancient strategies of the warrior kings and queens of Shambhala. The kingdom of Shambhala was an enlightened kingdom of benevolent kings and queens and fiercely trained warriors. No one knows for sure whether this kingdom was real or mythical, but there are ancient guidebooks to this land and practical instructions for creating a Shambhala in your own world, bringing peace, purpose, and perspective into your life and environment. Sakyong Mipham, the descendant of a warrior king, has inherited these teachings and gives us the lessons and myths of the great rulers and warriors of Shambhala. He makes these teachings relevant to our twenty-first-century lives in a fresh and witty voice and helps us all to realize our potential for power and control in a seemingly uncontrollable world.For the first time ever, revered spiritual leader Sakyong Mipham brings the lessons of the ancient Shambhala warriors and rulers to the Western world and shows us how to live our lives with confidence. Most of us are living in a haze—sometimes helping others, sometimes helping ourselves, sometimes happy, sometimes sad. We don’t feel in control of our own lives. The ancient teachings of Shambhala rulership show us that we all have the ability to rule our own world and live with confidence. To do this, we need to use our daily lives to be strong, as opposed to aggressive, and to act with wisdom and compassion. This may sound difficult, but when we begin to mix this ancient wisdom of rulership into our everyday life, we have both spiritual and worldly success. We don’t need to abandon our life and become an ascetic or a monk in order to gain confidence and achieve this success. We can live in the world as a ruler no matter what we are doing. —from Ruling Your World

    The book’s centerpiece is her moving account of her return to Vietnam, her homeland, after 40 years of exile. She describes in refreshing detail her emotional reactions, the reunions with many old friends and fellow activists, and her impression of the “new Vietnam” where Buddhists still struggle for religious freedom. Often compared to The Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, this memoir connects to larger themes, especialy when the author discusses the life and teaching of her fellow exile, Thich Nhat Hanh, gives an overview of the development of the European and American peace and human rights movements, and introduces readers to the Vietnamese style of Buddhism. Learning True Love is a testament to the power of tenacity and faith.

    The truths diagnose the human existential crisis--suffering and its origin--and prescribe a solution--cessation and the path. To understand the four noble truths is to understand Buddhism as a whole.In The Four Noble Truths, Geshe Tashi draws on his decades of training in Tibetan Buddhism to illuminate these truths for a modern audience. His respectful engagement with Buddhists outside his own tradition and his insights into Western culture make this book refreshing. It will reward even those already acquainted with the fundamentals of Buddhism.The Four Noble Truths is the first of six stand-alone volumes in the Foundation of Buddhist Thought series.

    But how do we reconcile the idea of enlightenment with what we see when we look in the mirror—when insecurities, doubts, and self-centered tendencies arise in our minds? Dzigar Kongtrül suggests that we need not feel "doomed" when these experiences surface. In fact, such experiences are not a problem if we are able to simply let them arise without judging them or investing them with so much meaning. This approach to experience is what Kongtrül calls self-reflection.Self-reflection is a practice, a path, and an attitude. It is the spirit of taking an interest in that which we usually try to push away. When we practice self-reflection we take liberation into our own hands and accept the challenge and personal empowerment in Kongtrül’s title: it's up to you.

    He was a major influence and spiritual mentor for a generation of American Buddhist teachers, including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sharon Salzberg, and Jack Kornfield. Previous books by Ajahn Chah have consisted of collections of short teachings on a wide variety of subjects. This new book focuses on the theme of impermanence, offering powerful remedies for overcoming our deep-seated fear of change, including guidance on letting go of attachments, living in the present, and taking up the practice of meditation. Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away also contains stories and anecdotes about this beloved master's life and his interactions with students, from his youth as a struggling monk to his last years when American students were coming to study with him in significant numbers. These stories help to convey Ajahn Chah's unique spirit and teaching style, allowing readers to know him both through his words and the way in which he lived his life.

    Here he takes the reader on an exciting journey into the life and world of Prince Gautam Siddhartha, who became the Buddha. Like a great storyteller, Osho explains the Buddha’s teachings through life stories and anecdotes that demonstrate how these teachings arose from Buddha’s own experiences. Lively and lifelike, with unconventional wit and deep wisdom he guides the reader step by step through the secrets and subtleties of the “world religion without God,” as only a true spiritual teacher can. Stunning color photographs throughout the book, along with Osho’s inspiring insights, reveal the inner quality of Buddha’s spirituality, leading the reader to a new understanding of his timeless message.

    Then he meets an unlikely Buddhist - who drinks and smokes and talks his kind of language. Bit by bit, things begin to change...Ed doesn't always take Geoff's advice. Or, when he does he lapses at the crucial moment. His path to understanding is not a straight one, especially as life keeps throwing more and more 'stuff' at him. Often he fails - like most of us, in fact. But sometimes he manages to get it right. And when he does, surprising things begin to happen ...In The Buddha, Geoff and Me Edward Canfor-Dumas brings all his skills to bear in an absorbing story of everyday city life, where the characters stand out with all their human strengths and weaknesses, and the ending brings Ed - and perhaps all of us? - a hope we didn't necessarily expect.The Buddha, Geoff and Me - for anyone who's ever begun to wonder what the whole damn thing is all about ...

    The principal focus of these texts is the systematic cultivation of such altruistic thoughts and emotions as compassion, love, forbearance, and perseverance. The mind-training teachings are highly revered by the Tibetan people for their pragmatism and down-to-earth advice on coping with the various challenges and hardships that unavoidably characterize everyday human existence.The volume contains forty-four individual texts, including the most important works of the mind training cycle, such as Serlingpa's well-known Leveling Out All Preconceptions, Atisha's Bodhisattva's Jewel Garland, Langri Thangpa's Eight Verses on Training the Mind, and Chekawa's Seven-Point Mind Training together with the earliest commentaries on these seminal texts. An accurate and lyrical translation of these texts, many of which are in metered verse, marks an important contribution to the world's literary heritage, enriching its spiritual resources.

    This collection of three hundred main cases was first published in 1766 under the title Shobogenzo Sambyakusoku (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Three Hundred Cases), and was known to have provided the raw material for much of Dogen's better known Japanese-language Kana Shobogenzo. Dogen's collection of koans may come as a surprise to students of Zen as Dogen and the Soto school are generally known for the practice of shikantaza, or "just sitting," rather than for koan practice. Nevertheless, a careful study of Dogen's work reveals that he did use koans extensively in his writing and teaching, not only in the Kana Shobogenzo, but most of his other works as well. Zen students and scholars will find The True Dharma Eye to be a source of deep insight into the mind of one of the world's greatest religious thinkers, as well as the practice of koan study itself. Following the spirit of Dogen's pioneering efforts to carry the dharma across cultural divides, John Daido Loori Roshi, one of the West's most respected Zen teachers, has added his own verses and commentaries to each koan. The resulting volume presents readers with a uniquely contemporary perspective on Dogen's profound teachings and their relevance for twenty-first-century Western practitioners of Zen.

    Now, in Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between, distinguished Tibetan Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman illuminates this classic text with up-to-date insights for modern audiences. Professor Thurman demystifies this esoteric teaching and reveals the Tibetan view of dying: it is not an ending to be feared, but a wondrous and liberating culmination of our life's journey, potentially opening into glorious new beginnings. Entering the bardo the in-between state in which one reality dissolves and the next has not yet formed we need not become prey to our fears and hopes. Instead we can relax into our natural clarity and stabilize the journey. This treasured teaching is for much more than just changing our understanding of death.Whether we have lost a dear relationship, awoken from a dream, or face the loss of our bodied life, simply hearing these teachings steadies our minds and hearts so that the journey from one state to the next changes from a tragic voyage into a clear adventure through the brilliant sky of great liberation."

    Emptiness is the basis on which the whole of Mahayana practice is founded, from the mind-training meditations on bodhichitta to the advanced yogas of tantra and dzogchen. The Madhyamaka tradition, inaugurated by Nagarjuna and dominant in India for over a thousand years, remains a vibrant force in Tibetan Buddhism. Shantarakshita's view, quintessentially expressed in the Madhyamakalankara, effects a synthesis between the Madhyamaka of Nagarjuna, the Mind-Only teachings traced back to Asanga, and the logico-epistemological tradition of Dignaga and Dharmakirti. This great work marks the final stage in the evolution of Madhyamaka and was the last major development of Buddhist philosophy in India. Composed toward the end of the nineteenth century, Mipham's brilliant and searching commentary has been described as one of the most profound examinations of Madhyamaka ever written. In presenting and defending Shantarakshita's view, Mipham throws down the gauntlet to the philosophical establishment and calls for a major reassessment of the Madhyamaka field. This challenging but rewarding text is indispensable to a balanced understanding of Tibetan Buddhist thought. This book is a core study text for both scholars and practitioners of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism.

    It was written by the late Nyoshul Khen Rinpoch?, Jamyang Dorj? (1931-1999), one of the most outstanding and knowledgeable exponents of Dzogchen. In this work, framed as a series of biographical accounts, Nyoshul Khenpo provides a wealth of information invaluable to spiritual practitioners as well as to historians studying the cultures of central Asia.

    Her latest, If the Buddha Got Stuck, is a wise yet lighthearted book that will speak to anyone who's ever experienced being stuck in life and wanted to break free. With her signature clarity, wisdom, and warm heart, Kasl presents readers with seven steps that tap into life’s bigger picture: Notice Where You’re Stuck; Show Up; Pay Attention; Live in Reality; Connect with Others; Move From Thought to Action; and Let Go. Full of insight from Buddhist and other teachings that emphasize the joy that comes with letting go of attachments to events and things, If the Buddha Got Stuck is an inspirational and practical roadmap to a more joyful, peaceful, and fulfilling life.

    Teaching that we will only be safe when we acknowledge our real enemies, ignorance and violence, Nhat Hanh offers step-by-step instructions for calming the mind and looking deeply into our own misperceptions. He shows how compassion, deep listening, and mindful communication can conquer fear and terrorism. A valuable book for anyone who has felt possessed by anger and vengefulness, as well as those concerned about global terrorism, Calming the Fearful Mind shows how Nhat Hanh’s signature practices can help address the most challenging and emotions.

    Perhaps one of the Buddha's most radical teachings, metta or "lovingkindness" is much more than common niceness or charity. It is a real-world practice to awaken your empathy with all beings and then radiate the fire of that compassion into the world.

    Feldman first examines compassion itself, using Buddhist texts and real-life stories to explain precisely what this strange force is, and argues that it is the most precious of all gifts. Feldman then proceeds to show, in six separate chapters, how compassion can be used in the face of adversity, mapping out meditations and strategies that can overcome the dark thoughts that everyone experiences. Compassion is for anyone who has ever felt helpless in our own turbulent, uncertain times.

    A valuable resource for both those preparing to take the vow, and for teachers of Buddhism. "We call a bodhisattva ...a 'warrior' because the person who is able to generate that kind of attitude is tremendously courageous despite daunting odds. We are actually making a conscious effort in our life to be of benefit to everybody."--Chögyam Trungpa

    This concise text, so rich and laden with meaning, concentrates the very heart of Buddhism into a powerful and evocative teaching on the interdependence of all reality. In Essence of the Heart Sutra, the Dalai Lama masterfully unpacks the Heart Sutra so that any reader can benefit from its teachings - teachings meant to help us release ourselves from suffering and live with true compassion. Comprised of his ""Heart of Wisdom"" talks, originally delivered to thousands of listeners in 2001, the book offers the Dalai Lama's commentary as well as his easy-to-follow overview of Buddhist philosophy that places the sutra within its historical and philosophical context. With additional contributions by scholar and translator Thupten Jinpa, Essence of the Heart Sutra is the authoritative presentation of a text seminal to the world's religious heritage.

    His life spanned the two defining moments in modern Tibetan history: the entry into Lhasa by British troops in 1904 and by Chinese troops in 1951. Recognized as an incarnate lama while he was a child, Gendun Chopel excelled in the traditional monastic curriculum and went on to become expert in fields as diverse as philosophy, history, linguistics, geography, and tantric Buddhism. Near the end of his life, before he was persecuted and imprisoned by the government of the young Dalai Lama, he would dictate the Adornment for Nagarjuna’s Thought, a work on Madhyamaka, or “Middle Way,” philosophy.  It sparked controversy immediately upon its publication and continues to do so today.            The Madman’s Middle Way presents the first English translation of this major Tibetan Buddhist work, accompanied by an essay on Gendun Chopel’s life liberally interspersed with passages from his writings. Donald S. Lopez Jr. also provides a commentary that sheds light on the doctrinal context of the Adornment and summarizes its key arguments. Ultimately, Lopez examines the long-standing debate over whether Gendun Chopel in fact is the author of the Adornment; the heated critical response to the work by Tibetan monks of the Dalai Lama’s sect; and what the Adornment tells us about Tibetan Buddhism’s encounter with modernity. The result is an insightful glimpse into a provocative and enigmatic workthatwill be of great interest to anyone seriously interested in Buddhism or Asian religions.

    Reb Anderson draws on over thirty years of experience as a Zen priest, exploring Buddhist yoga and psychology, and the relationship of wisdom and compassion to the personal, social, and ecological crises of our time. At once inspirational and practical, he bows to an ancient tradition as he helps us to forge a modern-day Buddhism that urges us "to sit still in the middle of all living beings."

    By enabling us to go within to uncover the deepest level of our mind and then to use the very subtle mind to meditate on ultimate truth, Mahamudra practice destroys all our delusions at their very root and thus propels us quickly to the state of full enlightenment."Mahamudra Tantra" begins by explaining the basic correct view and intention needed for successful Mahamudra meditation, as well as the meaning of Tantra and the two stages of Highest Yoga Tantra practice, and then explains the preliminaries and stages of training in this profound practice.

    The root text gives in thirty-seven short verses the essential practices leading to enlightenment. Gyalsay Togme Sangpo (1295-1369) was renowned as a bodhisattva in Tibet and revered for living according to the bodhisattva ideals and practices that he taught. He inspired not only his direct disciples but also generations of practitioners up to the present day. This extraordinary commentary by Geshe Jampa Tegchok clearly explains the popular practice of exchanging oneself with others for developing love and compassion for all living beings. It lays open the methods for doing glance stabilizing and analytical meditations and offers an in-depth discussion of the nature of emptiness. All the essentials are here for transforming our attitudes and developing courage and joy.

    

    

    This volume contains a generous selection of his inspiring teachings and writings, the core of which is a lengthy discussion of the entire path of Dzogchen, including key instructions on view, meditation, and conduct, along with direct advice on how to bring one's experiences onto the path. Also included in this book in their entirety are the oral instructions, tantric songs, and songs of realization from His Holiness's Collected Works, along with a generous selection of the aspiration and supplication prayers.

    The tantric path is often referred to as the indestructible way of secret mantra, the essence of which is the indestructible union of wisdom (the understanding of emptiness) and method (immutable great bliss). This volume sets forth the various systems that constitute this path, both those of the ancient tantra tradition and of the new tradition.

    B. Alan Wallace explains the methods and experiences of Tibetan practitioners and compares these with investigations of consciousness by Western scientists and philosophers. Balancing the Mind includes a translation of the classic discussion of methods for developing exceptionally high degrees of attentional stability and clarity by fifteenth-century Tibetan contemplative Tsongkhapa.

    The question is: Are we there to meet it or not? Diane Rizzetto presents a simple but supremely effective practice for meeting every moment of our lives with mindfulness, using the Zen precepts as tools to develop a keen awareness of the motivations behind every aspect of our behavior—to "wake up to what we do"—from moment to moment. As we train in mindfulness of our actions, every situation of our lives becomes our teacher, offering priceless insight into what it really means to be happy. It's a simple practice with transformative potential, enabling us to break through our habitual reactions and to see clearly how our own happiness and well-being are intimately, inevitably connected to the happiness and well-being of everyone around us.

    A valuable resource for both those preparing to take the vow, and for teachers of Buddhism. "The purpose of taking refuge is to awaken from confusion and associate oneself with wakefulness. Taking refuge is a matter of commitment and acceptance and, at the same time, of openness and freedom. By taking the refuge vow we commit ourselves to freedom." —Chögyam Trungpa

    Davidson explores how the translation and spread of esoteric Buddhist texts dramatically shaped Tibetan society and led to its rise as the center of Buddhist culture throughout Asia, replacing India as the perceived source of religious ideology and tradition. During the Tibetan Renaissance (950-1200 C.E.), monks and yogins translated an enormous number of Indian Buddhist texts. They employed the evolving literature and practices of esoteric Buddhism as the basis to reconstruct Tibetan religious, cultural, and political institutions. Many translators achieved the de facto status of feudal lords and while not always loyal to their Buddhist vows, these figures helped solidify political power in the hands of religious authorities and began a process that led to the Dalai Lama's theocracy. Davidson's vivid portraits of the monks, priests, popular preachers, yogins, and aristocratic clans who changed Tibetan society and culture further enhance his perspectives on the tensions and transformations that characterized medieval Tibet.

    His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa (Rangjung Rikpe Dorje, 1923-1981) asked that Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche present Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma to Western students. In accordance with this wish, Khenpo Rinpoche began teaching this text in 1999 at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, the North American seat of His Holiness, located in Woodstock, New York.  Rinpoche omitted chapters that he considered restricted; these restricted or secret parts will be taught and published separately at Karma Ling Retreat Center for use by qualified students. This work makes the entire contents of Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma available in English for the first time.

    Insight (vipassana) is one end of the stick and serenity (samatha) is the other. Insight has to proceed from peace and tranquility. The entire process will happen naturally of its own accord. We can't force it...In my own search I tried nearly every possible means of contemplation. I sacrificed my life for the Dhamma, because I had faith in the reality of enlightenment and the Path to get there... But to realize them takes practice, right practice. It takes pushing yourself to the limit. It takes the courage to train, to reflect and to fundamentally change. It takes the courage to actually do what it takes.You've got to discover the depths of your own heart."Venerable Ajahn Chah

    Buddhism teaches that death can be a springboard to enlightenment—yet for all but the most advanced meditators, it will be the gateway to countless future lives of suffering in samsara. Tulku Thondup wrote this guide to help us heal our fear and confusion about death and strengthen our practice in anticipation of this transition, and to help us realize the enlightened goal of ultimate peace and joy—not only for death and rebirth, but for this very lifetime. In simple language, he distills a vast range of sources, including scriptures, classic commentaries, oral teachings, and firsthand accounts. The book includes:    •  A CD of guided meditations    •  An overview of the dying process, the after-death bardo states, and teachings on why, where, and how we take rebirth    •  Accounts by Tibetan "near-death experiencers" (delogs), who returned from death with amazing reports of their visions    •  Ways to train our minds during life, so that at death, all the phenomena before us will arise as a world of peace, joy, and enlightenment    •  Simple meditations, prayers, and rituals to benefit the dead and dying    •  Advice for caregivers, helpers, and survivors of the dying The paperback edition includes an audio CD providing guided instructions by the author on how to visualize Amitabha Buddha in the Pure Realm; how to receive his blessings; how to visualize transforming your body into light and sound at the time of death; how to share the blessings with compassion for all sentient beings; and how to rest in oneness. By becoming intimate with this practice while we're alive, we can alleviate our fear of death, improve our appreciation of this life, and prepare for death in a very practical way, while planting the seeds for rebirth in the Pure Land.

    Ranging in date from the 2nd century BC to the 6th century AD, the exquisite Buddhist paintings and sculptures that they found there now rank among the world's most important cultural treasures. Here, Benoy K. Behl captures some of the finest works of Buddhist art in all their glory and luminosity. The exquisite murals depict the Jatakas (tales of previous incarnations) of Lord Buddha, scenes of princely processions, ladies with their handmaidens, bejewelled animals, ascetics in monasteries and fantastical birds and beasts, all with a startling degree of sophistication. What is unique about the paintings is their humanity: the men and women of this world have the capacity to adore - they look upon each other with expressions of infinite caring. Ajanta provides virtually the only evidence remaining of painting styles that first developed in India and then travelled with the spread of Buddhism as far as Japan and Korea. potent symbol of the great beauty of India's rich artistic past.

    They are of immense value. They are the whole of religion condensed. They are like seeds; they contain much, the moment you move into them deeply, when you contemplate and meditate and start experimenting with them, you will be surprised you will be going into the greatest adventure of your life.Life in itself is not meaningful.It is meaningful only if you cansing a song of the eternalif you can release some fragranceof the divine, of the godly,if you can become a lotus flowerdeathless, timelessif you become pure love,if you can beautify this existence,if you can become a blessingto this existence, only thendoes life have significance;otherwise it is pointless.it is like an empty canvas:you can go on carrying it yourwhole life and you can die underits weight, but what is the point?Paint something on it!OSHOFrom the Back of the BookIndia has given great gifts to the world. Atisha is one of those great gifts. Just as India gave Bodhidharma to China, India gave Atisha to Tibet.Meditate on Atisha, listen to his advice; it is of immense value. It is not a philosophy. It is a manual of inner transformation. It is the book that can help you grow into wisdom. I call it the Book of Wisdom.PrefaceAtisha, as Osho explains in The Book if Wisdom, was a Ioth-century mystic who is credited with establishing the foundations if Buddhist teachings ill Tibet. In t1le following introduction, taken from a discourse series Om Mani Padme Hum, Osho talks about the priceless contribu

    Entering the Middle Way is Chandrakirti's explanation of Nagarjuna's work. Its sixth chapter, which comprises the majority of the text, has four main sections: an explanation of how in genuine reality phenomena do not truly arise; a refutation of the Mind-Only School's assertion that mind truly exists; a refutation of the true existence of the personal self; and an explanation of the sixteen emptinesses taught by"the Buddha in the Transcendent Wisdom Sutras. The Moon of Wisdom is thus a book that explains the Buddha's ultimate teachings, how to gain confidence in them, and how to put them into practice in one's"own life to the great benefit of oneself and others.

    Evocative of the great Ajahn Chah, her teachings are earthy, refreshingly direct, and hard-hitting. In the twentieth century, she grew to become one of the most famous teachers in Thailand--male or female--all the more remarkable because, rarer still, she was not a monastic but a layperson. Her relentless honesty, along with her encouraging voice, is one reason so many contemporary Buddhist teachers recall Upasika Kee so fondly, and so often. With this book, readers seeking something reminiscent of the classic Mindfulness in Plain English can receive instruction on meditation practice as they become acquainted with the legacy of a renowned Buddhist figure. Pure and Simple, the first widely-available collection of her writings, will be gratefully received not only by those who knew Upasika Kee, but by anyone who encounters her for the first time in its pages.

    An introduction to Tibetan Buddhist teachings and how to aply them in our lives

    A Map of the Journey is an orginial, never previously published work. It is a transcript of a series of eleven preparatory talks given by Sayādaw U Jotika of Burma prior to a meditation retreat held in Australia. This book gives a thorough background to the Path with much detail about the various insight stages. The Sayādaw illustrates this with many stories from his own practice and from his many teachers.

    Collected and popularized by the immensely popular Chinese illustrator Tsai Chih Chung, the book includes over 100 Zen tales for the reader of today, bringing to life the spirit and philosophy of Zen through cartoon panels with a text that is irreverently humorous yet replete with wisdom. It is a great and easy tool to learn Chinese classics.

    It details evidence of the turners craft dating back 4000 years, and looks at the development of lathe technology, as well as the tools and timbers used. The author has been given unprecedented access to study and photograph important collections, many of which have never appeared in print before. The superb photographs show priceless, gold-adorned vessels buried with Saxon Kings, Tudor bowls from the wreck of the Mary Rose, and even a bowl which some claim to be the Holy Grail.

    With more than forty exercises and practices, plus step-by-step figure illustrations photographed in full color. Featuring an introduction by Tarthang Tulku, as well as a new extended index.

    Accounts such as this are extremely important to the preservation of the purity of the Buddhist tradition as they enable students to verify the authenticity of a teacher's qualifications and so develop confidence.

    It might then come as quite a surprise, when suddenly, in the middle of our striving to attain or get rid of something, we find our heart opening like a window, revealing to us the spacious vista of an unexpected kind of freedom: the freedom to fully meet ourselves as we are right now; the freedom to fully experience all the situations and emotions that seem to be obstacles to our happiness, without having to believe in or follow their apparent messages. What allows us to abide in that unexpected freedom, finding stillness and clarity in the eye of the storm, is a spacious, embracing awareness of the present moment, which for its liberating qualities lies at the heart of the Buddha’s teaching. This collection of talks is formed around the theme of this potentially limitless awareness.

    Compiled from Chinese and translated into English, these talks span a 40 year period during retreats in China and America. Topics covered include - What are the benefits of meditation? - How do we sit in meditation? - What are the states of meditation? - How do we reach nirvana? - What is absolute enlightenment?

    In this groundbreaking work, Gray Tuttle reveals the surprising role Buddhism and Buddhist leaders played in the development of the modern Chinese state and in fostering relations between Tibet and China from the Republican period (1912-1949) to the early years of Communist rule. Beyond exploring interactions between Buddhists and politicians in Tibet and China, Tuttle offers new insights on the impact of modern ideas of nationalism, race, and religion in East Asia.After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911, the Chinese Nationalists, without the traditional religious authority of the Manchu Emperor, promoted nationalism and racial unity in an effort to win support among Tibetans. Once this failed, Chinese politicians appealed to a shared Buddhist heritage. This shift in policy reflected the late-nineteenth-century academic notion of Buddhism as a unified world religion, rather than a set of competing and diverse Asian religious practices.While Chinese politicians hoped to gain Tibetan loyalty through religion, the promotion of a shared Buddhist heritage allowed Chinese Buddhists and Tibetan political and religious leaders to pursue their goals. During the 1930s and 1940s, Tibetan Buddhist ideas and teachers enjoyed tremendous popularity within a broad spectrum of Chinese society and especially among marginalized Chinese Buddhists. Even when relationships between the elite leadership between the two nations broke down, religious and cultural connections remained strong. After the Communists seized control, they continued to exploit this link when exerting control over Tibet by force in the 1950s. And despite being an avowedly atheist regime, with the exception of the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese communist government has continued to recognize and support many elements of Tibetan religious, if not political, culture.Tuttle's study explores the role of Buddhism in the formation of modern China and its relationship to Tibet through the lives of Tibetan and Chinese Buddhists and politicians and by drawing on previously unexamined archival and governmental materials, as well as personal memoirs of Chinese politicians and Buddhist monks, and ephemera from religious ceremonies.

    An introduction to the Bonpo Dzogchen teachings of the oral tradition from Zhang-Zhung, known as the Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud

    Sources span a spectrum from ancient sages to modern teachers, from monks to laypeople, from East to West, from poetry to prose. Each page, and each new day, reveals another gem of Daily Wisdom. Entries included are from some of Buddhism's best-known figures: the Dalai Lama, Sylvia Boorstein, Bhante Gunaratana (Mindfulness in Plain English), Lama Zopa Rinpoche (Transforming Problems into Happiness), Lama Yeshe (Introduction to Tantra), Ayya Khema (Being Nobody, Going Nowhere) and of course, the Buddha himself.

    This collection of previously published and unpublished writings from his 14 years behind bars vibrates with kindness, hope and the triumph of the human spirit. It is a testament to the truth that all human beings possess basic goodness.

    It describes the entire range of his meditation, from the beginning stages all the way to the final transcendence. We realize that such exalted attainments are not merely remnants of ancient history, dead and dry – but a living, luminous legacy of self-transcendence accessible to any individual who is willing and able to put forth the effort needed to achieve them. This book is for FREE distribution only! Digital format of this book can be downloaded free at www.forestdhamma.org