Best of
Buddhism

2008

The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology


Jack Kornfield - 2008
    In The Wise Heart, one of the leading spiritual teachers of our time offers the most accessible and illuminating guide to Buddhism’s transformational psychology ever published in the West.Trained as a monk in Thailand, Burma, and India, Jack Kornfield experienced at first hand the life-changing power of Buddhist teachings: the emphasis on the nobility and sacredness of the human spirit, the fine-grained analysis of emotion and thought, the precise techniques for healing, training, and transforming the mind and heart. In contrast to the medical orientation of most Western psychology and psychiatry, here is a vision of radiant human dignity, and a practical path for realizing it in our own lives.The Wise Heart is the fruit of a life’s work that includes such classics as A Path with Heart and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry. Filled with stories from Kornfield’s Buddhist psychotherapy practice and portraits of remarkable teachers, it also includes a moving account of his own recovery from a violence-filled childhood. For meditators and mental health professionals, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, The Wise Heart offers an extraordinary journey from the roots of consciousness to the highest expression of human possibility.

Buddha at Bedtime: Tales of Love and Wisdom for You to Read with Your Child to Enchant, Enlighten and Inspire


Dharmachari Nagaraja - 2008
    These 20 thoroughly modern retellings of ancient Buddhist tales give parents a fun, low-pressure way to impart wisdom and moral guidance without preaching. Each story highlights a moral or ethical dilemma that echoes those that children face in their own lives, providing insight and enlightenment that they can use to defuse trying situations. At the conclusion of each story, applicable Buddhist principles are discussed. Featuring engaging characters, enthralling adventures, and modern language that speaks to today’s kids, these beautifully illustrated stories can help children relieve stress, attain greater academic and social achievement, and enjoy a more positive outlook on life.

The Pocket Pema Chodron


Pema Chödrön - 2008
    Designed for on-the-go inspiration, this collection offers teachings on:    • becoming fearless    • breaking free of destructive patterns    • developing patience, kindness, and joy amid our everyday struggles    • unlocking our natural warmth, intelligence, and goodness

Dancing With Life: Buddhist Insights for Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering


Phillip Moffitt - 2008
    Reflecting on his own journey from Esquire magazine editor-in-chief to Buddhist meditation teacher, Moffitt provides a fresh perspective on the Buddha's ancient wisdom, showing how to move from suffering to new awareness and unanticipated joy. In this deeply spiritual book that is sure to become a Buddhist classic, Moffitt explores the twelve insights that underlie the Buddha's core teaching--the Four Noble Truths--and uses these often neglected ideas to guide readers to a more meaningful relationship to suffering. Moffitt write: "These twelve insights teach you to dance with both the joy and pain, finding peace in a balanced mind and calm spirit. As the most specific, practical life instructions I have ever encountered, they serve as an invaluable tool for anyone who seeks a life filled with meaning and well-being." Practicing these twelve insights, as Moffitt suggests, will help readers experience life's difficulties without being filled with stress and anguish, and they will enhance their moments of happiness. With engaging writing and a strong message of self-empowerment, Dancing with Life offers a prescriptive path for finding joy and peace that will appeal to meditation students and readers of "Dharma Wisdom," Moffitt's column in Yoga Journal, as well as anyone searching for a more authentic life.

Brilliant Moon: The Autobiography of Dilgo Khyentse


Dilgo Khyentse - 2008
    The formative events of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s life, and those insights and experiences that caused him to mature into the warm, brilliant, and highly realized meditation master and teacher he was, are deeply inspiring. The details of his early life and spiritual training reveal an authentic and human view of Tibetan culture, as well as the hardships endured by the Tibetans who fled their country and reestablished their tradition in exile. The first part of this volume includes Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s early life story, told in his own words. The second half of the book comprises recollections by Khyentse Rinpoche’s wife; his grandson and spiritual heir, Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche; Tenga Rinpoche; Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche; Orgyen Topgyal Rinpoche; Kenpo Pema Sherab; the Queen Mother of Bhutan; Trulshik Rinpche; and Pewar Tulku.

This Moment Is the Perfect Teacher: Ten Buddhist Teachings on Cultivating Inner Strength and Compassion


Pema Chödrön - 2008
    It teaches our hearts to soften, reframes our attitude toward difficulty, and allows us to discover a wellspring of inner strength. In this recorded retreat, Pema Chödrön introduces the lojong teachings and explains how we can apply them to any situation in our life—because, as Pema says, "every moment is an opportunity for awakening." In addition, Pema also leads a guided tonglen meditation, a practice aimed at developing courage and cultivating compassion for ourselves and others. 4 CDs, 4 1/2 hours, unabridged.

The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology


Thich Nhat Hanh - 2008
    Hanh finds answers to these critical problems in the Buddhist teaching of the impermanence of all things. He demonstrates how this teaching can offer inner peace and help us use our collective wisdom and technology to restore the Earth's balance. Mixing inspiring insights with practical strategies, Hanh cites projects his own monastic community has undertaken that can serve as models for any community. Both his “ No Car Day,” observed once a week, and the “Earth Peace Treaty Commitment Sheet” can impact our ecological footprint on the Earth. Above all, he shows how acceptance of problems is that first critical step toward a deeper understanding of the best way to care for our Earth.

Sailing Home: Using the Wisdom of Homer's Odyssey to Navigate Life's Perils and Pitfalls


Norman Fischer - 2008
    It is an ancient story that is significant for every generation: the struggle of a homesick, battle-weary man longing to return to love and family. Odysseus's strivings to overcome divine and earthly obstacles and to control his own impulsive nature hold valuable lessons for people facing their own metaphorical battles and everyday conflicts -- people who are, like Odysseus, "heartsick on the open sea," whether from dealing with daily skirmishes at the office or from fighting in an international war. "Sailing Home" breathes fresh air into a classic we thought we knew, revealing its profound guidance for navigating life's pitfalls, perils, and spiritual challenges. Norman Fischer deftly incorporates Buddhist, Judaic, Christian, and popular thought, as well as his own unique and sympathetic understanding of life, in his reinterpretation of Odysseus's familiar wanderings as lessons that everyone can use. We see how to resist the seduction of the Sirens' song to stop sailing and give up; how to bide our time in a situation and wait for the right opportunity -- as Odysseus does when faced with the murderous, one-eyed Cyclops; and how to reassess our story and rediscover our purpose and identity if, like the Lotus-Eaters, we have forgotten the past.With meditations that yield personal revelations, illuminating anecdotes from Fischer's and his students' lives, and stories from many wisdom traditions, "Sailing Home" shows the way to greater purpose in your own life.You will learn a new way to view your path, when to wait and when to act, when to speak your mind and when to exercise discretion, how to draw on your innate strength and distinguish between truth and deception, and how to deal with aging and changing relationships. "Sailing Home" provides the courage you need for your journey, to renew bonds with your loved ones, and to make the latter portion of life a heartfelt time of spirit and love, so that -- just as Odysseus does -- you can defeat the forces of entropy and death.

The Pocket Chogyam Trungpa


Chögyam Trungpa - 2008
    Here is a treasury of 108 short teachings by Chogyam Trungpa, one of the most influential Buddhist teachers of our time. Pithy and immediate, these teachings address 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. This book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series. The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.

The Kindness Handbook: A Practical Companion


Sharon Salzberg - 2008
    You grow impatient with someone you're trying to help. A cell phone user annoys you on a train. Would your first response to these situations be kindness? In The Kindness Handbook, Sharon Salzberg explores with insight and clarity how kindness for ourselves and others can be the quality we choose to steer our lives by. From the foundation of this transformative practice and its entry point through you, to its daily expression in your life, this book features a thoughtful collection of anecdotes, stories, and practical tools to inspire kindness for any life situation. The Kindness Handbook is your personal companion to explore the rich landscape of kindness-and help you see just how it might shift and open up your life to greater joy, meaning, and compassion. "For kindness to be more fully realized, it needs to be distinguished from being ineffectual or meek. It also needs to be infused with wisdom, supported by courage, and threaded with balance." -Sharon Salzberg, author of The Kindness Handbook "This book is like having Sharon and her gentle wisdom on call, 24-7, to remind you that in every moment, kindness can make a huge difference in how the next moment unfolds, in yourself and in others. This simple practice will light up and lighten your life." -Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our Senses and Arriving at Your Own Door "Sharon Salzberg is a powerful teacher of the enduring value of kindness. Here she brings her teachings to us in a beautiful and accessible form through moving stories and powerful exercises. The world needs more kindness. Sharon is showing us the way." -Roshi Joan Halifax, abbot at the Upaya Zen Center "With the deep wisdom gained by her many years of dharma practice and the greatness of her Being, Sharon leads us gently with confident strength and inspiration down the path to true happiness and love. Sleep with this book under your pillow!" -Krishna Das, author of Flow of Grace

Kaneko's Story: A Conversation with Kaneko Ikeda


Soka Gakkai - 2008
    Also her Childhood memories & thoughts on freindship, family & marriage.

Dancing With Life


Phillip Moffit - 2008
    

Introduction to Emptiness: As Taught in Tsong-Kha-Pa's Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path


Guy Newland - 2008
    In clear language, Introduction to Emptiness explains that emptiness is not a mystical sort of nothingness, but a specific truth that can and must be understood through calm and careful reflection. Newland's contemporary examples and vivid anecdotes will be helpful to students trying to understand one of the great classic texts of the Tibetan tradition, Tsong-kha-pa's Great Treatise.

The Making of Buddhist Modernism


David L. McMahan - 2008
    This literature, Asian as well as Western, weaves together the strands of different traditions to create a novel hybrid that brings Buddhism into alignment with many of the ideologies and sensibilities of the post-Enlightenment West.In this book, David McMahan charts the development of this "Buddhist modernism." McMahan examines and analyzes a wide range of popular and scholarly writings produced by Buddhists around the globe. He focuses on ideological and imaginative encounters between Buddhism and modernity, for example in the realms of science, mythology, literature, art, psychology, and religious pluralism. He shows how certain themes cut across cultural and geographical contexts, and how this form of Buddhism has been created by multiple agents in a variety of times and places. His position is critical but empathetic: while he presents Buddhist modernism as a construction of numerous parties with varying interests, he does not reduce it to a mistake, a misrepresentation, or fabrication. Rather, he presents it as a complex historical process constituted by a variety of responses -- sometimes trivial, often profound -- to some of the most important concerns of the modern era.

Longchenpa's Advice From The Heart


Longchen Rabjam - 2008
    His scriptural learning and realization were equal to those of the famous saints who graced the land of India, and true to his words of advice, his wa a disciplined life spent in foresr and mountain hermitages. Longchempa's Thirty Words of Advice are like nuggets of gold offered to us in his open hand so that their inspiration can turn our mind to a sincere and uncorrupted spiritual practice. With his clear introduction to the principles and practice of Dzogchen, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu sets in context the thirty words of advice and then proceeds to explain each one as the basis of Longchempa's spiritual experience, in a way that is relevant to usas individual in our time.

True Perception: The Path of Dharma Art


Chögyam Trungpa - 2008
    The renowned meditation master and artist Chögyam Trungpa called this type of art “dharma art”—any creative work that springs from an awakened state of mind, characterized by directness, unselfconsciousness, and nonaggression. Dharma art provides a vehicle to appreciate the nature of things as they are and express it without any struggle or desire to achieve. A work of dharma art brings out the goodness and dignity of the situation it reflects—dignity that comes from the artist’s interest in the details of life and sense of appreciation for experience. Trungpa shows how the principles of dharma art extend to everyday life: any activity can provide an opportunity to relax and open our senses to the phenomenal world. An expanded edition of Trungpa's Dharma Art (1996), this book includes a new introduction and essay.

Your Breathing Body, Volume 1: Beginning Practices for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Fulfillment


Reginald A. Ray - 2008
    This is the premise behind Your Breathing Body, a landmark two-volume breathwork curriculum from esteemed meditation teacher and Tibetan Buddhist scholar Reggie Ray.Volume One presents a 10-CD course with the beginner in mind. Blending somatic practices and breathing techniques from cultures and traditions around the world, Reggie gives you a practice-focused program that will show you how to “fathom your breath to its full depths” for physical healing, emotional balance, and, ultimately, the direct experience of who you are and where you fit in the cosmos.

Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas On The Middle Way: With Commentary By Gyel-Tsap


Aryadeva - 2008
    Both Nagarjuna and Aryadeva urge those who want to understand reality to induce direct experience of ultimate truth through philosophic inquiry and reasoning. Aryadeva's text is more than a commentary on Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Middle Way because it also explains the extensive paths associated with conventional truths. The Four Hundred Stanzas is one of the fundamental works of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy, and Gyel-tsap's commentary is arguably the most complete and important of the Tibetan commentaries on it. Mahayana practitioners must eliminate not only obstructions to liberation but also obstructions to the perfect knowledge of all phenomena. This requires a powerful understanding of selflessness, coupled with a vast accumulation of merit, or positive energy, resulting from the kind of love, compassion, and altruistic intention cultivated by bodhisattvas. The first half of the text focuses on the development of merit by showing how to correct distorted ideas about conventional reality and how to overcome disturbing emotions. The second half explains the nature of ultimate reality that all phenomena are empty of intrinsic existence. Gyel-tsap's commentary on Aryadeva's text takes the form of a lively dialogue that uses the words of Aryadeva to answer hypothetical and actual assertions questions and objections. Geshe Sonam Rinchen has provided additional commentary to the sections on conventional reality, elucidating their relevance for contemporary life. This is a republished version of Yogic Deeds of Bodhisattvas.

Light of Fearless Indestructible Wisdom: A Brief Account of the Life and Legacy of Kyabje Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche


Tsewang Dongyal - 2008
    He worked closely with the present Dalai Lama to reinvigorate Tibetan culture and spiritual practice following the Chinese invasion of their homeland. Nyingma masters and devotees, both lay and ordained, unanimously appointed him Supreme Head of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, and he served in this capacity until his death in 1987. He wrote poetry, music, history, and philosopy, and delivered unprecedented numbers of initiations and teachings. Written by a Nyingma master who served for several years as Dudjom Rinpoche's secretary, this biography celebrates a teacher whose hardships in exile did not diminish his zest for scholarship and practice.

Zen Sourcebook: Traditional Documents from China, Korea, and Japan


Stephen Addiss - 2008
    The selections provide both a good feel for the varieties of Zen and an experience of its common core. . . . The texts are experiential teachings and include storytelling, poetry, autobiographies, catechisms, calligraphy, paintings, and koans (paradoxical meditation questions that are intended to help aspirants transcend logical, linguistic limitations). Contextual commentary prefaces each text. Wade-Giles transliteration is used, although Pinyin, Korean, Japanese, and Sanskrit terms are linked in appendixes. An insightful introduction by Arai contributes a religious studies perspective. The bibliography references full translations of the selections. A thought-provoking discussion about the problems of translation is included. . . . Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels." --Choice

Ocean of Dharma: The Everyday Wisdom of Chogyam Trungpa


Chögyam Trungpa - 2008
    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.

The Karmapa's Middle Way: A Commentary on Chandrakirti's Madhyamakavatara


Wangchuk Dorje - 2008
    This commentary, Feast for the Fortunate, is the Ninth Karmapa's abridgement of the Eighth Karmapa Mikyo Dorje's masterpiece, the Chariot of the Takpo Kagyu Siddhas. In it readers will find previously unavailable material on the Karmapa's Middle Way view and a rare window into a philosophically charged era of Middle Way exposition in Tibetan Buddhism. In this book, Chandrakirti and the Karmapa present in precise detail the vital Buddhist concept of emptiness, through which the Mahayana path of compassionate altruism becomes complete.

The Storms Can't Hurt the Sky: The Buddhist Path through Divorce


Gabriel Cohen - 2008
    In Storms Can't Hurt the Sky, Gabriel Cohen bravely delves into his personal experience-along with insights from Buddhist masters, parables, humor, social science studies, and interviews with other divorces-to provide a practical and very helpful guide to surviving the pain of any break-up. Focusing on the emotions most common in the dissolution of a relationship-anger, resentment, loss, and grief -- Storms Can't Hurt the Sky shows how thinking about these feelings in surprisingly different ways can lead to a radically better experience. This compulsively readable book offers sound advice and much-needed empathy for anyone dealing with a break-up.

Light Comes Through: Buddhist Teachings on Awakening to Our Natural Intelligence


Dzigar Kongtrül III - 2008
    In an instant they can bring us down or lift us up. If we don't attend to the mind, the source of all our thoughts and emotions, it can seem like a runaway train. Yet when guided by wisdom, our mind can lead us to awakening. How do we utilize this resource? The Buddha asked big questions concerning the causes and conditions of happiness and suffering and how we can shape our mind and attitude to support our well-being. According to the Buddhist teachings, when our natural intelligence is sparked by contemplation and meditation, we discover insights into what true happiness means—and how to achieve it. The distilled wisdom of the Buddhist tradition leads us to clarity of mind, and step by step, the light of our natural intelligence comes through. With the humor and insight he is known for, Dzigar Kongtrül engages us in a playful, and challenging, investigation of disturbing emotions, our relationships with others, the trap of self-centeredness, and the practicalities of working with a Buddhist teacher. Most important, he shows us the subtlest use of our own natural intelligence—its ability to recognize the nature of reality itself.

Your Breathing Body, Volume 2: Advanced Practices for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Fulfillment


Reginald A. Ray - 2008
    This is the premise behind Your Breathing Body, a landmark two-volume breathwork curriculum from esteemed meditation teacher and Tibetan Buddhist scholar Reggie Ray.Volume Two contains 10 CDs for the advanced practitioner. Blending somatic practices and breathing techniques from cultures and traditions around the world, Reggie gives you a practice-focused program that will show you how to “fathom your breath to its full depths” for physical healing, emotional balance, and, ultimately, the direct experience of who you are and where you fit in the cosmos.

Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict


Tsultrim Allione - 2008
    If we want to liberate ourselves from the fight once and for all, we must reverse our approach and nurture our demons.In Feeding Your Demons, Allione adapts the revolutionary wisdom of Tibet’s greatest female spiritual master for the first time, providing a powerful method for coping with the inner enemies that undermine your best intentions. Based on an extraordinarily simple yet effective five-step practice, Feeding Your Demons outlines a strategy for transforming negative emotions, relationships, fears, illness, and self-defeating patterns. By recognizing your demons, giving them form, and then feeding them, you can free yourself from the battle. And the paradigm shift from fighting to feeding demons can apply not only to your personal challenges but also to the challenges of the world at large. Enriched with detailed examples to show how others have transformed their demons, Feeding Your Demons will give you remarkable new insight into the forces that threaten to defeat you, along with the tools to achieve inner peace.

The Preliminary Practice of Altar Set-up & Water Bowl Offerings


Thubten Zopa - 2008
    This edition includes information on water bowls, meditations to use while doing the practice, and a mantra to recite when removing food offerings from the altar to avoid creating the karma of stealing from the Triple Gem.Contents Include:- Altar Set-up and Water Bowl Offerings- The Practice of Offering by Lama Zopa Rinpoche- Guidelines for Completing 100,000 Water Bowl Offerings- Extensive Offering Practice- Light Offering Prayer by Lama Atisha- Appendix: How to Fill a Small Statue40 Pages. 2016 Edition.

The New Human Revolution, Volume 15 (The New Human Revolution, #15)


Daisaku Ikeda - 2008
    This ongoing novelized history of the Soka Gakkai, contains not only episodes from the past but timeless guidance in faith.Chapter SummaryChapter 1: RevitalizationOn October 6, the 1970 Tokyo Culture Festival was held marking the start of a new cultural movement with regional festivals to be held around the country including one in Kansai in November.Chapter 2: Soka UniversityOn April 2, 1971, the opening ceremony of Soka University took place at the site of the new university in Hachioji, the area President Toda had specified.Chapter 3: FloweringAt the Headquarters general meeting held on May 3, 1970, Shin'ichi had declared that kosen-rufu was a great cultural movement unfolding on the vast spiritual earth of the Mystic Law. The true image of kosen-rufu will be revealed in what kind of flowering of culture is brought about based on Nichiren Buddhism.

The Dalai Lama: Essential Writings


Thomas A. Forsthoefel - 2008
    While working to preserve the culture of his homeland, he has also served as one of the preeminent representatives of Buddhism in the West. Through his wide travels and his many bestselling books he has helped to spread the Buddhist precepts of wisdom and compassion, while also fostering peace and understanding between different religious paths. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Price. This anthology, drawing on over twenty books, presents the essential teachings of the Dalai Lama, highlighting a message that speaks to people of all traditions

Eloquent Silence: Nyogen Senzaki's Gateless Gate and Other Previously Unpublished Teachings and Letters


Nyogen Senzaki - 2008
    It makes available for the first time his complete commentaries on the Gateless Gate, one of the most important and beloved of all Zen texts, as well as on koans from the Blue Rock Annals and the Book of Equanimity. Amazingly, some of these commentaries were written while Senzaki was detained at an internment camp during WWII. Also included are rare photographs, poems reproduced in Senzaki's beautiful calligraphy and accompanied by his own translations, and transcriptions of his talks on Zen, esoteric Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra, what it means to be a Buddhist monk, and other subjects. Roko Sherry Chayat has edited Nyogen Senzaki's words with sensitivity and grace, retaining his wry, probing style yet bringing clarity and accessibility to these remarkably contemporary teachings.

Under the banyan tree: Overcoming fear and sorrow


Thich Nhat Hanh - 2008
    

Awareness Alone Is Not Enough


Ashin Tejaniya - 2008
    

The New Human Revolution Volume 16 (The New Human Revolution, #16)


Daisaku Ikeda - 2008
    This ongoing novelized history of the Soka Gakkai, contains not only episodes from the past but timeless guidance in faith. World Tribune Press, Paperback, 5" x 8", 328 pgs. Chapter Summary Chapter 1: Heart and Soul Shin'ichi poured himself tirelessly into encouraging members working on the front lines in the women's division, young men's division and young women's division focusing mainly on those in Tokyo and then in Okinawa. He took many commemorative photos and announced the establishment of the Coming-of-Age Group in Shinjuku. Chapter 2: Dialogue On April 29, 1972 Shin'ichi left for Paris via Moscow for a trip lasting nearly one-month. The most important focus of the trip was a dialogue with British historian Arnold J. Toynbee. Chapter 3: Soaring At the Tohoku Culture Center in Sendai that evening, Shin'ichi sincerely prayed for the safety of the members in Akita and the rest of Tohoku, as well as those in western Japan, which had been hit twice by heavy rains.

Focused and Fearless: A Meditator's Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity


Shaila Catherine - 2008
    Blended with contemporary examples and pragmatic "how to" instructions that anyone can try, Focused and Fearless provides a wealth of tools to cultivate non-distracted attention in daily life and on retreat. Shaila Catherine has a friendly, wise approach to the meditative states (jhanas) that lead to liberating insight. Focused and Fearless is about much more than merely meditation or concentration. It offers a complete path towards bliss, fearlessness, and true awakening.

Universal Love: The Yoga Method of Buddha Maitreya


Thubten Yeshe - 2008
    By pulling together some of Lama Yeshe’s introductory teachings on Buddhism, meditation, compassion and emptiness, and combining them with the definitive explanation of tantra, this one valuable volume will inspire students to go more deeply into the Yoga Method of Buddha Maitreya–a tantric practice. “But isn’t tantra secret?” you ask. By now so many books have been published on tantra that the Dalai Lama himself said that appropriate books should be published, to correct mistakes made by inauthentic writers. Lama helps us to understand all the ways we can use meditation to develop transformation and gain transcendent experiences. It’s still important to find a fully-qualified teacher like Lama or seek out a group deity yoga retreat, but this new offering from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive is a very good explanation of Universal Love. Highly recommended.

Letters from the Dhamma Brothers: Meditation Behind Bars


Jenny Phillips - 2008
    The 38 participants in the first-ever intensive, silent 10-day program inside the walls of a corrections facility—many serving life sentences without parole—detail the range of their experiences, the depth of their understanding of the Buddha’s teachings gained by direct experience, and their setbacks and successes. During the Vipassana meditation program, they face the past and their miseries and emerge with a sense of peace and purpose. This compelling story shows the capacity for commitment, self-examination, renewal, and hope within a dismal penal system and a wider culture that demonizes prisoners.

The Essence of Zen: The Teachings of Sekkei Harada


Sekkei Harada - 2008
    To read it is to enter into one of modern Japanese Zen's most subtle and sophisticated minds.Sekkei Harada skillfully pushes us to drop those parts of ourselves that grasp and make demands regarding our understanding or progress in meditation practice. He enables us to see clearly-and steer clear of-the philosophical stumbling blocks that can make the path precarious.The Essence of Zen represents the most succinct of his teachings, making it of immediate value to anyone with an interest in Zen. The book also contains Harada's explanations of the differences between the tradition's primary schools, making it particularly helpful to newcomers.

Guide to the Buddhas (Meeting the Buddhas) (Meeting the Buddhas)


Vessantara - 2008
    An in-depth exploration that is accessible and inspiring, containing detailed and beautiful illustrations, A Guide to the Buddhas is an informative primer for those new to Buddhism and a handy reference for experienced practitioners. This is the first of three books examining Buddhist archetypes. Vessantara, born Tony McMahon in England, is a respected and well-published Buddhist author and teacher who holds a particular love for Tibetan Buddhism.

Mediations for a Clear Mind


Kelsang Gyatso - 2008
    The first meditation lays the foundation for meditating on the mind by helping to temporarily overcome physical appearances. The second introduces us to the clarity of our mind, and the third is a meditation on our root mind. Together they lead us on a voyage of exploration of our mind through which we can discover our own inner potential for lasting peace and happiness. All these meditations can be practised by anyone. Background information and guidance is provided in the accompanying 16 page booklet.

Buddhist Monks And Monasteries Of India: Their History And Their Contribution To Indian Culture


Sukumar Dutt - 2008
    1200). During this long stretch of time the Buddhist monks were organized in Sanghas in most parts of the country and their activities and achievements have profoundly influenced India`s traditional culture. There are monumental remains of Buddhist monastic life scattered all over India: in the south there are about a thousand cave-monasteries, among them Ajanta, world-famous for its exquisite mural paintings; in the north, less spectacular, the ruins of monastic edifices from Taxila in the west to Paharpur in the east. A connected history of the Buddhist monks of ancient India, their activities, their monastic establishments and their contributions to Indian culture, is available for the first time in this work, which is remarkable also for its pervading human interest. In reconstructing the history of the emperors and kings who were patrons of Buddhism, the early missionaries and the illustrious monk-scholars of later times, the author has used sources in four languages--Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese and Tibetan.

Tsong-kha-pa's Final Exposition of Wisdom


Jeffrey Hopkins - 2008
    This controversy about the nature of mind which persists to the present day raises many questions.This book first presents the final exposition of special insight by Tsong-kha-pa, the founder of the Ge-luk-pa order of Tibetan Buddhism in his medium-length Exposition of the Stages of the Path as well as the sections on the object of negation and on the two truths in his Illumination of the Thought: Extensive Explanation of Chandrakirti's Supplement to Nagarjuna's "Treatise on the Middle." It then details the views of his predecessor Dol-po-pa Shay-rap Gyel-tsen, the seminal author of philosophical treatises of the Jo-nang-pa order as found in his Mountain Doctrine followed by an analysis of Tsong-kha-pa's reactions. By contrasting the two systems—Dol-po-pa's doctrine of other-emptiness and Tsong-kha-pa's doctrine of self-emptiness—both views emerge more clearly,contributing to a fuller picture of reality as viewed in Tibetan Buddhism. Tsong-kha-pa's Final Exposition of Wisdom brilliantly explicates ignorance and wisdom, explains the relationship between dependent-arising and emptiness, shows how to meditate on emptiness, and explains what it means to view phenomena as like illusions.

Bhutan: The Land of Serenity


Matthieu Ricard - 2008
    Nearly twenty-five years ago, Matthieu Ricard went to Bhutan to study with Dilgo Khyenste Rinpoche, a highly revered Tibetan Buddhist master and teacher. During this time, he also came to know the royal family. He has continued to return to Bhutan throughout his life, discovering on each occasion more of its treasures.

Hundred Thousand Rays of the Sun


Tsering Wangdu - 2008
    This autobiography is a delightful portrait of a great meditation master during his personal trials in feudal Tibet and his life in exile. The essence of the book is the authors spirit of ever-giving generosity and wisdom as a Buddhist teacher and healer. A true inspiration in today's world. This autobiography is supplemented by teachings on the transference of consciousness and Kusuli Chöd practice.

Amrita of Eloquence: A Biography of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche


Karma Drodul - 2008
    Beautifully written by Lama Karma Drodül (Rinpoche's nephew and disciple) and elegantly translated by Yeshe Gyamtso, Amrita of Eloquence describes Khenpo Rinpoche and his life with humor, lyrical beauty, and boundless affection. Born in eastern Tibet in 1924, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche is one of the great masters of the Karma Kagyu tradition. Rinpoche received most of his training and education in Tibet before the Chinese invasion and is highly accomplished in meditation, philosophy, and monastic arts. As abbot of a monastery in Woodstock, New York; spiritual guide of thirty-five Karma Thegsum Choling (KTC) affiliate centers, and retreat master at the Karme Ling Retreat Center in Delhi, New York, Rinpoche has touched the lives of thousands of students. He is also known for numerous books, including The Quintessence of the Union of Mahamudra and Dzokchen .

The Method of No-Method: The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination


聖嚴法師 - 2008
    The traditional Chan (Chinese Zen) practice called Silent Illumination begins with nothing more than putting aside all thoughts except the awareness of oneself “just sitting.” It’s so simple in execution that it has sometimes been called the “method of no-method”—yet simple as it is, the practice is subtle and profound, with the potential for ever subtler refinements as the practitioner moves toward mastery of it. When fully penetrated, this radical form of emptying one’s busy mind-stream leads to perception of the vast ocean of pure awareness.

Living Everyday Zen


Charlotte Joko Beck - 2008
    Beck's ability to make the abstract concrete and accessible for anyone who engages in the practice distinguishes her from most other Zen teachers. Join her to explore: Liberating your "real" self from the conditioned "little" self with its unconscious, self-limiting beliefsHow to get past your "if onlies" to discover that real fulfillment is in this very momentPatience, persistence, and courage: the keys to freedomThe surprising relationship between healing and thoughtYour radiant life energy and how to awaken its flowBare bones simplicity. Tart common sense. That's the trademark style of Charlotte Joko Beck--offered here on Living Everyday Zen to help you realize the fruits of your sitting practice in every aspect of your daily life.

Don't Look Down on the Defilements: They Will Laugh At You


Ashin Tejaniya - 2008
    Lots of food for thought to support your practice.

Together Under One Roof: Making a Home of the Buddha's Household


Lin Jensen - 2008
    His previous two works, memoirs of growing up and growing old and of the hard-won but gentle wisdom gained in his daily public meditations for peace, were both critical successes earning a special place in readers' hearts. This book takes up symphonic variations on one main theme: we are all "in it" together, we are all living under one roof--and there's always a glowing hearth right here in this, the Buddha's household.

Buddhism and Postmodernity: Zen, Huayan, and the Possibility of Buddhist Postmodern Ethics


Jin Y. Park - 2008
    Jin Y. Park broadly outlines these questions as follows: first, why are the interpretations and evaluations of Buddhism so different in Europe (in the nineteenth century), in the United States (in the twentieth century), and in traditional Asia; second, why does Zen Buddhism, which offers a radically egalitarian vision, maintain a strongly authoritarian leadership; and third, what ethical paradigm can be drawn from the Buddhist-postmodern form of philosophy? Park argues that, as unrelated as these questions may seem, the issues that have generated them are related to perennial philosophical themes of identity, institutional power, and ethics, respectively. Each of these themes constitutes one section of Buddhism and Postmodernity. Park discusses the three issues in the book through the exploration of the Buddhist concepts of self and others, language and thinking, and universality and particularities. Most of this discussion is drawn from the East Asian Buddhist traditions of Zen and Huayan Buddhism in connection with the Continental philosophies of postmodernism, hermeneutics, and deconstruction. Self-critical from both the Buddhist and Western philosophical perspectives, Buddhism and Postmodernity points the reader toward a new understanding of Buddhist philosophy and offers a Buddhist-postmodern ethical paradigm that challenges normative ethics of metaphysical traditions.

The Heart Sutra in Calligraphy: A Visual Appreciation of The Perfection of Wisdom


Nadja Van Ghelue - 2008
    Presenting the world’s most popular sutra in ancient Chinese seal script, it includes a new English translation, a transliteration of the original Zen chant, and an introduction that discusses the history, meaning, and spiritual significance of the Heart Sutra and Asian calligraphy. Buddhists and artists alike will delight in this inspired and meditative treatment of a treasured wisdom source.Artist Nadja Van Ghelue has studied traditional calligraphy and sumie painting. She runs the online gallery www.theartofcalligraphy.com.

Why Were We Born? Essays on Life and Enlightenment


Buddhadasa Bhikkhu - 2008
    

Footprints in the Snow: The Autobiography of a Chinese Buddhist Monk


聖嚴法師 - 2008
    He became known in the United States after he began founding meditation centers here in 1980. Now in his late seventies, he tells the remarkable story of his life and spiritual education in Footprints in the Snow. From descriptions of the private world of Buddhist masters to first-hand accounts of Chinese history, it is a rare document that is both an important look at China’s past and a compelling spiritual journey across a lifetime.Sheng Yen’s story is of a life lived in the last years of the Republic of China, the Sino-Japanese War, and the founding of the People’s Republic of China. An eye-opening slice of modern history as well as an authoritative introduction to an ancient religious tradition, Footprints in the Snow will appeal to spiritual seekers, travelers who want to understand more about China, or anyone looking for a fascinating story.

Samkhya Darshan/Yogic Perspective on Theories of Realism


Niranjanananda Saraswati - 2008
    This text highlights the unique contribution of Samkhya philospohy in man's quest to understand his true nature.It discusses the pratical theories of causation,manifestation,bondage and liberation.For the spiritual aspirant,Samkhya is the metaphysics of self-realization and yoga is the sadhana or means to achieve it. Samkhya Darshan contains the full Sanskrit text of Ishvara Krishna's Samkhya Karika as well as tranasliteration and translation.

The Book of Kadam: The Core Texts


Thupten Jinpa - 2008
    Although it no longer exists as an independent school, Kadam's teachings were incorporated into the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and are still prized today for their unique practical application of the bodhisattva's altruistic ideal in everyday life. One of the most cherished teachings stemming from Atisa and Dromtonpa is the collection of esoteric oral transmissions enshrined in The Book of Kadam. This volume includes the core texts of the Book of Kadam, notably the twenty-three-chapter dialogue between Atisa and Dromtonpa that is woven around Atisa's Bodhisattva's Jewel Garland, as well as complementary texts that illuminate the history and practices of the Kadam tradition.

Zen Heart: Simple Advice for Living with Mindfulness and Compassion


Ezra Bayda - 2008
    Do that, and the whole world becomes your teacher, you wake up to the sacredness of every aspect of existence, and compassion for others arises without even thinking about it. It's indeed just that simple, says Zen teacher Ezra Bayda, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy—especially when being present brings us up against the painful parts of life. Bayda provides a wealth of practical advice for making difficult experiences a valued part of the path and for making mindulness a daily habit. He breaks practice down into three phases:    •  The Me Phase, in which we uncover our most basic and tightly-clung-to beliefs about ourselves, observe our emotions, and become intimate with our fears    •  Being Awareness, in which we cultivate a larger sense of what life is, transforming our limited experience into a more spacious sense of being    •  Being Kindness, in which we learn to connect with the love that is our true nature, and learn to live from that place of kindness and compassion

Padmasambhava Comes to Tibet: 25 Disciples - Vajra Guru Mantra - Prayers


Yeshe Tsogyal - 2008
    Both the English and the Tibetan are included. The accounts that follow present the life of Padmasambhava: his miraculous birth, his journey in search of teachings, and his arrival in Tibet, where he subdued the negative forces, preventing transmission of the Dharma and providing the teachings and structures for the Vajrayana to unfold.