Best of
Buddhism

2012

The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh


Thich Nhat Hanh - 2012
    Next to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh is the best-known Buddhist teacher in the world, and his teachings have touched millions. Thich Nhat Hanh is known for his warm, generous, and joyful teaching style that makes his wisdom remarkably accessible and resonant to readers from all backgrounds. These selected writings are drawn from Thich Nhat Hanh's many published works and provide a wonderful overview of his teachings. This reader covers the main themes that Thich Nhat Hanh has addressed as a Buddhist teacher: mindfulness in our daily lives, Buddhism and enlightenment, working with emotions and relationships, and transforming society (engaged Buddhism).

Buddhist Boot Camp


Timber Hawkeye - 2012
    Buddhism is all about training the mind, and boot camp is an ideal training method for this generation's short attention span. The chapters in this small book can be read in any order, and are simple and easy to understand. Each story, inspirational quote, and teaching offers mindfulness-enhancing techniques that anyone can relate to. You don't need to be a Buddhist to find the Buddha's teachings motivational. As the Dalai Lama says, "Don't try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are."So whether it's Mother Teresa's acts of charity, Gandhi's perseverance, or your aunt Betty's calm demeanor, as long as you're motivated to be better today than you were yesterday, it doesn't matter who inspires you. Regardless of religion, geographical region, race, ethnicity, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, flexibility, or vulnerability, if you do good you feel good, and if you do bad you feel bad.Buddhism isn't just about meditating. It's about rolling up your sleeves to relieve some of the suffering in the world. If you are ready to be a soldier of peace in the army of love, welcome to Buddhist Boot Camp!

Awakening of the Heart: Essential Buddhist Sutras and Commentaries


Thich Nhat Hanh - 2012
    It is an essential complement to Happiness, the bestselling collection of meditation and mindful practices released in 2009. Awakening of the Heart captures the heart of Buddhist wisdom and Thich Nhat Hanh’s unique talent to make the Buddha’s teachings accessible and applicable to our daily lives and times. This is a wonderful gift for anyone looking to deepen their practice and understanding of the teachings, as well as a unique resource to understand the fundamentals of Buddhism from its source. With a new introduction and updated commentary, Awakening of the Heartcontains the following sutras:Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Sutra On Full Awareness Of Breathing, Sutra On The Four Establishments Of Mindfulness, Sutra On The Better Way To Catch A Snake, Sutra On The Better Way To Live Alone , Sutra On The Eight Realizations Of The Great Beings, Discourse On Happiness, Teachings On the Middle Way

The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya


Bhikkhu Bodhi - 2012
    Like the River Ganges flowing down from the Himalayas, the entire Buddhist tradition flows down to us from the teachings and deeds of the historical Buddha, who lived and taught in India during the fifth century B.C.E. To ensure that his legacy would survive the ravages of time, his direct disciples compiled records of the Buddha's teachings soon after his passing.In the Theravada Buddhist tradition, which prevails in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, these records are regarded as the definitive "word of the Buddha." Preserved in Pali, an ancient Indian language closely related to the language that the Buddha spoke, this full compilation of texts is known as the Pali Canon. At the heart of the Buddha's teaching were the suttas (Sanskrit sutras), his discourses and dialogues. If we want to find out what the Buddha himself actually said, these are the most ancient sources available to us. The suttas were compiled into collections called "Nikayas," of which there are four, each organized according to a different principle. The Digha Nikaya consists of longer discourses; the Majjhima Nikaya of middle-length discourses; the Samyutta Nikaya of thematically connected discourses; and the Anguttara Nikaya of numerically patterned discourses. The Numerical Discourses  contains a full translation of the Anguttara Nikaya. The Anguttara arranges the Buddha's discourses in accordance with a numerical scheme intended to promote retention and easy comprehension. In an age when writing was still in its infancy, this proved to be the most effective way to ensure that the disciples could grasp and replicate the structure of a teaching.Here’s what makes the Numerical Discourses special:Insightful commentary from eminent scholar-monk Bhikkhu Bodhi Its comprehensive translation of the Anguttara Nikaya, part of the Pali Canon Teachings specifically for lay people and families Themes including family life, right livelihood, friendship, and meditation techniques laid out in a carefully organized thematic guide In 2013, Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi was awarded the 2013 Khyentse Foundation Prize for Outstanding Translation.Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translation and compilation also includes a useful thematic guide to the Anguttara Nikaya, so that readers can browse the volume by topic. Find the teachings to further your practice and bring clarity to your life today by diving into this rich treasure of the Buddhist literary tradition. With this volume, readers can learn about the life of the Buddha, instructions for maintaining a harmonious household, monastic practice and lifestyle, meditation practice, and the Sangha (Buddhist community).

Not For Happiness: A Guide to the So-Called Preliminary Practices


Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse - 2012
     Khyentse shows that genuine spiritual practice, not least the Ngöndro preliminaries, will not bring the kind of comfort and ease most worldly people crave. Quite the opposite, in fact. But if your ultimate goal is enlightenment, Ngöndro practice is a must, and Not for Happiness your perfect guide, containing everything an aspiring practitioner needs to start to practise, including advice about:    • “renunciation mind”   • discipline, meditation and wisdom    • using your imagination in visualisation practice   • why we need a guru Students’ Reactions to Not for Happiness: “Having a map of the path that shows where each practice is headed helps me to see what each stage is preparing me for. Even the chapters that at first didn’t seem relevant to my current practice contained such great gems of teaching that they turned out to be extremely relevant and very helpful.”—Catherine Fordham “To me, this book is like the world’s best kind of GPS! I feel that by following its guidance, even though I am not a skilful driver, I will have the confidence to drive through my Ngöndro practice—and may even end up feeling quite good about it!”—Helena Wang

The Heart Is Noble: Changing the World from the Inside Out


Ogyen Trinley Dorje - 2012
    In these chapters, he shares his vision for bringing social action into daily life, on a scale we can realistically manage through the choices we make every day—what to buy, what to eat, and how to relate honestly and bravely with our friends and family and coworkers. His fresh and encouraging perspective shows us that we have the strength to live with kindness in the midst of the many challenges we face as socially and environmentally conscious beings. Because he sees the world through the lens of the interdependence of all beings, he sees that humans can change social and environmental problems by changing their attitudes and actions. And so, he shows ways that we can change our world by changing ourselves—by examining our own habits of consumption and by being willing to look into how our food reaches our table and how the products we buy are made. In his chapter on gender, he points out that we don’t have to label others according to a social construct. If his viewpoint seems optimistic, it is—and it’s also demanding. The Karmapa calls on us to open our mind and heart to the innumerable connections we share with others—in our families, communities, social systems, and on our planet. Thanks to the depth of his spiritual training, and the breadth of his curiosity about the world and his love for it, he presents a relevant framework for understanding what it means to be human now—and why it’s imperative that we concern ourselves with the well-being of all others. He points to a world we can create through our own effort, using a resource we already have in abundance—the basic nobility of our human heart.

Living Beautifully: with Uncertainty and Change


Pema Chödrön - 2012
    Pema shows how using a traditional Buddhist practice called the Three Vows or Three Commitments is a way to relax into profound sanity in the midst of whatever non-sanity is happening around us. Just making these simple aspirations can change the way we look at the world and can provide us with a lifetime of material for spiritual practice. The three commitments are three methods for embracing the chaotic, uncertain, dynamic, challenging nature of our situation as a path to awakening. The first of the commitments, traditionally called the Pratimoksha Vow, is the foundation for personal liberation. This is a commitment to doing our best to not cause harm with our actions or words or thoughts, a commitment to being good to each other. It provides a structure within which we learn to work with our thoughts and emotions, and to refrain from speaking or acting out of confusion. The next step toward being comfortable with groundlessness is a commitment to helping others, traditionally called the Bodhisattva Vow. It is a commitment to dedicate our lives to keeping our hearts and minds open, and nurturing our compassion with the longing to ease the suffering of the world. The last of the three commitments, traditionally known as the Samaya Vow, is a resolve to embrace the world just as it is, without bias; a resolve to see everything we encounter, good and bad, pleasant and painful, as a manifestation of awakened energy. It is a commitment to see everything and anything as a means by which we can awaken further.

Love Letter to the Earth


Thich Nhat Hanh - 2012
    While many experts point to the enormous complexity in addressing issues ranging from the destruction of ecosystems to the loss of millions of species, Thich Nhat Hanh identifies one key issue as having the potential to create a tipping point. He believes that we need to move beyond the concept of the "environment," as it leads people to experience themselves and Earth as two separate entities and to see the planet only in terms of what it can do for them. Thich Nhat Hanh points to the lack of meaning and connection in peoples' lives as being the cause of our addiction to consumerism. He deems it vital that we recognize and respond to the stress we are putting on the Earth if civilization is to survive. Rejecting the conventional economic approach, Nhat Hanh shows that mindfulness and a spiritual revolution are needed to protect nature and limit climate change.

The Art of Mindfulness


Thich Nhat Hanh - 2012
    By devoting 100% of our attention 100% of the time on what we are doing in the moment, we can alleviate suffering, fear, and anxiety. With the energy of mindfulness and the capacity of looking deeply, we can find the insights to transform and heal any situation.

Coming Closer to Ourselves: Making Everything the Path of Awakening


Pema Chödrön - 2012
    In these inspiring sessions, she teaches us how to give that compassion to the person we neglect most often—ourselves. With her, you will explore:What to do when it feels impossible to be kind to ourselves• In challenging relationships and situations, how to let go of our story and see what’s really happening• Cultivating inner comfort and greater kindness toward our bodies• Leaning into frustration, sadness, and fear with a spirit of trust and intimacy• Many other insights and recommendations to befriend the difficult places within usThrough gentle and clear guidance, Coming Closer to Ourselves shows us how, even in the tumult of life’s uncertainties, we can begin with a glimmer of curiosity, move closer into our experiences, and discover a place of welcome and refuge within.Course objectives:Discuss what to do when it feels impossible to be kind to ourselves• Describe how to let go of our story and see what’s really happening within challenging relationships and situations• Explain how to cultivate inner comfort and greater kindness toward our bodies• Discuss how to lean into frustration, sadness, and fear with a spirit of trust and intimacy

Fearless Death: Buddhist Wisdom on the Art of Dying


Ole Nydahl - 2012
    For them death is not a mystery. They know what will happen and see it as a great chance for spiritual development. Fearless Death makes their teachings accessible to the modern West. In this book, Lama Ole Nydahl condenses the information he learned from years spent with great Buddhist masters in the East. His explanations are enriched by decades of experience guiding modern people through the dying process. In 1968, Lama Ole and his wife Hannah began training with meditation masters of the Kagyu and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism in the Himalayas. In 1972, Lama Ole learned the rare meditation practice of conscious dying (Phowa) according to the wishes of his teacher, the great 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. Since then he has taught the Phowa practice to over 90,000 people throughout the western world, inspiring them to live for others and face death without fear. People are less afraid of things they can understand. With Phowa training and the knowledge found in this book, readers can transform fear and doubt into confidence and a calm state of mind when facing death.

O śmierci i odrodzeniu, czyli jak umrzeć bez lęku


Lama Ole Nydahl - 2012
    For them death is not a mystery. They know what will happen and see it as a great chance for spiritual development. Fearless Death makes their teachings accessible to the modern West. In this book, Lama Ole Nydahl condenses the information he learned from years spent with great Buddhist masters in the East. His explanations are enriched by decades of experience guiding modern people through the dying process. In 1968, Lama Ole and his wife Hannah began training with meditation masters of the Kagyu and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism in the Himalayas. In 1972, Lama Ole learned the rare meditation practice of conscious dying (Phowa) according to the wishes of his teacher, the great 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. Since then he has taught the Phowa practice to over 90,000 people throughout the western world, inspiring them to live for others and face death without fear. People are less afraid of things they can understand. With Phowa training and the knowledge found in this book, readers can transform fear and doubt into confidence and a calm state of mind when facing death.

Living by Vow: A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts


Shohaku Okumura - 2012
    Exploring eight of Zen's most essential and universal liturgical texts, Living by Vow is a handbook to walking the Zen path, and Shohaku Okumura guides us like an old friend, speaking clearly and directly of the personal meaning and implications of these chants, generously using his experiences to illustrate their practical significance. A scholar of Buddhist literature, he masterfully uncovers the subtle, intricate web of culture and history that permeate these great texts. Esoteric or challenging terms take on vivid, personal meaning, and old familiar phrases gain new poetic resonance.

Open Heart, Open Mind: A Guide to Inner Transformation


Tsoknyi Rinpoche - 2012
    We long for peace, for the ability to love and be loved openly and freely, and for the confidence and clarity to meet the various challenges we face in our daily lives. Within each of us resides a spark of unparalleled brilliance, an unlimited capacity for warmth, openness, and courage, which Rinpoche identifies as "essence love." Timeless and imperishable, essence love is often layered over by patterns of behavior and belief that urge us to seek happiness in conditions or situations that never quite live up to their promise. Drawing on rarely discussed teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, Rinpoche describes how such patterns evolve and offers a series of meditation exercises to help us unravel them and, in the process, reawaken an energy and exuberance that can not only bring lasting fulfillment to our lives but ultimately serve to enliven and inspire the entire world, as well. With great humor, intelligence, and candor, Tsoknyi Rinpoche also details his own struggles to reconnect with essence love. Identified at an early age as the incarnation of a renowned Tibetan master and subjected to a rigorous monastic training, he ultimately renounced his vows, married, and is now the father of two daughters.As he recounts his own efforts to strike a balance between the promptings of his heart and an obligation to preserve and protect the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, Rinpoche provides a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern life, and encourages each of us to rediscover the openness, fearlessness, and love that is the essence of our own life.

Everyday Enlightenment: The Essential Guide to Finding Happiness in the Modern World


Gyalwang Drukpa - 2012
    And in this simple, powerful book based on ancient Bud­dhist teachings but framed to be relevant in today’s world, the Drukpa outlines ways for all to find that generosity and inspiration in themselves.As head of the thousand-year-old Drukpa Order, the Drukpa uses Buddhist practices to aid people who feel lost or uncertain, or who want to slow the pace of life and attend to the world around them more thoughtfully. He divides the book into sections including “The Un­common Path,” “Walking Your Path,” and “Overcom­ing Obstacles Along Your Way,” and delineates ways in which readers can absorb into their lives Buddhist teach­ings that will allow them to choose to live more fully.Clear and accessible, optimistic and profound, Everyday Enlightenment is essential reading for all those who want to improve their life by following a different, more meaning­ful life path.

The Best Way to Catch a Snake: A Practical Guide To Gautama Buddha's Teachings


Karma Yeshe Rabgye - 2012
    But in today’s world, it has become simply a fad for some, something to follow because their favourite celebrity propagates it. Simply wearing robes or carrying prayer beads does not make one a Buddhist; it has to be ingrained within, and should become a part of one’s daily life. The Best Way to Catch a Snake, a three-part volume, is a guide to Buddhist teachings, for all those who want to start their journey towards a better life, but don’t know where to begin. It goes beyond the exotic rituals and practices that Buddhism is today seen as. It elucidates the Four Seals, the Four Noble Truths and the Four Thoughts of Buddhism in simple, jargon-free language. The author, a Buddhist monk himself, combines examples from his own experience with simple exercises to skilfully guide us through Gautama Buddha’s teachings. A valuable source of Buddhist knowledge, this book is a must for anyone drawn to the teachings of Gautama Buddha.

The Lankavatara Sutra: Translation and Commentary


Red Pine - 2012
    The Lankavatara Sutra is the holy grail of Zen. Zen’s First Patriarch, Bodhidharma, gave a copy of this text to his successor, Hui-k’o, and told him everything he needed to know was in this book. Passed down from teacher to student ever since, this is the only Zen sutra ever spoken by the Buddha. Although it covers all the major teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, it contains but two teachings: that everything we perceive as being real is nothing but the perceptions of our own mind and that the knowledge of this is something that must be realized and experienced for oneself and cannot be expressed in words. In the words of Chinese Zen masters, these two teachings became known as “have a cup of tea” and “taste the tea.” This is the first translation into English of the original text used by Bodhidharma, which was the Chinese translation made by Gunabhadra in 443 and upon which all Chinese Zen masters have relied ever since.In addition to presenting one of the most difficult of all Buddhist texts in clear English, Red Pine has also added summaries, explanations and notes, including relevant Sanskrit terms on the basis of which the Chinese translation was made. This promises to become an essential text for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding or knowledge of Zen.

Awakening Love: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Limitless Heart


Pema Chödrön - 2012
    This is what she tells them:“What if you could open to that frustration, just for a moment, to discover not just where love is free flowing … but where it’s not? That is how we all begin to uncover the soft spot within.”Here, Pema Chödrön brings her unique blend of kitchen-table common sense, scholarship, and empathy to help you discover the eternal resilience and joy of your own tender, undefended, and genuine heart. Whether you’re in the midst of a challenging relationship, grief, or simply in need of heart-centered rejuvenation, Awakening Love provides you with the gentle step-by-step instructions needed to awaken the natural goodness within you.HighlightsThe Four Qualities or Limitless Ones, the roots of suffering, and expanding the capacity to love• Seeing where we’re blocked and bringing lovingkindness to our biases and fears• Aspiration practice, “not faking it,” unblocking the flow of love, and benefactors• Changing our attitude toward pain, working with anger, compassionate abiding, tonglen, and “making friends with the hard stuff”• Meditations and practices for receiving unconditional love, resting in natural awareness, cultivating gratitude and sympathetic joy, opening to the world, and more

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English


Henepola Gunaratana - 2012
    While this book is based on a classic text, the Satipatthana Sutta, its presentation is thoroughly modern in Bhante’s trademark "plain English" style.Based around one of the Buddha's must succinct yet rich explanations of meditation, The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English can be read as a stand-alone volume either before or after the bestselling Mindfulness in Plain English. Newcomers will find it lays strong groundwork for mindfulness practice and gives them all they need to get started right away, and old hands will find rich subtleties and insights that will help consolidate and clarify what they may have started to see for themselves.

The Essence of Chan: A Practical Guide to Life and Practice according to the Teachings of Bodhidharma


Guo Gu - 2012
    His approach to teaching was unlike that of any of the Buddhist practitioners who had come to China before him. Bodhidharma confounded and infuriated the emperor with cryptic dialogues before traveling the country and eventually settling into a cave behind Mount Song, where he meditated for nine years, waiting to transmit his teachings to the right person. He would later be credited as the founder of Chan Buddhism. Bodhidharma had such an impact on Chinese Buddhism because of the directness of his teaching. We are intrinsically free from vexations and afflictions, he taught, and our true nature is already perfect and undefiled. Two Entries and Four Practices is one of the few texts that Bodhidharma composed. This short scripture contains the marrow, or essence, of all his teachings. Chan teacher Guo Gu offers a translation of this significant text, as well as an elaboration on the teachings on life and practice that it presents, which reflect the essence of Chan itself.

Good Citizens: Creating Enlightened Society


Thich Nhat Hanh - 2012
    Thich Nhat Hanh lays out a vision based on the Four Noble Truths that speak to people of all faiths, cultures, and political beliefs. If we understand them closely, can be a guide to help us think, act, and speak in ways that bring more joy and peace to ourselves and others.

The Great Secret of Mind: Special Instructions on the Nonduality of Dzogchen


Tulku Pema Rigtsal - 2012
    Weaving in personal stories and everyday examples, Pema Rigtsal leads the reader to see that all phenomena are the spontaneous display of mind, a magical illusion, and yet there is something shining in the midst of experience that is naturally pure and spacious. Not recognizing this natural great perfection is the root cause of suffering and self-centered clinging. After introducing us to this liberating view, Pema Rigtsal explains how it is stabilized and sustained in effortless meditation: without modifying anything, whatever thoughts of happiness or sorrow arise simply dissolve by themselves into the spaciousness of pure presence. In addition to Pema Rigtsal’s text, this volume includes a short biography of the author written by Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche.

How to Practice Dharma: Teachings on the Eight Worldly Dharmas


Thubten Zopa - 2012
    

Confusion Arises as Wisdom: Gampopa's Heart Advice on the Path of Mahamudra


Ringu Tulku - 2012
    And what is the nature of our mind? And how do we come to recognize that? These are the questions Gampopa answers for his students in the text commented upon here, known as the Great Community Talks. He shows them—and now us—the path of deep understanding and meditation that leads to the realization of Mahamudra, the “Great Seal” of the true nature of reality. Gampopa was a  twelfth-century Buddhist monk who was a disciple of Tibet’s greatest yogi, Milarepa. He applied Milarepa’s instructions on meditation to reach the highest realization of Mahamudra. In this volume of advanced teachings, Gampopa passes on these same instructions in the form of heart advice on how to practice the nature of mind and reach enlightenment. Ringu Tulku’s commentary on the text, taken from his own community talks to students in Europe and America, makes Gampopa’s teaching  wonderfully accessible. His gentleness, warmth, and humor, as well as his wisdom and practicality, shine through in his own heartfelt advice on how we too could transform confusion into wisdom.

Perfect Clarity: A Tibetan Buddhist Anthology of Mahamudra and Dzogchen


Marcia Binder SchmidtGampopa - 2012
    The excitement of being able to train based on that advice is further enhanced by the stimulation and support that guidance manuals provide. All of the selections presented in Perfect Clarity offer incredible teachings that are inspiring and vital. Pith instructions are so simple and direct that we can easily apply them without fear of mistakes.These days, the most effective style of teaching is not lengthy scholarly explanations but rather direct guidance manuals The Dzogchen tantras themselves were written in a style that shrouds and conceals the meaning so that only a master who is extremely well-versed in oral instructions and treatises is able to clarify the meaning. On the other hand, based upon oral instructions a guidance manual is a short, comprehensive teaching written in a clear and simple manner. Such summaries of the Mahamudra and Dzogchen teachings contain all the teachings that a worthy practitioner requires to reach the state of primordial enlightenment in this very life.Tulku Urgyen RinpocheThe amazing collection in Perfect Clarity is rounded out by an introduction by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, a preface by Marcia Dechen Wangmo, biographical data of the authors, a glossary, line drawings and photos and Tibetan source material references.

Mahamudra for the Modern World: An Unprecedented Training Course in the Pinnacle Teachings of Tibetan Buddhism


Reginald A. Ray - 2012
    Now renowned teacher Dr. Reginald Ray has created an unprecedented audio learning course to make this profoundly transformative path available to listeners everywhere with Mahamudra for the Modern World. Spanning 33 CDs and featuring meditations and insights never before available to a general audience, this extraordinary audio training includes: A complete toolbox of body-based shamatha meditations to still the mind and set the foundation for exploring the immeasurable expanse of being Vipashyana meditations that take you on a progressive path of inquiry into the nature of awareness itself Innovative teachings on dismantling the klesas (difficult emotions) through heightening our experience of them More than 40 guided meditations unfolded through a series of increasingly subtle and profound practices Mahamudra is revered in Tibetan Buddhism as the most direct route to seeing the world in all its transcendent beauty, power, and perfection. With his gift for distilling esoteric teachings for today's student, Dr. Ray has created a powerful training program for anyone seeking to engage in this life-altering journey, allowing us to discover this unsurpassed tradition for meeting ultimate reality-and awakening to the boundless freedom that is our fundamental nature.

From Here to Enlightenment: Teachings on the Spiritual Path


Dalai Lama XIV - 2012
    Among these cherished belongings was his copy of Tsong-kha-pa's classic text "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment." This text distills all of the essential points of Tibetan Buddhism, clearly unfolding the entire Buddhist path to enlightenment. In 2008, celebrating the long-awaited completion of the English-language translation of "The Great Treatise," the Dalai Lama gave a historic six-day teaching at Lehigh University to explain the meaning of this classic text and to underscore its importance. It is the longest teaching that he has ever given to Westerners on just one text, and Westerners have never before had the opportunity to receive such a complete teaching that encompasses the totality of the Buddhist path from the Dalai Lama." From Here to Enlightenment" makes the teachings from this momentous event available for a wider audience.

Insight into Emptiness


Khensur Jampa Tegchok - 2012
    With a deep respect for the intellectual capacity of his students, Khensur Tegchok here unpacks with great erudition Buddhism's animating philosophical principle - the emptiness of all appearances. Engagingly edited by bestselling author Thubten Chodron, emptiness is here approached from a host of angles far beyond most treatments of the subject, while never sacrificing its conversational approach.

Guruyoga


Namkhai Norbu - 2012
    Some people learn highly complicated methods and are satisfied with that, but they do not do Guruyoga; this is not good, because in that case it is as if the root of the teaching is missing: the connection to the teacher and the transmission. Guruyoga practice according to Dzogchen means going directly to the essence. In fact, the teaching explains that the condition of Buddha or the dharmakaya coincides with our profound nature, so there is no need to look for it outside of ourselves. The word Guru indicates the understanding we receive from the teacher, which is nothing other than the teacher and our real nature. Guruyoga means to actually be in that state with him in the same instant. There are many practices that go by this name, but the essential meaning of Guruyoga is to be in the state of instant presence that you were first introduced to by your teacher. Guruyoga permits us to find ourselves in that state again.The first part of this book contains a general explanation of Guruyoga, its meaning and its aspects related to view, meditation and behavior. The second part contains the Guruyogas mostly applied in the Dzogchen Community, the methods for introducing the rigpa state and the empowerments for the Guruyoga worldwide transmission.

The Ceasing of Notions: An Early Zen Text from the Dunhuang Caves with Selected Comments


Soko Morinaga - 2012
    The Ceasing of Notions is one such text. It takes a unique form: a dialogue between two imaginary figures, a master and his disciple, in which the disciple tenaciously pursues the master's pity utterances with follow-up questions that propel the dialogue toward ever more profound insights. And these questions prove to be the reader's very own. Soko Morinaga brings alive this compact and brilliant text with his own vivid commentary.This volume also includes a generous selection from Morinaga's acclaimed autobiography, Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of my Own Stupidity.

The Magic Of Awareness


Anam Thubten - 2012
    It can't be described because it has no objective qualities and no limitation. Sometimes it comes naturally to the surface when we are fully in the present moment and no longer lost in thought or mental projections. Pure consciousness is neither high nor low, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, neither good nor bad. No matter where we are, no matter what we are doing, we always have an immediate access to that inner stillness. It can be experienced in an instant in all circumstances once we know how to pay attention to it. It is utterly peaceful and it is also insightful, so it sees through all illusions. Whenever there is a moment of being deluded, we can use that moment to practice settling in the very perfect sphere of the Buddha mind without trying to change anything. When we reside in that liberated mind, we find the very thing we have been seeking all along.

Mushotoku Mind: The Heart of the Heart Sutra


Taisen Deshimaru - 2012
    It is the core of Taisen Deshimaru's Zen. This respected master, the head of Japanese Soto Zen for all of Europe, moved from Japan in 1967 and brought this work to Paris, from where it was disseminated throughout the West. This book presents his brilliant commentary on the most renowned of Buddhist texts, the Heart Sutra, known in Japanese as Hannya Shingyo-a philosophical investigation on the futility of philosophical investigation. Deshimaru's work fills a great gap in the interpretations of this seminal text in that he emphasizes "mind-emptiness" (ku) as the foundation of Zen practice, in contrast to the usual "mindfulness" focus of other Zen approaches. This "emptiness" and "purpose of no purpose" is one of the most difficult ideas for Westerners to understand. Yet we know that our most cherished values are based on mushotoku mind when it comes to love. We value the unselfish love of family or country that is based not on what we can get from the relationship but on what we can give. We know, too, that these virtues are not accomplished directly through our will but indirectly through dropping our expectations. In his lectures on this subject, gathered here into one volume by translator and Zen teacher Richard Collins, Deshimaru returns to a chorus: Mushotoku mind is the key attitude characterizing the way of the Buddha, the way of the bodhisattva, the way of Zen and zazen, and the way of all sutras (teachings). The written word has a checkered past in the history of Zen, which offers mind-to-mind transmission of wisdom without scripture and without words. Still, it is difficult to imagine Zen without its literature. Poems, koans, anecdotes, autobiographies, commentaries, sutras, all play a role in the transmission of Zen from the fifth century to the present. Ultimately, these written records can always be only fingers pointing at the moon of zazen. Interpretations of the Heart Sutra abound, from as early as the T'ang dynasty. Deshimaru's contribution to this wealth is colored by his Japanese heritage, his knowledge of Western philosophy, the cross-fertilization received from Parisian students of the 1960-70s, and above all by the central place he gives to mushotoku, which Richard Collins translator calls "the heart of the Heart Sutra."

Buddhism for Non-Buddhists: A Practical Guide to Ease Suffering and Be Happy


Janet Taylor - 2012
    There are hundreds if not thousands of Buddhist books that have been written! Why pick this one? Because this one cuts through all the dogma and doctrine, goes beyond any cultural overlays, and gets to the heart of what really works and can be practically implemented in your daily life. Buddhism for Non-Buddhists enables you to learn meditation, mindfulness and visualization, the three key components of the Buddhist practice without wading through the history or histrionics of the various Buddhist traditions. Here's a book that is straightforward and easy to understand, without all the foreign words and frustrating interpretations. Buddhism for Non-Buddhists gives you a step-by-step approach to radically change the way you experience yourself and the world around you. These practices enable you to experience a sense of happiness and well-being regardless of your external circumstances. These practices have proven effective in helping with pain management, addiction recovery and stress relief. These practices have proven effective in making you a more loving, compassionate, joyful and wise person! Who wouldn't want some of that?

Awakening Is Real: A Guide to the Deeper Dimensions of the Inner Journey


Jack Kornfield - 2012
    Or gradually, like raindrops filling a jar. Our universal and awakened nature, the Buddha taught, can emerge in calm or in crisis. And then, as our path deepens, we must learn to embody our vision as we navigate the unexpected turns of the mystery.When we asked Jack Kornfield for the most helpful advanced teachings from his audio archives, he chose these eight essential sessions. With Awakening Is Real, here are just a few of the dimensions of the spiritual journey that you will explore in depth: The archetypal stages of awakening common to all transformative paths, and how to overcome its greatest challenges and obstaclesHow the universal virtues of the warrior such as courage, sacrifice, strength, and impeccability are as valuable for freeing ourselves as kindness and compassionProfound insights hidden within well-known teaching stories including The Mahaparanirvana (the Buddha s last sermon) and The Journey of Nachiketa The Elephant s Footprint Why the Buddha considered mindfulness of our own mortality and death to be the core practice that accelerates and deepens all othersInto the Quiet Forest of Presence, Compassion, and InterconnectednessThese sessions, while taught and recorded among advanced students, are anything but academic. Instead, you ll find here the playful, candid, and direct sharing of wisdom usually heard only by those fully committed to their life s evolution an opportunity to discover within yourself what Jack Kornfield s own teacher Ajahn Chah called the still, clear forest pool that sees the nature of all things. SESSIONS INCLUDE: The Sacred JourneyThe Way of the WarriorInitiationThe Journey of NachiketaHow Shall We Live?Difficulties as Part of the PathLiving with a Mindfulness of DeathLetting Go: Buddha s Last Sermon"

The Heart Attack Sutra


Karl Brunnholzl - 2012
    Several of the Buddha's followers are said to have suffered heart attacks and died when they first heard its assertion of the basic groundlessness of our existence—hence the title of this book. Overcoming fear, the Buddha teaches, is not to be accomplished by shutting down or building walls around oneself, but instead by opening up to understand the illusory nature of everything we fear—including ourselves. In this book of teachings, Karl Brunnhölzl guides practitioners through this 'crazy' sutra to the wisdom and compassion that lie at its core.

Medicine Buddha Sadhana - Prayer eBooklet


Kelsang Gyatso - 2012
    Through relying upon this Buddha we also receive protection from many other dangers and obstacles. Prayers are special methods for generating positive states of mind, and can be used as a preparation for successful meditation on any of the stages of the path to enlightenment. The booklet includes Medicine Buddha’s mantra for recitation to relieve our mental and physical sickness, and provides guidance in the form of instructions emphasizing the main meditations and visualizations. Prayer eBooklets are ideal for people wanting to learn and familiarize themselves with meditation practices on the go. Available in this format they can be viewed on mobile devices such as your phone, e-reader, tablet as well as on your laptop or desktop computer.

Right Mindfulness: Memory & Ardency on the Buddhist Path


Thanissaro Bhikkhu - 2012
    For the past several decades, a growing flood of books, articles, and teachings has advanced theories about the practice of mindfulness which are highly questionable and—for anyone hoping to realize the end of suffering—seriously misleading. The main aim of this book is to show that the practice of mindfulness is most fruitful when informed by the Buddha’s own definition of right mindfulness and his explanations of its role on the path.Freely Available at dhammtalks.org

The Surangama Sutra - A New Translation with Excerpts from the Commentary by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua


Hsüan Hua - 2012
    Regarded as a complete and practical manual that leads to enlightenment, it gives instruction in the understanding of the Buddha-nature, the potential within all beings for becoming a Buddha.In much of the Sutra the Buddha Sakyamuni instructs the young monk Ānanda, teaching him to turn the attention of his sense-faculties inward in order to achieve a focused state of meditation known as samādhi. By practicing the Surangama Samādhi, anyone who maintains purity of conduct and develops right understanding can gain awakening. At the heart of the Sutra is the Surangama Mantra. The practice of this mantra can eliminate internal or external obstacles that lie in the way of spiritual progress. Due to its wealth of theoretical and practical instruction the Surangama Sutra has often been the first major text to be studied by newly ordained monks in China, particularly those of the Chan School.

A Heart Blown Open: The Life and Practice of Zen Master Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi


Keith Martin-Smith - 2012
    Experience the successes and failures that led him to found an entirely new form of Buddhism called Mondo Zen. Starting from an abusive and alcoholic home in Wisconsin, Kelly becomes a major force in the counterculture of the 1960s and one of its biggest manufacturers of LSD. He ends up on the run for five years before serving time in a federal prison, and then goes on to spend six years in a Zen monastery. In his fiftieth year, he becomes a recognized Zen master in his own right, but the real journey is just about to begin. Extraordinary in their playfulness, depravity, and liberating insight, Jun Po’s life events swirl together to underscore and illuminate the environment from which one of the most controversial masters of the American Zen scene has emerged. A Heart Blown Open constitutes a powerful synthesis of Eastern contemplative wisdom and Western psychological insight and is as entertaining as it is inspirational.Winner of the 2013 Silver Award for Excellence from Nautilus Book Awards.

A Golden Swan in Turbulent Waters: The Life and Times of the Tenth Karmapa Choying Dorje


Shamar Rinpoché - 2012
    Regarded as a remarkable bodhisattva and artist, the Karmapa has largely escaped the close attention of modern scholars.In this book, Shamar Rinpoche, the Fourteenth Shamarpa, introduces the Tenth Karmapa through his translations of the Karmapa’s autobiographical writings and an eighteenth century biography of him. As a direct lineage-descendant from the Sixth Shamarpa—the Karmapa’s guru—the Shamar Rinpoche shares his unique knowledge and experience through extensive annotations and a historical overview of Tibet from the thirteenth through seventeenth century.The text of A Golden Swan in Turbulent Waters: The Life and Times of the Tenth Karmapa Choying Dorje is complemented by maps and color illustrations depicting places where the Karmapa lived and his prolific artistic work, with some object images being published for the first time.

The Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work


Cheryl A. Giles - 2012
    This anthology captures the richness and diversity of practices being developed by socially engaged Buddhists in the fields of chaplaincy and ministry. This volume outlines a robust intellectual and spiritual foundation for the discipline and establishes the methods for practicing contemplative care on college campuses, in hospitals, prisons and the military, and in hospice environments. The Arts of Contemplative Care, the first comprehensive overview of Buddhist chaplaincy of its kind, is sure to become a touchstone work for engaged Buddhists as they forge their place in the world of pastoral care.

Your Path to Unshakeable Happiness: Practical Modern Day Buddhism


Margaret Blaine - 2012
    Nichiren Buddhism s is a form of modern Buddhism uniquely geared to the 21st century. Through a story of real world people with real struggles you’ll see how Buddhist philosophy and practices can help you get unstuck and provide you with an opportunity to become happier.Discover:•How to get unstuck and move your life forward•Specific tools and techniques anyone can use to become happier •How to quiet your mind even when the world around you is chaotic•How to successfully negotiate transitions in with grace•A 90-day practice challenge; prepare to be surprised and fascinated by what happens in your life!•Discussions of Buddhist philosophy and how it provides answers for our modern lives•How to experience moments of enlightenmentFrom making transitions like changing a job or losing a loved one, to dealing with internal struggles, or just wanting to be happier, this book provides the tools, techniques, and philosophies to put you on the path to happiness.You might be asking yourself if all this is even possible. The answer is simple: Find out for yourself what some 12 million practitioners of modern Buddhism have come to know. Order a copy of Your Path to Unshakeable Happiness today; it might just become one of your favorite spiritual self-help books.

37 Practices of Bodhisattva


Jeffrey Hopkins - 2012
    Rinpoche. Togmey Zangpo was not only a great scholar but also a practitioner. During his lifetime he was considered a true Bodhisattva by all. His life story is very remarkable. His main practice was that of Santideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. He did this in connection with the Five Great Texts of Maitreya. I myself have seen his commentaries on Maitreya's Ornament For The Great Vehicle and his commentary on The Sublime Science or Sublime Continuum Of The Great Vehicle, Uttaratantra.- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

To Dispel the Misery of the World: Whispered Teachings of the Bodhisattvas


Ga Rabjampa - 2012
    This is the path followed by all the buddhas and their children of the past, present, and future, the most profound instruction of the oral lineage, and the quintessence of the ocean of all the excellent teachings."--Ga RabjampaThis short book contains a wealth of advice for those wanting to become more fully human. When we are disconnected from others we flounder; only by recognizing the profound interdependence of all beings do we flourish and grow. The famous Seven-Point Mind Training, in just a few pages of one-line instructions, provides direct and powerful advice for breaking through the chronic barriers that separate us from those around us. It is easy to see why it is one of the most cherished texts in all of Tibetan Buddhism.Ga Rabjampa, an influential master of the fifteenth century, here uses the Seven-Point Mind Training as the basis for illuminating the essential teachings on Buddhism, giving special attention to the practices of giving and taking (tonglen) and of transforming adversity into opportunities for spiritual growth.

Thunderous Silence: A Formula for Ending Suffering: A Practical Guide to the Heart Sutra


Dosung Yoo - 2012
    Dosung Yoo examines the sutra phrase by phrase, using rich explanations and metaphors drawn from Korean folklore, quantum physics, Charles Dickens, and everything in between to clarify subtle concepts for the reader. This book invites us to examine the fundamentals of Buddhism--the Four Noble Truths, emptiness, enlightenment--through the prism of the Heart Sutra. Both those new to Buddhism and longtime practitioners looking to revisit a core text from a fresh perspective will find this work appealing.

Reaching Beyond: Improvisations on Jazz, Buddhism, and a Joyful Life


Herbie Hancock - 2012
    Hancock and Mr. Shorter sharethe lessons they have learned from their musical mentors, including MilesDavis and Art Blakey, and how the Buddhist philosophy they've learnedfrom President Ikeda over the past forty years deeply resonates with theemancipatory spirit of jazz.These wide-ranging conversations include such thought-provoking topics as:• Music's mission for peace in a time of discord• The importance of the artist's spiritual growth• The Buddhist concept of changing poison into medicine• Ways to make the “ideal America” a reality for everyoneReaching Beyond offers positive new ideasfor musicians and nonmusicians alike.

Buddha on a Midnight Sea - Short Stories


Francesca Hampton - 2012
    From a lonely paddle boarder contemplating suicide on the dark Pacific, to a wayward Tibetan lama on a Greyhound bus, to a journalist who reconnects with a journey begun in a previous life in an interview with the Dalai Lama, it is a welcome addition to the emerging genre of Buddhist fiction.

Beating the Cloth Drum: Letters of Zen Master Hakuin


Hakuin Ekaku - 2012
    He revitalized the Rinzai Zen tradition (which emphasizes the use of koans, or unanswerable questions, in meditation practice), and all masters of that school today trace their lineage back through him. He is responsible for the most famous of all koans: "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" He is also famous for his striking and humorous art, which he also regarded as teaching. This book provides a rare, intimate look at Hakuin the man, through his personal correspondence. Beating the Cloth Drum contains twenty-eight of Hakuin's letters to students, political figures, fellow teachers, laypeople, and friends. Each letter is accompanied by extensive commentary and notes. They showcase Hakuin's formidable, thoughtful, and sometimes playful personality—and they show that the great master used every activity, including letter-writing, as an opportunity to impart the teachings that were so close to his heart.

Like a Waking Dream: The Autobiography of Geshe Lhundub Sopa


Lhundub Sopa - 2012
    He has striven to preserve Tibetan religious culture through tireless work as a professor and religious figure, establishing a functioning Buddhist monastery in the West, organizing the Dalai Lama's visits to the U.S., and offering countless teachings across the country. But prior to his thirty-year career in the first ever academic Buddhist studies program in the United States - a position in which he oversaw the training of many among the seminal generation of American Buddhist studies scholars - Geshe Sopa was the son of peasant farmers, a novice monk in a rural monastery, a virtuoso scholar-monk at one of the prestigious central monasteries in Lhasa, and a survivor of the Tibetan uprising and perilous flight into exile in 1959. In Like a Waking Dream, Geshe Sopa frankly and observantly reflects on how his life in Tibet - a monastic life of yogic simplicity - shaped and prepared him for the unexpected. His is a tale of an exemplary life dedicated to learning, spiritual cultivation, and the service of others from one of the greatest living masters of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Lamp That Enlightens Narrow Minds: The Life and Times of a Realized Tibetan Master, Khyentse Chokyi Wangchug


Namkhai Norbu - 2012
    The book's historical references provide a detailed portrait of Tibet on the verge of invasion and occupation by Chinese forces in the decades leading up to 1959 when Chinese repression led the Dalai Lama to take refuge in India. Narrated by Chökyi Wangchug's nephew, author and international Tibetan teacher Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, this inspired biography describes the extraordinary events of Chökyi Wangchug's life during this momentous period in Tibetan history. Born in 1909 in a valley south of Derge, an ancient center of Tibetan culture, Chökyi Wangchug was recognized at an early age as a reincarnation of a tulku and thus received Buddhist teachings from the greatest masters of the epoch. A privileged observer of his uncle's life, Namkhai Norbu reveals the complexity of Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy and the conflicts caused not only by Chinese forces, but also by people close to Chökyi Wangchug who had become members of factions motivated by bigotry and personal greed. Despite the difficulties he encountered, he maintained a state of equanimity and dedicated himself to a life of peace and compassion for all sentient beings. Ultimately tortured and imprisoned by the Chinese, he and two other realized Tibetan teachers passed away at the same moment while meditating.

Luminous Mind: The Way of the Buddha


Kalu - 2012
    A master of meditation and leader of the Shangpu Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, Kalu Rinpoche taught with an inviting, playful and lucid style that was just one natural manifestation of his own profound realization. The teachings presented in Luminous Mind are immediate and timeless. As the Dalai Lama notes in his foreword, Luminous Mind covers "the full range of Buddhist practice from the basic analysis of the nature of the mind up to its ultimate refinement in the teachings of Mahamudra." This anthology of Kalu Rinpoche's writings and oral teachings resonates with his wisdom and compassion. Comparing Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche with Milarepa, the greatest mediation master Tibet has ever known, His Holiness the Dalai Lama extols the author of Luminous Mind as a "beacon of inspiration" for spiritual practitioners of all traditions. Noting that "there have been few like him before or since," His Holiness urges us to delve into this remarkable anthology of the late Kalu Rinpoche's essential instructions so that we may encounter "the full range of Buddhist practice from the basic analysis of the nature of the mind up to its ultimate refinement in the teachings of Mahamudra." Drawn from both his lucid writings and his eloquent oral presentations, this unprecedented book lays bare the full grandeur of Kalu Rinpoche's legacy. At the same time, the gentle words and playful stories of this master of meditation are filled with a depth of clarity and warmth that could only arise from a profound realization of both wisdom and compassion.

Bodhicaryavatara


Dalai Lama XIV - 2012
    For example, Santideva says in the Bodhicaryavatara, “Why should I seek nirvana?” Similarly Bhavaviveka states in his text called the Heart of Madhyamika; “Through insight into the unsatisfactory nature of existence I will be freed from attachment to existence. However through the power of compassion I distance myself from seeking nirvana”.- His Holiness the Dalai LamaA note from DharmaScribe:DharmaScribe receives about 30 cents from each download which are then used to continue our effort to spread the messages of Buddha.We started this initiative with strong motivation and belief that it will be of tremendous benefit to countless people seeking Buddhist wisdom. To reach the maximum potential and benefit of this initiative and support our effort, we ask for your support. However small or big, your support will make a huge difference. There are few ways you could help us.

The Heart Sutra & The Diamond Sutra


D.T. Suzuki - 2012
    Max Muller, a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of the western academic field of Indian studies and the discipline of comparative religion.THE DIAMOND SUTRAwell-known Mahayana sutra from the Prajnaparamita, or "Perfection of Wisdom" genre, and emphasizes the practice of non-abiding and non-attachment. (Suzuki)

Buddhist Meditation: Tranquillity, Imagination and Insight


Kamalashila - 2012
    There is also new material on sadhana—including less formal, more experimental ways to connect with the living reality of the awakened mind—on mindfulness, and on the balance required between active and receptive approaches in meditation.Writing in an informal, accessible style, Kamalashila draws particular inspiration from the great Theravadin commentator Buddhaghosa, from Zhiyi—the preeminent master of the Chinese Tien-t’ai School—and above all from the Buddha. The result is a practical handbook, complete with trouble-shooting guides to the places your practice might take you. It is also an exploration of the ultimate aim of Buddhist meditation: heightened awareness, true happiness and—ultimately—liberating insight into the nature of reality.Kamalashila has been teaching meditation since 1976. He has developed approaches to meditation practice that are accessible to people in the contemporary world while being firmly grounded in the Buddhist tradition.

Groundless Paths: The Prajnaparamita Sutras, The Ornament of Clear Realization, and Its Commentaries in the Tibetan Nyingma Tradition


O-Rgyan-Jigs-Me - 2012
    Resembling a zip-file, it comes to life only through its Indian and Tibetan commentaries. Together, these texts not only discuss the "hidden meaning" of the prajñaparamita sutras—the paths and bhumis of sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas—but also serve as contemplative manuals for the explicit topic of these sutras—emptiness—and how it is to be understood on the progressive levels of realization of bodhisattvas. Thus these texts describe what happens in the mind of a bodhisattva who meditates on emptiness, making it a living experience from the beginner's stage up through buddhahood. Groundless Paths contains the first in-depth study of the Abhisamayalamkara (the text studied most extensively in higher Tibetan Buddhist education) and its commentaries from the perspective of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. This study consists mainly of translations of Maitreya's famous text and two commentaries on it by Patrul Rinpoche. These are supplemented by three short texts on the paths and bhumis by the same author, as well as extensive excerpts from commentaries by six other Nyingma masters, including Mipham Rinpoche. Thus this book helps close a long-standing gap in the modern scholarship on the prajñaparamita sutras and the literature on paths and bhumis in mahayana Buddhism. Arya Maitreya's Ornament of Clear Realization, with its Indian and Tibetan commentaries, presents the complex dynamics of the path to liberation as a succession of realizations of the empty nature of all phenomena. This presentation is a powerful antidote to whatever two-dimensional views we might hold about spiritual experience and the journey to enlightenment.

Discovering Meditation


Godwin Samararatne - 2012
    Forget what you have read, forget what you have heard. Just be simple and practical and find out. This can be so fascinating. If you can have the openness to learn, you can discover so much.This is meditation. Not taking anything for granted I mean, how fortunate we are, how grateful we should be that we have this experience. I call it the laboratory of mind and body. But it seems that though this mind and body are so close to us, they are in many ways so very far away.So please, generate a fascination for this, please find a taste for this, please develop a curiosity for this. Find this the most meaningful thing one can do in this life, because it is learning all the time about the thoughts, about emotions, about perception, about so many things in this world of ours." -Godwin Samararatne

Lectures on “The Opening of the Eyes”


Daisaku Ikeda - 2012
    The topics the lectures cover include the three virtues of Buddha (sovereign, teacher and parent), the six difficult and nine easy acts and the three powerful enemies described in the Lotus Sutra. Ikeda writes that this treatise “reveals the true meaning of ‘opening the eyes’, because it awakens all people to the genuine Buddhist spirit and human path of living true to the Law based on a personal vow”.

Life with Full Attention


Maitreyabandhu - 2012
    In Life with Full Attention, readers will learn to really relish pleasures and turn gently inward in difficult times to gain a more profound depth of experience. In this eight-week course in developing mindfulness, Maitreyabandhu gently guides readers, teaching them how to draw closer attention to experience, whether taking a shower or eating a meal, watching the rain or a sunset. With each week, he introduces a different aspect of mindfulness—among them awareness of the body, feelings, thoughts, and the environment—and recommends a number of simple practices, from trying out a simple meditation to reading a poem. Featuring personal stories, examples, and tempting suggestions, this book provides both a starting point and a great reference. Mindfulness is a quality that enhances all experience, whether mundane or extraordinary. By applying this ancient Buddhist wisdom, Maitreyabandhu shows how we can steal back the lost moments of life. An experienced teacher of mindfulness and meditation, Maitreyabandhu has been practicing Buddhism for over twenty years.

Tiny Buddha


Lori Deschene - 2012
    Lori Deschene's daily wisdom posts about mindfulness, nonattachment, and happiness became so popular that she now has more than 200,000 Twitter followers who share quotes and stories about inspiration in their daily lives.

Making Sense of Tantric Buddhism: History, Semiology, and Transgression in the Indian Traditions


Christian K. Wedemeyer - 2012
    Through comparative analysis of modern historical narratives--that depict Tantrism as a degenerate form of Buddhism, a primal religious undercurrent, or medieval ritualism--he likewise demonstrates these to be stock patterns in the European historical imagination.Through close analysis of primary sources, Wedemeyer reveals the lived world of Tantric Buddhism as largely continuous with the Indian religious mainstream and deploys contemporary methods of semiotic and structural analysis to make sense of its seemingly repellent and immoral injunctions. Innovative, semiological readings of the influential Guhyasamaja Tantra underscore the text's overriding concern with purity, pollution, and transcendent insight--issues shared by all Indic religions--and a large-scale, quantitative study of Tantric literature shows its radical antinomianism to be a highly managed ritual observance restricted to a sacerdotal elite. These insights into Tantric scripture and ritual clarify the continuities between South Asian Tantrism and broader currents in Indian religion, illustrating how thoroughly these radical communities were integrated into the intellectual, institutional, and social structures of South Asian Buddhism.

How Can I Smile at a Time Like This?: Discover the power hidden within your everyday problems


Linda Barbosa - 2012
    As a practicing Dharma student, she reveals the powerful lessons hidden within our problems. Not another feel-good New Age book! New Age? Hardly! These precious teachings are over 2,500 years old. This little book will quickly show you how to apply them to your own modern-day problems. By changing what goes on between your ears, you can rid your life of jealousy, insecurity, anger and depression! Still not sure? If you want to be a happier person, this powerful little book is for you. Some readers have even claimed it changed their lives. Are you ready to smile, even at a time like this? Scroll up and grab your copy today.

Puja Book: The Triratna Book of Devotional Texts


Sangharakshita - 2012
    This beautifully illustrated edition collects a number of Buddhist devotional rituals and verses. English translations of the verses in traditional Buddhist languages, Pali and Sanskrit, allow the reader to focus more clearly on the particular aspect of their practice, while chanting in one of the two ancient languages provides a worldwide link between Buddhists.

Gateway to Knowledge, Volume IV


Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche - 2012
    Consolidating the intent of Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings into a unified body of textbooks, it is the philosophical backbone of the living tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Volume IV of this rich source book elucidates, The Four Seals of the Dharma, which are that all conditioned things are impermanent, everything defiling is suffering, nirvana is peace, and all phenomena are empty and devoid of self-entity. It also includes the four right discriminations, which are meaning, Dharma, definitive words, and ready speech as well as the four reasonings that have been taught in the sutras: 1) the principle of efficacy, 2) the principle of dependence, 3) the principle of reality, and 4) the principle of valid proof and the four reliances. Every volume in this series includes the Tibetan text and the English translation on facing pages. The Tibetan master, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912) is an exceptional treasure of wisdom, compassion and scholarship. His accomplishments in practice, learning, composition and teaching are immense. The student of the Gateway to knowledge can begin to comprehend the meaning of the major works on Buddhist philosophy and of the traditional sciences. When you want to extract their meaning you need and “ expert system,” a key. The gateway to Knowledge is like that key, a magical key – it opens up the treasury of precious gemstones in the expansive collection of Buddhist scriptures.

Zen and Zen Classics volume 1: From the Upanishads to Huineng (Zen & Zen Classics)


R.H. Blyth - 2012
    

Theravada Buddhism: Continuity, Diversity, and Identity


Kate Crosby - 2012
    Theravada Buddhism provides a comprehensive introductory overview of the history, teachings, and current practice of an often misunderstood form of one of the world's oldest religious traditions.Explores Theravada Buddhism's origins, evolution, teachings, and practices Considers the practice of Theravada beyond Sri Lanka and Thailand, by exploring a wealth of material from countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Vietnam Reveals its rich and varied traditions, and corrects common misunderstandings about links to other practices, such as early Buddhism or Hinayana Buddhism Incorporates student-friendly features including a glossary and other study aids

Unshakable Spirit: Stories of Compassion and Wisdom


Kentetsu Takamori - 2012
    Yet each one has something to teach about Buddhist truth, which permeates time and space. This little book may enable people the world over to share in the precious teachings of Buddhism and acquire an unshakable spirit.

History Of The Karmapas: The Odyssey Of The Tibetan Masters With The Black Crown


Lama Kunsang - 2012
    The Karmapas are distinguished by their black crowns, said to have been woven by dakinis and symbolizing the activity of the buddhas. Unlike other Tibetan Buddhist lineage heads, each Karmapa has specific knowledge of his next reincarnation and leaves behind a "Last Testament," a letter to his disciples describing the place and circumstances of their future rebirth, the name of their parents, and so on. At a very young age, each successive incarnation is often able to recognize himself as the Karmapa. In their recounting of the histories of the seventeen Karmapas, the authors reveal the universal and marvelous concealed in the everyday world. Their lively account peppered with anecdotes is the most comprehensive in the West on this subject, with information from Tibetan, Chinese, Mongolian, French, and English sources.

Offering to the Spiritual Guide - Prayer eBooklet


Kelsang Gyatso - 2012
    It is a special Guru yoga of Je Tsongkhapa in conjunction with Highest Yoga Tantra. Through engaging in this practice our compassion, spiritual power and especially our wisdom will naturally increase. Prayers are special methods for generating positive states of mind, and can be used as a preparation for successful meditation on any of the stages of the path to enlightenment. The booklet provides guidance in the form of instructions emphasizing the main meditations and visualizations. A complete commentary to this practice can be found in the book Great Treasury of Merit.Prayer eBooklets are ideal for people wanting to learn and familiarize themselves with meditation practices on the go. Available in this format they can be viewed on mobile devices such as your phone, e-reader, tablet as well as on your laptop or desktop computer.

The Essential Journey of Life and Death


Palden Sherab - 2012
    

Stages of the Buddha's Teachings: Three Key Texts


Ulrike Roesler - 2012
    From the acclaimed Library of Tibetan Classics.The “stages of the teachings” or tenrim genre of Tibetan spiritual writing expounds the Mahayana teachings as a graded series of topics, from the practices required at the start of the bodhisattva’s career to the final perfect awakening of buddhahood. The three texts in the present volume all exerted seminal influence in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The first text, The Blue Compendium, presents the instructions of the Kadam teacher Potowa (1031–1106) as recorded by his student Dölpa (1059–1131). This text is followed by Gampopa’s (1079–1153) revered Ornament of Precious Liberation, which remains the most authoritative text on the path to enlightenment within the Kagyü school. The final text is Clarifying the Sage’s Intent, a masterwork by the preeiment sage of the Sakya tradition, Sakya Pandita (1182–1251).