With No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners you’ll gain a fundamental understanding of Buddhism and how to apply the philosophies in your everyday life, through: A simple 4-part structure addressing the different aspects of Buddhism—the Buddha, key Buddhist concepts, the Buddha’s teachings, and current Buddhist practices Straightforward Q&A’s that simplify the vital concepts of Buddhism into easy-to-understand ideas “Everyday Buddhism” Sidebars that make Buddhism less abstract by offering down-to-earth examples from everyday life Presented in a simple, conversational style, the information and guidance in No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners provides the groundwork that is necessary for building or continuing your own Buddhist practice.

    With mindfulness being so widely taught, there is a need for a clear-sighted and experience-based guide. Analayo provides it.

    Standing at the Edge is essential reading for our time." -- Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive GlobalStanding at the Edge is an evocative examination of how we can respond to suffering, live our fullest lives, and remain open to the full spectrum of our human experience.Joan Halifax has enriched thousands of lives around the world through her work as a humanitarian, a social activist, an anthropologist, and as a Buddhist teacher. Over many decades, she has also collaborated with neuroscientists, clinicians, and psychologists to understand how contemplative practice can be a vehicle for social transformation. Through her unusual background, she developed an understanding of how our greatest challenges can become the most valuable source of our wisdom--and how we can transform our experience of suffering into the power of compassion for the benefit of others.In this audiobook, Halifax identifies five psychological territories she calls Edge States--altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, and engagement--that epitomize strength of character. Yet each of these states can also be the cause of personal and social suffering. In this way, these five psychological experiences form edges, and it is only when we stand at these edges that we become open to the full range of our human experience and discover who we really are.Recounting the experiences of caregivers, activists, humanitarians, politicians, parents, and teachers, incorporating the wisdom of Zen traditions and mindfulness practices, and rooted in Halifax's groundbreaking research on compassion, Standing at the Edge is destined to become a contemporary classic.A powerful guide on how to find the freedom we seek for others and ourselves, this is an audiobook that will serve us all.Praise for Standing at the Edge: "...narrator Joan Halifax's meditative voice takes us by the ear and reorients us toward serenity...Her slow and steady pace allows listeners to keep up with the considerable wisdom she is passing along. This title will likely leave listeners feeling serene." - AudioFile Magazine"Halifax offers an invitation to hold these states not only in our minds, but in our hearts." -- Psychology Today

    Ably assisted by a bookshelf, who holds a fountain of knowledge, they embark upon a quest to discover the secrets of meditation and uncover the path to ancient wisdom. As they progress along the road to enlightenment, they not only transform their own perception of life, but also the lives of those around them. The journey is a challenging one, but is held together by Half-Sister’s wicked sense of humour and a desire to enter into spaniel folklore. The Enlightened Spaniel is a wise tale, filled with insights and humour, that celebrates the connection between all beings that reside on Planet Earth.

     Shohaku Okumura—renowned for his translations of and magisterial teachings on Dogen—guides the reader through the rich layers of metaphor and meaning in “Sansuikyo,” which is often thought to be the most beautiful essay in Dogen’s monumental Shobogenzo. His wise and friendly voice shows us the questions Dogen poses and helps us realize what the answers could be. What does it mean for  mountains to walk? How are mountains an expression of Buddha’s truth, and how can we learn to hear the deep teachings of river waters? Throughout this luminous volume, we learn how we can live in harmony with nature in respect and gratitude—and awaken to our true nature.

    It’s currently practiced by more than 480 million people all across the globe. While countless religions have been abandoned through the centuries, the insights and practices of Buddhism are still carried on today in every corner of the world. In this beginner’s guide, we will provide the basic outlines of the understanding of the world that informs Buddhist practice. Key concepts and terms will be introduced one by one. In this way, it will be easier to grasp the way Buddhists see the world and the nature of human existence. This is vital to learn if you aim to walk the path yourself. Understanding key concepts – enlightenment, true self, the nature of reality, and the causes of suffering – are fundamental to guiding meditation practice and a Buddhist way of life. During the course of this book we will explore: Siddhartha Gautama & the Origin of Buddhism The Nature Of A “Buddha” Buddhism Today The Sutras Dharma & “The Four Reliances” The Kalama Discourse The Abhidharma The Thee Major Buddhist Traditions The Three Marks of Existence & The Four Noble Truths Buddhist Cosmology The Five Skandhas The Three Poisons & The Three Jewels Meditation & Mindfulness Buddhism In Everyday Life And more! Download now, and venture onto a road of great discovery and inner peace.

    When she subsequently lost a child to SIDS, she found courage again in female Buddhist role models, and discovered a way to transform her pain into a path forward. Through Lama Tsultrim’s story of loss and spiritual seeking, paired with her many years of expertise in mandala meditation, you will learn how to strengthen yourself by following this experiential journey to Tantric Buddhist practice. The mandala was developed as a tool for spiritual transformation, and as you harness its power, it can serve as a guide to wholeness. With knowledge of the mandala of the five dakinis (female Buddhist deities who embody wisdom), you’ll understand how to embrace the distinct energies of your own nature. In Wisdom Rising, Lama Tsultrim shares from a deep trove of personal experiences as well as decades of sacred knowledge to invite you to explore an ancient yet accessible path to the ability to shift your emotional challenges into empowerment. Her unique perspective on female strength and enlightenment will guide you as you restore your inner spirit, leading you toward the change you aspire to create in the world.

    Carter Sr., founding dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, shares his remarkable quest to experience King's "beloved community" and his surprising discovery in mid-life that King's dream was being realized by the Japanese Buddhist philosopher and tireless peace worker Daisaku Ikeda. Coming of age on the cusp of the American Civil Rights Movement, Carter was personally mentored by Martin Luther King Jr. and followed in his footsteps, first to get an advanced degree in theology at Boston University and then to teach and train a new generation of activists and ministers at King's alma mater, Morehouse College. Over the years, however, Carter was disheartened to watch the radical cosmic vision at the heart of King's message gradually diluted and marginalized. He found himself in near despair—until his remarkable encounter with the lay Buddhist association Soka Gakkai International and a life-changing meeting with Ikeda, its president. Carter knew that King had been inspired by Gandhi, a Hindu, and now Ikeda, a Buddhist, was showing him how King's message of justice, equality, and the fundamental dignity of life could be carried to millions of people around the world. What ensued was not a conversion but a conversation—about the essential role of interfaith dialogue, the primacy of education, and the value of a living faith to create a human revolution and realize at last Martin Luther King's truest dream of a global world house. In these dark and frustrating times, the powerful dialogue between Carter and Ikeda gives hope and guidance to a new generation of reformers, activists, and visionaries.

    Written in the eighth century by the scholar and saint Shantideva, it presents a comprehensive view of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition’s highest ideal—to commit oneself to the life of a bodhisattva warrior, a person who is wholeheartedly dedicated to the freedom and common good of all beings. And it has inspired many of the tradition’s greatest teachers, providing a remarkable source of insight on the means by which we may heal ourselves and our troubled world. These essential teachings present the core of the Buddhist path, from cultivating deep-seated confidence to infusing one’s life with selflessness, joyfulness, kindness, and compassion. Pema Chödrön here invites you to journey more deeply into this liberating way of life, presenting Shantideva’s text verse-by-verse and offering both illuminating stories and practical exercises to enrich the text and bring its timeless teachings to life in our world today.

      Volume 1,  Approaching the Buddhist Path, contained introductory material that set the context for Buddhist practice. This second volume describes the foundation—the important teachings that will help us establish a flourishing Dharma practice. Traditional presentations of the path in Tibetan Buddhism assume the audience already has faith in the Buddha and believes in rebirth and karma, but the Dalai Lama realized early on that a different approach was needed for his Western students. Starting with the four seals and the two truths, His Holiness illuminates key Buddhist ideas, such as dependent arising and emptiness, to support the reader in engaging with this rich tradition. This second volume in the new Library of Wisdom and Compassion series provides a wealth of reflections on Buddhist history and fundamentals, contemporary issues, and the Dalai Lama’s own personal experiences.

    By embracing sadness, love, and openness in our lives, we develop an altruistic attitude to help all beings who suffer and to reduce our own greed and aggression. This easy-to-read manual by one of the most widely loved and respected Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our time teaches us how to honestly explore and deal with our own hang-ups and neuroses. Through knowing our own true nature as aware and compassionate, we can progress, step-by-step, on the Buddhist path and use Rinpoche’s pithy wisdom along the way as a touchstone. Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s fresh and engaged approach to timeless Buddhist wisdom enables us to deeply connect with authentic teachings in a modern context. This work is a delight and inspiration to read, outlining the major teachings and practices of Buddhism in a succinct way.

    

    Also known as 'The Path of Skillful Means' or 'The Path of Great Bliss', Karmamudra uses powerful meditation techniques to transform ordinary pleasure, worldly desire, and orgasm into vehicles for spiritual transformation and liberation. In this ground-breaking book, Dr Nida Chenagtsang draws on his extensive training in Tibetan medicine and yoga to clarify major misconceptions relating to Tibetan Buddhist Tantra in general and Tibetan Buddhist sexual yoga practices in particular. Demystifying sexual yoga without depreciating it, Dr Nida provides an overview of the relationship between Sutric and Tantric orientations in Tibetan Buddhism, offers explanations of Tantric vows, initiations, and subtle anatomy, and explores both bio-medical and traditional Tibetan ideas about sexual health and well-being.Speaking in a colloquial style as a physician, teacher, yogi, and parent, he addresses issues of sexual abuse, well-being and empowerment in a learned, down-to-earth and compassionate way. Aiming to inform and empower, this book offers vital context and instructions through which beginner and advanced students of any gender or sexual orientation can learn to engage with typically destructive and distracting emotions in a skillful way. Drawing on special Karmamudra teachings found in the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition that are aimed at practitioners without any prior training in tantric yoga, it offers safe and simple methods through which students can work with the raw energy of their desire and transform it into a source of blessings and benefit in their everyday lives.

    And, you can’t do the right thing with the wrong person.” If you struggle with self-doubt, anxiety, discouragement, indecision, comparison-itis, exhaustion, promising too much, copious amounts of stress, worry, even profound sadness—or any other number of hard-as-fuck internal challenges, the time has come for you to stop. Forever. Always remember, you are enough. Right now. Just as you are. So, stop. Breathe. You’re about to discover a more natural, less stressful, and more effective way of living. Imagine a world where you’re validated, you make decisions based on what you want, what brings you joy; a space where you’ll become more successful—authentically successful—and ultimately happier than you’ve ever been. After all, you only get one ride, one at-bat, one whirl on this rock. I hardly think it’s worth your time to be the least bit miserable. It’s time you enjoy life while you continue to grow, discover your best self, and love (almost) every minute. Grab your copy today!

    To really understand and fully embrace this point is to live in a radically different world—a world of awakening, inclusion, and love. Zen Master Dogen frames the teaching on impermanence explicitly as a teaching about time—and all of Dogen’s profoundly poetic teachings flow from his seminal understanding of time, as expressed in Uji (Being-Time), the famous—and famously difficult—essay in his masterwork, Shobogenzo. In Uji, Dogen teaches that time itself, being itself, is luminous awakening. It is all-inclusive, all-elusive, ultimately healing, and eternal.             In this book, Shinshu Roberts does full justice, as does no other book I know of, to Dogen’s words. She offers interpretation of Uji only after careful consideration and marshaling of many sources—and offers simple everyday examples to illustrate points that seem at first abstruse. If this text causes you to doubt your most cherished concepts about your life, it will have done its work.” —from the Foreword by Norman Fischer Being-Time thoroughly explores Dogen’s teaching on how we practice as Buddhas by understanding the relationship between being and time as it is—and as we perceive it to be. Using Dogen’s Shobogenzo Uji (The True Dharma Eye, Being-Time), Shinshu Roberts offers a twofold analysis of this teaching: the meaning of the text and practice with the text, giving examples how we apply Dogen’s complex teaching to our daily lives.

    The practice of tonglen offers us a way to transform our relationship with suffering—our own and that which is all around us. In The Courage to Love the World, beloved teacher Pema Chödrön shares insightful and heartfelt stories about tonglen, along with direct instruction and guided practice. Recorded on retreat with an intimate group of students, this four-part series presents:Pema’s step-by-step guidance in the formal practice of tonglen• The importance of becoming a "Modern-Day Bodhisattva"—awaken your heart and be of benefit to beings• The practice of "compassionate abiding" in everyday life• Q&A with retreat participants addressing the most common questions that arise with practice• Tonglen as a practical skill for survival in today’s world "The practice of tonglen is one of bravery," teaches Pema, "It takes courage to develop a new relationship with suffering." Now, each of us can immerse ourselves in this ancient Tibetan practice for cultivating kindness and compassion under the guidance of one of our most beloved teachers.

    Meanwhile, many modern Stoics also practise Buddhist-inspired meditation and find inspiration in Buddhist ideas and practices. In this extended reflection, Patrick Ussher considers in what ways Buddhism and Stoicism are similar, highly engaged and practical philosophies as a way of life which can mutually inform and enlighten each other. The book explores themes of Buddhist and Stoic mindfulness, shared psychological insights as well as Stoic and Buddhist practices for cultivating compassion and concern for others. Patrick Ussher also explores why it is that, of all forms of Buddhism, it is 'Western Buddhism' that is most similar to Stoicism. In the West, Buddhism has been 'redeveloped' into a practical, highly engaged, present moment focussed philosophy as a way of life. And, as it happens, this Western 'reinvention' of Buddhism turns out to be much closer to Stoic philosophy than it is to the traditional Buddhism from which it draws. Similarly, Stoicism has also been undergoing a 'reinvention' in recent times which has particularly emphasised its practical nature as a philosophy as a way of life for anyone regardless of belief in God, which was an essential feature of traditional Stoicism. The resulting 'Modern Stoicism' is likewise even closer to Western Buddhism than traditional Stoicism is. This book is for anyone who is interested in how either Stoicism or Buddhism can be a helpful and heartfelt addition to their lives and who is also interested in reflecting on how both Stoicism and Buddhism are undergoing dynamic 'reinterpretations' in the modern world. Book cover design by Rocio De Torres Artillo (http://www.rociodetorres.com).

    James Ford, an excellent storyteller and longtime Zen practitioner, presents a detailed and beautiful description of the craft of zazen, including “just sitting” and various forms of breath meditation—but focuses primarily on koan introspection. The power of koans, these 'public cases' from China, has never ceased to enrich my own experience of Zen. They are a medium of exploration of the history, culture, and view of Zen, but most importantly are a medium of awakening. James Ford is fundamentally a koan person, and for this, the book is particularly rich, opening the practice of koans in a splendid way. I am grateful for his long experience as a teacher and practitioner of this rare and powerful practice. Since the word koan has found its way into popular English usage, I am grateful too for the more nuanced and fertile view of koans that Ford presents. His definition of the word is telling: “a koan points to something of deep importance, and invites us to stand in that place.” He has also has created a wonderful translation of the Heart Sutra, Zen’s central scripture—and carefully opens up the heart of the Heart Sutra through scholarship and practice. Rich in textual sources and woven throughout with the perspectives of contemporary teachers, Introduction to Zen Koans sheds new light on ancient teachings. Through it, the reader will discover the importance of lineage, the traceless traces of the Zen ancestors, and the places of “just sitting” and koan practice as paths to awakening, as the great doorways into Zen.” —from the foreword by Joan Halifax

    This book provides a set of tools that you can apply in daily life to gradually relieve your own suffering and extend that relief to everyone you encounter.

     “Sanctuary” is the home we can return to when our lives are under threat, where we can face what's difficult to love, and have a place where we can truly say, “I am home”—and spiritual teachers often emphasize sanctuary’s inner dimensions, that “our true home” is within. “Homelessness,” in turn, can be viewed as a forced experience or one in which there is a spiritual void in being or feeling home. Drawing from her life as a Zen Buddhist priest whose ancestors labored as slaves in Louisiana, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel explores the tension between oppression—based on race, religion, ability, class, orientation, gender, and other “ghosts of slavery”—and finding home within our own hearts. Through intimate personal stories and deep reflection, Manuel helps us see the moment when the unacknowledged surfaces as “the time we have been practicing for,” the epiphany when we can investigate the true source what has been troubling us. This insightful book about home and homelessness, sanctuary and refuge offers inspiration, encouragement, and a clear-eyed view of cultivating a spiritual path in challenging times.

    Rather than retreating from suffering, Wasteland to Pureland dives into the heart of the uncertainty and busyness of our modern world, and provides clear steps to greater fulfillment and spiritual growth.In this book, you will discover: How your career, creativity, sex, relationship and daily life can become your spiritual practice. How the ego and trauma may be holding you back - and how to transcend it. Discover new ways to push your awakening edge. Maps of the self that draw from Buddhist philosophy, Western psychology and wisdom traditions such as karma yoga, astrology and tantra. By learning to embrace "what is" we can transform ourselves, our relationships, and our world from the inside out. And much, much more! (Look inside for table of contents.) Wasteland to Pureland is packed with straightforward, heartfelt, accessible teachings and truths that are explained in a way that is both engaging and fun. This book will become a gem which you'll pick up over and over until it's pages are dog-eared, at which point you'll gift it to a friend.So if you want to develop more meaningful relationships and establish a fulfilling career, if you want more freedom in both your work and personal life, and you want to lean into your unfoldment with a sense of humor, you simply can't afford to miss this essential and deeply enjoyable guide to the Pureland.Unlock the next chapter on your path to awakening and buy your copy of Wasteland to Pureland today!

     And if we look carefully, we’ll discover that the faith impulse isn’t separate from reason at all—faith and logic in fact work together in a playful and dynamic relationship that reveals the profoundest kind of truth—a truth beyond the limits of “is” and “is not.” Using the traditional Buddhist teachings on dependent arising, Elizabeth leads us on an experiential journey to discover the essential interdependence of everything--and through that thrilling discovery to open ourselves to the whole wonderful range of human experience.

    Chögyam Trungpa unpacks this intriguing but misunderstood topic. He viewed an understanding of karma as good news, showing us that liberation is possible and that the future is never predetermined. His unique approach to presenting the Buddhist teachings lends itself to an insightful and profound view of karma, its cause and effects, and how to cut the root of karma itself.

    Mahamudra is only experience.” He relies on the First Panchen Lama’s well-known Root Text of Genden Mahamudra, which in a few short pages provides the pith instructions for, first, overcoming distraction and resting in meditative stillness on the clarity of one’s own mind, and then, with subtle awareness, penetrating its ultimate nature, its emptiness. As always, Lama Yeshe’s words are direct, funny, and incredibly encouraging. He gets us to go beyond ego’s addiction to a limited sense of self and to taste the lightness and expansiveness of our own true nature.

    According to the traditional format of view, meditation, and action, it is the sequel to Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind, which establishes the view of the Buddhist path generally, and specifically that of the teachings of the Great Perfection. It precedes the final volume, Finding Rest in Illusion, which focuses on post-meditation yogic conduct. This profound and comprehensive presentation of the Buddhist view and path combines the scholastic expository method with the direct pith instructions designed for advanced practitioners. The Padmakara Translation Group has provided us with a clear and fluid new translation of Finding Rest in Meditation along with its autocommentary, The Chariot of Surpassing Purity. Finding Rest in Meditation outlines the main points of meditation, namely, where one should meditate, what qualities a practitioner should possess and develop, and what should be practiced. Based on the author’s personal experience, these instructions are designed to help stabilize and intensify direct insight into the nature of the mind through meditative practice.

    This second volume, The Foundation of Buddhist Practice, describes the important teachings that will help us establish a flourishing Dharma practice.   Traditional presentations of the path in Tibetan Buddhism assume the audience already has faith in the Buddha and believes in rebirth and karma, but the Dalai Lama realized early on that a different approach was needed for his Western and contemporary Asian students. Starting with the four seals and the two truths, His Holiness illuminates key Buddhist ideas, such as dependent arising, emptiness, and karma, to support the reader in engaging with this rich tradition. This second volume in the Library of Wisdom and Compassion series provides a wealth of reflections on the relationship between a spiritual mentor and student, how to begin a meditation practice, and the relationship between the body and mind.

    In what is now northern Pakistan, the civilizations in the region called Gandhara became increasingly important centers for the development of Buddhism, reaching their apex under King Kaniska of the Kusanas in the second century CE. Gandhara has long been known for its Greek-Indian synthesis in architecture and statuary, but until about twenty years ago, almost nothing was known about its literature. The insights provided by manuscripts unearthed over the last few decades show that Gandhara was indeed a vital link in the early development of Buddhism, instrumental in both the transmission of Buddhism to China and the rise of the Mahayana tradition. The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara surveys what we know about Gandhara and its Buddhism, and it also provides translations of a dozen different short texts, from similes and stories to treatises on time and reality.

    Combining a close reading of several suttas from the Pali Canon with personal reflections on trying to fulfill the Buddha’s challenge to be free from ill-will, the book is at once intimate and far-reaching in its scope. “'In Living Kindness: Buddhist Teachings for a Troubled World,' Kevin Griffin offers a clear and well-sourced reflection of the classical Buddhist teaching on loving-kindness practice. Skillfully contextualizing these teachings for our current time, Kevin shows that the teachings are as alive and relevant today as they were when they were first taught 2,600 years ago. Kevin has written an exceptional book, one that could serve equally well as a starting point for understanding the Buddhist teaching on kindness or to deepen your understanding in an already established meditation practice.” Sharon Salzberg, author of "Real Happiness" and "Real Love." "Kevin has written a practical and accessible guide on how to take loving-kindness and transform it from an idea, into something we can truly live with and live by. This is a great support for practitioners in negotiating their experience of living in this world." Ajahn Pasanno, abbot Abhayagiri Monastery, and author of "Abundant, Exalted, Immeasurable." “'Living Kindness' is a liberating book, both for the intellect and the heart. Kevin Griffin is grounded in a deep understanding of what the Buddha taught, and he makes those teachings come alive with his personal stories and insights. 'Living Kindness' is not just a guide to the spiritual path; it is also a companion.” Wes Nisker, author and Buddhist teacher. “Living Kindness is a delightful, inspiring, and profound book on one of the primary forms of love taught by the Buddha. Kevin Griffin’s decades of living with these teachings come through in these honest and insightful reflections.” Gil Fronsdal, author of "The Buddha before Buddhism: Wisdom from the Early Teachings"

    With mastery of Western concepts, the author explains how to integrate traditional Buddhist philosophies, psychology, and Tibetan medicine in the service of reducing suffering and developing all aspects of one’s personhood to overcome the confinement of a limited sense of self.

    The author, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, is an internationally renowned meditation master and scholar. In this book, he explains as practical instructions the complete path to enlightenment, based on his deep experience gained from a lifetime spent in meditation. "We can see and find the sun of the supreme happiness of enlightenment from The Mirror of Dharma. How fortunate we are." Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche This practical guide includes: • Essential insights on the advice from Je Tsongkhapa's heart called The Three Principal Aspects of the Path to Enlightenment • How we can use the Request to the Lord of All Lineages prayer to contemplate and meditate on all the stages of the path of both Sutra and Tantra • How to train in the meditation practice of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion • A special presentation of the practice of the stages of the path to enlightenment, known as Lamrim

    The authors establish the essential convergences of Buddhist psychology and mindfulness with Gestalt therapy theory and method, and creatively explore the clinical implications of these and their relevance in psychotherapeutic work. These convergences, as well as the recognition of the two systems’ differences in focus and ultimate aims, then serve as the foundation for a Buddhist psychology informed Gestalt therapy (BPGT). This innovative integration offers a new perspective while also maintaining the holistic integrity of each system. Here, the book lays out how Buddhist psychology’s universal view and Gestalt therapy’s focus on the individual and relational can work synergistically in addressing the fundamental ground of human suffering. Clinical vignettes throughout the book bring the concepts and methods to life, offering clear examples of how these can be implemented. This book’s heart, wisdom, and deeply relational holistic perspective on the therapeutic endeavor can offer psychotherapists of any stripe an enriched clinical understanding, and the “how to” for putting this understanding into practice.

    We have no choice, no alternative option, no wiggle room. Death is inevitable. So why do so few of us even think about death, let alone make any effort to prepare ourselves for it?In his new book, 'Living is Dying', Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche offers a broad spectrum of advice about how to prepare for dying, death and beyond no matter who you are. Inspired by nearly one hundred questions that were put to him by friends and students, Rinpoche describes how to:prepare for our own deathhelp, comfort and guide a dying friend or loved oneapproach the moment of deathnavigate the bardos (intermediate states)guide the deadhelp loved ones who have died“These teachings about death and the bardos have been passed down through a long lineage of brilliant Buddhist thinkers, each of whom went to great lengths in order to examine the process in minute detail and from every angle. Their advice may well be especially useful for Buddhists, or those attracted to the Buddha’s teachings. Even those of you who know nothing about the teachings of the Buddha but who are open-minded, curious, and perhaps contemplating your own death or that of a loved one, may well find something in these pages that will be of help.” - Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

    Alan Wallace delivers the long-awaited followup to his Stilling the Mind: Shamatha Teachings from Dudjom Lingpa’s Vajra Essence (2011).This companion volume stems from an oral commentary Düdjom Lingpa gave to the next section of the Vajra Essence, in which he elucidates the cultivation of contemplative insight, or vipashyana, into the nature of existence as a whole. The revelation appears in the form of a fascinating dialogue within Düdjom Lingpa’s own mind: various aspects of his mind pose questions to his own primordial consciousness, and the pithy and provocative replies tap into the very ground of being. The ensuing dialogue explores every stage of the path to buddhahood in this lifetime, from the very beginning to the unexcelled result of the rainbow body, signifying enlightenment. Everything you need to know to attain buddhahood is complete in this text. As Wallace continued to reflect on Dudjom Lingpa’s writings and their relevance to the modern world, he was inspired to elaborate extensively on his original commentary. The book includes new introductory essays and an afterword, revealing the texts’ contribution to the contemplative revolution triggered by the discoveries of Galileo, Darwin, and Einstein.

     Buddhism provides you with deep information related to the worldly pleasures, your desires, and everything that prevents you from acquiring inner peace and happiness. Moreover, it also guides you on how you can battle all your obstructions, both the inner and outer ones, to gain complete peace of mind. Buddhism is a philosophy, some refer to it as a religion, or a faith, that comprises of numerous beliefs, spiritual practices and traditions based primarily on the teachings of Gautama Buddha. Let us dig deeper into this and find out more about Buddhism. In this book You'll Learn: Chapter 1: The Basics Of Buddhism Chapter 2: Buddhism In A Nutshell Chapter 3: Branches Of Buddhism Chapter 4: Defining Zen Buddhism Chapter 5: A Journey Towards Enlightenment Chapter 6: The Four Noble Truths Chapter 7: The Three Marks Of Existence Chapter 8 : Japanese Buddhism Chapter 9: A Normal Day in Buddhist Life Make use of this book today to educate yourself about one of the most popular ideas in history - transcending the mundane and discovering the ultimate. Get to know Buddhism intimately, and understand why it has had such a powerful effect on the world Scroll up and click the 'Buy now with 1-Click' button to get your copy now!

    Also known as ‘The Path of Skillful Means’ or ‘The Path of Great Bliss’, Karmamudra uses powerful meditation techniques to transform ordinary pleasure, worldly desire, and orgasm into vehicles for spiritual transformation and liberation. In this ground-breaking book, Dr Nida Chenagtsang draws on his extensive training in Tibetan medicine and yoga to clarify major misconceptions relating to Tibetan Buddhist Tantra in general and Tibetan Buddhist sexual yoga practices in particular. Demystifying sexual yoga without depreciating it, Dr Nida provides an overview of the relationship between Sutric and Tantric orientations in Tibetan Buddhism, offers explanations of Tantric vows, initiations, and subtle anatomy, and explores both bio-medical and traditional Tibetan ideas about sexual health and well-being. Speaking in a colloquial style as a physician, teacher, yogi, and parent, he addresses issues of sexual abuse, well-being and empowerment in a learned, down-to-earth and compassionate way. Aiming to inform and empower, this book offers vital context and instructions through which beginner and advanced students of any gender or sexual orientation can learn to engage with typically destructive and distracting emotions in a skillful way. Drawing on special Karmamudra teachings found in the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition that are aimed at practitioners without any prior training in tantric yoga, it offers safe and simple methods through which students can work with the raw energy of their desire and transform it into a source of blessings and benefit in their everyday lives.

    It begins with us. It starts with becoming friends with another person.Youth have always been the ones sacrificed in war. That’s why it’s crucial for youth to strive vigorously for peace, for you to forge a growing network of youth committed to peace. I would like you, my friends, with the power of youth, to create a society free from the brutality of war, a world where everyone can feel glad to have been born and enjoy a happy life.Peace is something that we must strive for and achieve. Kosen-rufu is nothing other than the highest expression of peace.Nichiren Daishonin writes, “All people have the Buddha nature” (“The Fourteen Slanders,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 756). Everyone possesses the supremely noble life state of Buddhahood. Respecting one another is the truest way to peace. That’s why it’s so important for young people to share this great life-affirming philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism with other youth.

    This song was originally written by Rangjung Dorje, one of the most important teachers within the Tibetan tradition. In this book Traleg unwraps each cryptic verse revealing its hidden meaning. An enlightening journey into ways of developing insight, compassion, and wisdom, and reducing suffering, key components within the Buddhist tradition.

    However, she came to question not only contemporary American values but also traditional monastic ones. This book is about becoming an adult—about sexuality, religion, work, ethics, and individuality—but it is also about being a human being trying to be happy. Questioning is a theme that runs throughout the book: how can I be happy? What is true? What is authentic? The reader is invited along a journey that is difficult, inspiring, sad, funny, and sincere.

    In Deepest Practice, Deepest Wisdom, Kosho Uchiyama, beloved twentieth-century Zen teacher addresses himself head-on to unpacking Dogen’s wisdom from three fascicles (or chapters) of his monumental Shobogenzo for a modern audience. The fascicles presented here from Shobogenzo, or Treasury of the True Dharma Eye include “Shoaku Makusa” or “Refraining from Evil,” “Maka Hannya Haramitsu” or “Practicing Deepest Wisdom,” and “Uji” or “Living Time.” Tom Wright and Shohaku Okumura lovingly translate Dogen’s penetrating words and Uchiyama’s thoughtful commentary on each piece. At turns poetic and funny, always insightful, this is Zen wisdom for the ages.

    The essays included are: Honest to Goodness, Did the Buddha Teach Free Will?, In the Eyes of the Wise, First Things First, The Karma of Now, The Streams of Emotions, Worlds & Their Cessation, Wisdom over Justice, All Winners, No Losers, How Pointy is One-pointedness?, The Limits of Description, and The Names for Nirvana.

    Asian & Asian American Studies. Religion and Spirituality. Buddhism. Translated by Red Pine. Empty Bowl is proud to present Red Pine's newest offering: two sutras that record a day in the life of the Buddha when the Buddha was teaching the Prajnaparamita, the teaching that formed the basis of Buddhism's Mahayana path. Not only are they among the shortest Prajnaparamita texts, they're connected and read as if they span the events of a single day. In the Empty Bowl Sutra, which appears here in English for the first time, the Buddha's disciples' question Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, on his way to town to beg for food, and he responds with the teaching of emptiness--that anything we might think of as real is illusory and its thingness based on nothing more than our own projections. In the Diamond Sutra, the translation of which has benefitted from recently discovered Sanskrit copies, the Buddha returns from his own begging round and tells his disciples what results when they combine this teaching with the vow to liberate others. In using the most significant events in his own career as an example, the Buddha presents one of the earliest accounts of how buddhas become buddhas.Both sutras are presented together in a 5X7 chapbook, saddle stitched, with an introduction but minimum of notes so that readers can experience the force of these texts uninterrupted and in a convenient hand-held, open-page format.

    Fearlessly direct and endlessly curious, Katherine’s understanding of Zen was inseparable from her affinity for the arts. She was an MFA student studying painting with Richard Diebenkorn, the preeminent Californian abstract painter, when she met Shunryu Suzuki, author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, in the sixties. Soon thereafter she decided to drop painting to dedicate herself to Zen, which she did for the last forty years of her life. In these essential teachings taken from her dharma talks—which make up her only book—her love of art and literature shine through in her elegant prose and her vast references, from poets William Stafford and Naomi Shihab Nye to the Zen teachings of Dogen and Robert Aitken. Ranging on subjects from the practice of zazen to the meaning of life, Katherine urges us to “develop an insatiable appetite for inner awareness, to become proficient with this mind.” This slim volume is an important contribution by a well-loved and revered teacher.

    The Lotus & The Rose includes three public dialogues between Matthew and Lama Tsomo during weekend workshops at Stanford University, The Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, and The Jung Center in Houston. Also included is a more personal conversation with no audience except each other. And, finally, individual interviews with both of them, revealing more about their own lives and worldview. Also available to the reader are video excerpts from the presentations, conversations, and interviews.Buddhists, Christians, followers of other spiritual traditions--and perhaps no spiritual tradition at all--will be intrigued by the range of ideas, and impressed and enlightened by the knowledge and experience that Matthew and Lama Tsomo bring to their exchanges. In this perilously contentious world, all viewers will be heartened by the admiration, respect, humor, and warmth that flows between these two friends who celebrate their common ground and delight in their differences.

    Following the 1959 Chinese invasion of Tibet, as head of the Karma Kagyü tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, he went into exile in India. From his new home in Sikkim, as well as during his later extended voyages to the West, the Karmapa contributed immensely to the worldwide flourishing of the Buddha's teachings like few other teachers. With his warmth of heart, his spiritual power and not least his openhearted humor, he moved people to their deepest core and overcame all cultural and social boundaries. Karmapa touched and inspired people from many different spiritual and religious traditions who were interested in inner development, including even those who feared or were critical of religion. His radiant compassion affected all who were fortunate enough to meet him. (More information on www.karmapabiographie.de) In this book Gerd Bausch traces the life of this great Kagyü master who effortlessly pushed the boundaries of the human imagination and provided people with a new outlook. Literally day and night, the 16th Karmapa tirelessly assisted everyone who asked for his advice and help, welcoming all with infinite generosity. In addition to accessing other contemporary sources, Bausch conducted close to eighty interviews, including HH Sakya Trizin, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche, Jigme Rinpoche, O. Nydahl, S. Salzberg, M. Ricard and many others. "This book provides a first-hand view into his exceptional qualities, as it describes his unceasing activities for the benefit of beings and his tireless endeavor to promote a close relationship between the different branches of Tibetan Buddhism." His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin

    He was an illiterate woodcutter who famously attained enlightenment after only hearing a single line of the Diamond Sutra, and who went on to decisively upstage senior monks with a poem that demonstrated the depth and clarity of his insight. His example has demonstrated to generations of students and spiritual seekers worldwide that enlightenment is attainable regardless of education or social standing. His exhortations to directly perceive one's true nature, right here and now, still reverberate in contemporary Zen. Shodo Harada Roshi’s fresh reading of the Platform Sutra offers both the history behind the work and the lived experience of its wisdom. In a plain-English, conversational voice, Shodo Harada brings the sutra to life for his students, discussing and explaining its central points chapter by chapter and illustrating it with his own beautiful calligraphy. This is an essential Buddhist text brought to life.

    864–949) was a master of the Chinese Zen (Chan) tradition and one of the most influential teachers in its history, showing up in many famous koans—in one of which he’s credited with the famous line, “Every day is a good day.” His teachings are said to permeate heaven and earth, to address immediately and totally the state and conditions of his audience, and to cut off even the slightest trace of duality. In this classic study of Master Yunmen, historian and Buddhist scholar Urs App clearly elucidates the encompassing and penetrating nature of Yunmen’s teachings, provides pioneering translations of his numerous talks and dialogues, and includes a brief history of Chinese Zen, a biography of the master, and a wealth of resource materials.

    Instead of teaching fate, The Buddha’s teachings on kamma and rebirth are empowering, showing how people can develop skills in the present that will lead to the end of suffering. So, to help show how valuable these teachings are, here’s a set of answers, based on the Pāli Canon, to some questions frequently asked about these topics.

    "The Heart Sutra is the essential synthesis of all the Prajnaparamita Sutras, and has been a catalyst for the awakening of many people in the past. Prajnaparamita means the transcendent wisdom, which is the realization of the great emptiness. I am very happy that we are now going to study this profound sutra together" Anam ThubtenIn this compilation of oral teachings by Anam Thubten, we explore the meaning of the verses of the Heart Sutra, discovering scriptural and practical wisdom that can help us on our own journey to the great awakening.

    They are eternal guidelines for our efforts to carry out the mission we have been entrusted by the Buddha." -Daisaku Ikeda

    In it, Shamar Rinpoche extracts the meditation-oriented teachings from Moonlight of Mahamudra, a comprehensive treatise on the practice of Kagyu Mahamudra composed by Dagpo Tashi Namgyal, a renowned sixteenth-century master of the Kagyu tradition. Shamar Rinpoche produced this book in order to compile a written manual for his students, which incorporates teachings and transmissions that he gave on the source text in the 1990s. He provided new explanations for the final manuscript and continued refining it up until close to his death in 2014.Shamar Rinpoche, Mipham Chokyi Lodro (1952–2014), was the 14th Shamarpa. Born in Derge, Tibet, Shamar Rinpoche was recognized by the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa in 1957 and by the 14th Dalai Lama. He was an accomplished Buddhist master and teacher, respected and cherished by many students of Buddhism the world over. In one of his last interviews, Shamar Rinpoche said that things would change because everything and everyone is subject to impermanence. He encouraged his students to focus on their spiritual practice and emphasized that the cure to the suffering associated with change is within oneself. Meditation, he said, is the natural antidote to all delusion and ignorance. Boundless Wisdom: A Mahamudra Practice Manual was one of the important and precious instructional texts that he authored with these sentiments in mind.A preface to this book was written by Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. In this letter, Karmapa highlights the extraordinary depth of Shamar Rinpoche’s knowledge of the Buddha Dharma, and the way in which he was able to put it into almost any context that was understandable and engageable for all of us.Also featured is a short Mahamudra prayer by Shamar Rinpoche, handwritten by him in Tibetan and translated into English. The editor and translator for this book, Tina Draszczyk, was a longtime student of Shamar Rinpoche, who received guidance and inspiration from him for over thirty years.

    He starts from the composition of the Abhidharma works before the beginning of the common era and continues up to the time ofDharmakirti in the sixth century. This period was characterized by the development of a variety of philosophical schools and approaches that have shaped Buddhist thought up to the present day: the scholasticism of the Abhidharma, the Madhyamaka's theory of emptiness, Yogacara idealism, and thelogical and epistemological works of Dinnaga and Dharmakirti. The book attempts to describe the historical development of these schools in their intellectual and cultural context, with particular emphasis on three factors that shaped the development of Buddhist philosophical thought: the need tospell out the contents of canonical texts, the discourses of the historical Buddha and the Mahayana sutras; the desire to defend their positions by sophisticated arguments against criticisms from fellow Buddhists and from non-Buddhist thinkers of classical Indian philosophy; and the need to accountfor insights gained through the application of specific meditative techniques. While the main focus is the period up to the sixth century CE, Westerhoff also discusses some important thinkers who influenced Buddhist thought between this time and the decline of Buddhist scholastic philosophy in Indiaat the beginning of the thirteenth century. His aim is that the historical presentation will also allow the reader to get a better systematic grasp of key Buddhist concepts such as non-self, suffering, reincarnation, karma, and nirvana.

    It’s his rallying cry, full of solutions for our chaotic, aggressive, divided times: no less than A CALL FOR REVOLUTION.

    Amidst a career as a linguist, courtier, and hermit, he used poetry to explore themes of love, desire, impermanence, despair, anger, and fear. “A thousand emotions, ideas, words, and rhythmic syllables stormed through him,” writes translator Andrew Schelling in an evocative introduction. “In particular he shows himself torn between sexual desire and a hunger to be free of failed love affairs and turbulent karma.”Despite the fact that collections of Bhartrihari’s poems are the most common non-religious manuscripts found in Sanskrit, Schelling’s translation represents a rare opportunity for English-language readers to become acquainted with this fascinating poet. Attuned to Bhartrihari’s unique poetic sensibility, Schelling has produced a compelling, personally curated set of translations. He includes a botanical index to familiarize readers with Bhartrihari’s many references to Indian trees, flowers, and herbs. Replete with love, sex, disappointment, Hindu gods, and Buddhist philosophical concepts, this appealing volume brings the world of ancient India to life through the extraordinary voice of one of its beloved poets.