Best of
Eastern-Philosophy

2009

You're It! On Hiding, Seeking, and Being Found


Alan W. Watts - 2009
    What do you find when you reach the top? A mirror. This is the great cosmic game, reveals Alan Watts--that everything you're seeking through meditation, self-improvement, or spiritual practice is always hiding inside of you. On You're It!, join this legendary "stand-up philosopher" for 15 classic talks on how to play your role in the divine drama of existence with a clear mind, open eyes, and an abiding sense of the joy in the game itself.See What Answers Are Hidden in Your Own ReflectionJust as you need a mirror to see your own face, the best way to see your own true nature is to let a teacher like Alan Watts reflect it back to you. Watts stands out as one of the 20th century's most compelling voices because he is so adept at holding up this spiritual looking glass. With his unique combination of penetrating insight and playful irreverence, Watts illuminates the truth that unites all the great wisdom traditions from the East and West--that the universe is always expressing its full, delightful mystery through you.A 12-hour Audio Retreat with the Original Spiritual EntertainerThese restored audio sessions selected by Alan Watts' son and archivist Mark Watts reveal the master in his element, performing a one-man "spiritual jam session" before a live audience. Whether he's unraveling Taoist thought, poking fun at our modern myths, or exploring the subtle beauty of Japanese poetry, Alan Watts always returns to one all-important lesson--how to get out of your own way and live in the perfection that is always present.HIGHLIGHTSThe game of yes and no--how non-dual truths are revealed in the duality of Yin and Yang- Mysticism and morality--exploring the relationship between revelation and ethics- On Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and their translation into Western thought- The beauty of the unenlightened state--why you don't have to be "awakened" to play the great game- Mind over mind--the contradiction at the heart of all spiritual practice- The veil of thoughts--how to stop being bamboozled by your own brain- What is reality? Is the universe a ceramic pot, a clockwork engine, or something far more interesting?- Seventeen hours of philosophy, humor, and stunning insight from legendary spiritual entertainer Alan Watts

The Magician of Lhasa


David Michie - 2009
    Michie has previously published three mystery novels through Time Warner Books UK.When novice monk Tenzin Dorje is told by his lama that the Red Army is invading Tibet, his country's darkest moment paradoxically gives him a sense of purpose like no other. He accepts a mission to carry two ancient, secret texts across the Himalayas to safety. Half a century later, in a paradox of similarly troubling circumstances, Matt Lester is called upon to convey his own particular wisdom as a scientist, when Matt's nanotech project is mysteriously moved from London to a research incubator in Los Angeles.Tenzin and Matt embark on parallel adventures which have spine-chilling connections. Tenzin's perilous journey through the Himalayas, amid increasing physical hardship and the ever-present horror of Red Army capture, is mirrored by Matt's contemporary, but no less traumatic challenges, as his passionate relationship with his fiance, Isabella, and his high flying career undergo escalating crises. It is at the moment when both Tenzin and Matt face catastrophe that their stories converge, spectacularly transforming our understanding of all that has gone before.

Healing Chakras: Awaken Your Body's Energy System for Complete Health, Happiness, and Peace


Ilchi Lee - 2009
    When all seven Chakras are active and functioning optimally, we live a life of physical, mental, and spiritual health. Healing Chakras combines a deep underlying spiritual philosophy with a systemic chakra therapy method designed to activate, cleanse, balance, and integrate the individual Chakras in order to create a harmonious and holistic Chakra System. One of several factors that separate this book from other Chakra healing books is that the principles behind it are derived from The Heavenly Code, the 10,000-year-old sacred text of Korean-Asian tradition. Within its short 81-letter text, The Heavenly Code summarizes the eternal, universal truths about life, death, evolution, and completion. Also unique to Healing Chakras is the CD of chakra meditations, some involving chakra colors, as well as other energy sensitizing and activating exercises. It includes live music performed by the author himself using only instruments with natural sounds such as the flute, rain stick, Indian drums, and vibraphone, among others. Healing Chakras will enhance your physical and spiritual growth for years to come. Through this chakra therapy system you will: Improve your clarity of thought and oncentration Balance and stabilize your emotions and achieve inner peace Uncover your passion and compassion Reduce stress and anxiety and create a feeling of groundedness

Standing as Awareness: The Direct Path


Greg Goode - 2009
    If this truth is realized as your experience, then nothing need be done. The path disappears, and life is lived in sweetness and celebration! But if there are still questions or doubts, the Direct Path contains unique and powerful resources that stabilize this truth as your everyday reality. This is a revised edition of the book, expanded to add chapters on the Direct Path in addition to its selection of dialogs from a decade of "Nondual Dinner" gatherings. The first three chapters unfold the basics of the Direct Path, such as standing as awareness, being in love with awareness, and exploring awareness. Included are several experiments that help establish your everyday experience as awareness always and already. The dialogs cover questions such as the desire for enlightenment experiences, the relationship between the brain and awareness, the question of "nondually-correct" language, the belief in physical and mental objects, the idea of having a sage's experience, and more.

The Second Book of the Tao


Stephen Mitchell - 2009
    Following the phenomenal success of his own version of the Tao Te Ching, renowned scholar and translator Stephen Mitchell has composed the innovative The Second Book of the Tao. Drawn from the work of Lao-tzu’s disciple Chuang-tzu and Confucius’s grandson Tzussu, The Second Book of the Tao offers Western readers a path into reality that has nothing to do with Taoism or Buddhism or old or new alone, but everything to do with truth. Mitchell has selected the freshest, clearest teachings from these two great students of the Tao and adapted them into versions that reveal the poetry, depth, and humor of the original texts with a thrilling new power. Alongside each adaptation, Mitchell includes his own commentary, at once explicating and complementing the text. This book is a twenty-first-century form of ancient wisdom, bringing a new, homemade sequel to the Tao Te Ching into the modern world. Mitchell’s renditions are radiantly lucid; they dig out the vision that’s hiding beneath the words; they grab the text by the scruff of the neck—by its heart, really—and let its essential meanings fall out. The book introduces us to a cast of vivid characters, most of them humble artisans or servants, who show us what it means to be in harmony with the way things are. Its wisdom provides a psychological and moral acuity as deep as the Tao Te Ching itself.The Second Book of the Tao is a gift to contemporary readers, granting us access to our own fundamental wisdom. Mitchell’s meditations and risky reimagining of the original texts are brilliant and liberating, not least because they keep catching us off-guard, opening up the heavens where before we saw a roof. He makes the ancient teachings at once modern, relevant, and timeless.Listen to a special podcast with Stephen Mitchell:

The Pure Heart of Yoga: Ten Essential Steps for Personal Transformation


Robert J. Butera - 2009
    Perfect awareness. True beauty. Yoga is much more than just a physical activity. It is a conscious lifestyle that brings about a profound spiritual and personal transformation. This book on yoga invites you to experience yoga as the ancient masters intended it--a holistic way of life that unites the body, mind, and spirit for complete health and well-being.With clear instruction, Dr. Robert Butera guides you through ten steps on the path of yoga that are based on traditional yogic principles and practices, yet designed to fit seamlessly into your life. Yoga enthusiasts of all kinds will discover effective tools for creating a life of healthful beauty and inner peace.Understand the role of physical poses within the larger, holistic system of yoga Practice breathing techniques (pranayama), work with your energy centers (chakras), and develop your concentration Overcome psychological blocks, balance your emotions, and grow emotionally and spiritually Visit www.pureheartofyoga.com for free video clips of demonstrated yoga postures.Praise: "The Pure Heart of Yoga will bring increased depth to your yoga practice...It is an excellent book: thoughtful, reflective, deep, and accessible."--Eleanor Criswell, Ed.D., author of How Yoga Works"That he's able to instruct and inspire with a warm heart and skillful direction, without judgment or prejudice about the "style" or your yoga of choice, is good reason to believe this book will bring life to your practice."--Yoga Journal

Luminous Essence: A Guide To The Guhyagarbha Tantra


Jamgön Mipham - 2009
    An eclectic master, who was prominent in the nonsectarian movement that flourished, particularly in Eastern Tibet, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, his works are regarded as authoritative. I am pleased to know that great care has been taken in preparing this translation of Luminous Essence, Mipham Rinpoche's commentary on the Guhyagarbha Tantra, the root tantra which reveals mind and wisdom to be naturally manifest.

The Huainanzi


An Liu - 2009
    Outlining "all that a modern monarch needs to know," the text emphasizes rigorous self-cultivation and mental discipline, brilliantly synthesizing for readers past and present the full spectrum of early Chinese thought."The Huainanzi" locates the key to successful rule in a balance of broad knowledge, diligent application, and the penetrating wisdom of a sage. It is a unique and creative synthesis of Daoist classics, such as the "Laozi" and the "Zhuangzi"; works associated with the Confucian tradition, such as the "Changes," the "Odes," and the "Documents"; and a wide range of other foundational philosophical and literary texts from the "Mozi" to the "Hanfeizi."The product of twelve years of scholarship, this remarkable translation preserves "The Huainanzi"'s special rhetorical features, such as parallel prose and verse, and showcases a compositional technique that conveys the work's powerful philosophical appeal. This path-breaking volume will have a transformative impact on the field of early Chinese intellectual history and will be of great interest to scholars and students alike.

Master of the Three Ways: Reflections of a Chinese Sage on Living a Satisfying Life


Hung Ying-Ming - 2009
    The Unencumbered Spirit is his classic work, a tour de force offering wise words distilled through the fundamental teachings of Taoism, Confucianism and Zen Buddhism. Hung's poetic prose embodies the infinite transformations of the world's opposites, what the Chinese called yin and yang--good and evil, honesty and deception, wisdom and foolishness, heaven and hell. Wise, profound, spiritual, humorous, witty, and timeless, The Unencumbered Spirit is, in short, a book about putting greed and competition aside, about getting at the true, clear essence of things, free of distractions and encumbrances. It is a book about living without stuff, whether it be material, psychological, or spiritual. About living with simplicity and awareness. "It has been rare for one person to develop a thorough grasp of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, such is their profundity. But there have been a few. Among them, one person's work stands above the rest: namely, Hung Ying-ming's The Unencumbered Spirit. I can recommend this work to anyone interested in the way of the world's greatest sages, whose teachings can help us all to see into and to improve our own lives." Bill Porter (aka Red Pine), from the Foreword

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


Ronald B. Epstein - 2009
    Its appeal lies in the broad scope of its teachings and in the depth and clarity of its prescriptions for contemplative practice. Its wealth of theoretical and practical instruction in the spiritual life often made it the first major text to be studied by newly ordained monks, particularly in the Chan School. The new translation, prepared by members of the Buddhist Text Translation Society, is enhanced by excerpts from the commentary by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua (Xuanhua). For the Chinese sutra with pinyin romanization for pronunciation, see BTTS online, ISBN 0881394041.