Best of
Eastern-Philosophy

2011

Presence, Volume I: The Art of Peace and Happiness


Rupert Spira - 2011
    Causeless joy, imperturbable peace, love that knows no opposite, and freedom at the heart of all experience…this is your ever-present nature under all circumstances.

Presence, Volume II: The Intimacy of All Experience


Rupert Spira - 2011
    Experiencing is seamless and intimate, made of “knowing” or awareness alone. This intimacy, in which there is no room for selves, objects, or others, is love itself. It lies at the heart of all experience, completely available under all circumstances.

Love, Service, Devotion, and the Ultimate Surrender: Ram Dass on The Bhagavad Gita


Ram Dass - 2011
    In the summer of 1974, inside a balmy Boulder, Colorado, warehouse that served as the main hall of the fledgling Naropa Institute, some say that a minor miracle occurred: the reawakening of the Gita's living presence, as it unfolded in a series of wisdom teachings led by Ram Dass. With Love, Service, Devotion, and the Ultimate Surrender, you are invited to experience these legendary gatherings.The tale of the warrior Arjuna and his divine friend Krishna serves as metaphor for the recurring dilemmas that we encounter as we spiral into the depths of our spiritual journey. In these sessions, Ram Dass illuminates the Gita’s essential verses with insights spanning many traditions, from Rumi's ecstatic poetry to Basho's koans, from devotional chant to monastic silence, from Sri Ramana's self-inquiry to Saint Paul's devotion to Christ. The destination? A new perspective on the crucial moments of contradiction and questioning that all spiritual seekers must face again and again: If it's all Divine perfection, why bother with the search at all? Is it possible to awaken without a teacher or guru? Why am I experiencing these strange spiritual "gifts”? Will I get lost in their power? If I'm conscious and kind, why not indulge in all of life's pleasures? Since everyone suffers and dies, will my compassion ultimately matter?With irrepressible love and intellect (and a good dose of skillful mischief), this epic meeting with Ram Dass yields new answers with every revisit, like a lifelong friend that comes to meet us at each turning of our journey.Highlights:A 12-hour odyssey with Ram Dass into his timeless Yogas of the Bhagavad Gita Naropa sessionsThree ways to enter the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita• Karma yoga—reincarnation, dharma, service, sadhanas• Jnana yoga—inquiry, the critical mind, the koan• Mind, illusion, and Brahman• Sacrifice and mantra—trappings and benefits of ritual and form• Renunciation and purification—ashtanga yoga, kundalini, the chakras, austerities, the "witness," desire, sexual energy• Devotion and the guru—bhakti ("devotion"), surrender, siddhis ("powers"), Maharajji• Death and dying—What is born, what dies? How do you live in the present moment?

Essence of the Bhagavad Gita: A Contemporary Guide to Yoga, Meditation, and Indian Philosophy


Eknath Easwaran - 2011
    For Easwaran, the Gita’s epic battle represents the war in our own hearts and Arjuna’s anguish reflects the human condition: torn between opposing forces, confused about how to live. Sri Krishna’s timeless guidance, Easwaran argues, can shed light on our dilemmas today. Placing the Gita’s teachings in a modern context, Easwaran explores the nature of reality, the illusion of separateness, the search for identity, the meaning of yoga, and how to heal the unconscious. The key message of the Gita is how to resolve our conflicts and live in harmony with the deep unity of life, through the practice of meditation and spiritual disciplines. Sri Krishna doesn’t tell Arjuna what to do. He points out the prince’s choices, and then leaves it to Arjuna to decide. Easwaran shows us clearly how these teachings still apply — and how, like Arjuna, we must take courage and act wisely if we want our world to thrive.

The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu


Brian Browne Walker - 2011
    In the handful of pages that make up the Tao te Ching, there is an answer to each of life’s questions, a solution to every predicament, a balm for any wound. It is less a book than a living, breathing angel. Brian Browne Walker’s contemporary translations of Taoist classics have received high marks for their simplicity, clarity, and accessibility. This elegant ebook has been designed to mirror the beautiful look of the original paper edition, and will be a beloved companion for years to come.

Daoist Nei Gong: The Philosophical Art of Change


Damo Mitchell - 2011
    Based upon the original teachings of the great sage Laozi, it has only ever been taught to close students of the masters chosen as the heads of the ancient orders.This book provides a breakdown of the entire Nei Gong process, and explains in plain English the philosophy which underpins Nei Gong practice, and which is based on the original teachings of the ancient Daoist priests. The methodology of Sung breathing, an advanced meditative practice which has until now been reserved for 'inner-door' students is described, and the book contains an entire set of Qigong exercises accompanied by instructional photographs and drawings.This book will be of interest to all practitioners of Qi Gong, martial arts and meditation, and will be a rewarding read for anyone interested in Eastern philosophy.

Writing on Water


Mooji - 2011
    It is especially geared towards those with a fervour for deeper spiritual truths, awakening and enlightenment. Humanity's basic assumptions are being challenged. First and foremost among them is the 'I am the body' idea, which is the cause of suffering for mankind. What is special about these words presented here is that they tackle the truth from both vantage points: the absolute plane of existence and the practical aspect of daily living in this world.

A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices


Dudjom Rinpoche - 2011
    His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche’s commentary on the preliminary practices (ngöndro) is informed by his profound realization and wide-ranging scholarship, and illuminated with an array of quotations from the Vinaya, Sutra, and Tantra traditions. In addition to the commentary on the outer and inner preliminary practices, he provides other invaluable instructions on the correct view, conduct, and activity of a practitioner. Dudjom Rinpoche taught that the realization of the teachings of the Great Perfection depends entirely on the practice of these preliminary practices, thus his compassionate exposition of them here makes this book a particularly precious resource for anyone who seeks to remove the obstacles between themselves and the total freedom of enlightenment.

Tao: The State and the Art


Osho - 2011
    According to Osho, "Tao is no-method, simple spontaneity — living life according to nature with no fight." The 3000-year-old Taoist message of self-realization comes alive through the stories of these Chinese mystics. Osho describes Tao as "the pathless path" because, he says, it has a different quality, the quality of freedom, anarchy, and chaos.

The Wholehearted Way: A Translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa, With Commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi


Dōgen - 2011
    

A Clear Mirror: The Visionary Autobiography of a Tibetan Master


Dudjom Lingpa - 2011
    Dudjom Lingpa was a 19th century Tibetan visionary and Great Perfection master whose legacy of meditation teachings has swept across the world since his lifetime, due in part to the international presence of his re-incarnate successor, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche. Although the genre of biography is quite common in Tibetan Buddhism, this is unlike to anything yet translated into English.This is exactly what Dudjom Lingpa does in his trilogy of auto-biographies. Although he was brilliantly successful in his multi-faceted career as a teacher to incalculable remarkable disciples, a prolific writer with at least twenty-one extant volumes of composition that are still studied around the world, and a Treasure revealer in the teaching system unique to tantric Buddhism, his stories offer us something else. In this book we are shown the very thing that high lamas regard as most sacred and intimate: spiritual evolution via the lens of inner-most visionary life, cinematic in scope, filled with fascinating beings, both divine and demonic. Dudjom Lingpa grants readers access to his enlightenment process—from learning how to meditate up to the highest tantric practices—as only he could have experienced it. This book, filled with vivid and fascinating visions and dreamscapes, is replete with adventure as well as everyday meditation advice. Anyone interested in a revolutionary outlook on personal transformation will enjoy and benefit from these stories.

Jamgon Mipam: His Life and Teachings


Douglas S. Duckworth - 2011
    Monk, mystic, and brilliant philosopher, he shaped the trajectory of Tibetan Buddhism’s Nyingma school.  This introduction provides a most concise entrée to this great luminary’s life and work. The first section gives a general context for understanding this remarkable individual who, though he spent the greater part of his life in solitary retreat, became one of the greatest scholars of his age. Part Two gives an overview of Mipam’s interpretation of Buddhism, examining his major themes, and devoting particular attention to his articulation of the Buddhist conception of emptiness. Part Three presents a representative sampling of Mipam’s writings.

The Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje's Ocean of Certainty


Traleg Kyabgon - 2011
    Beginning with ngondro practice, Traleg Rinpoche guides students through the conditions needed to fully integrate the practice, along with instructions for shamata and vipashyana meditation, which includes visualizations and exercises. A section devoted to strengthening practice lays out common pitfalls and wrong views and how to avoid them. Finally, Rinpoche teaches the four yogas of Mahamudra one-pointedness nonconceptuality, one-flavoredness, and nonmeditation, and the ground, path, and fruition of Mahamudra in relation to the individual practitioner.

A Natural Approach to Mental Wellness


Gregg Krech - 2011
    Although a compact resource, this book overflows with the kind of information that can make an immediate difference in your day to day life. Using a skill-based approach to mental health, award-winning author Gregg Krech will guide you in evaluating your own mental health skills so that you can target and strengthen those areas that are limiting your life. Krech, one of the leading authorities on Japanese Psychology in North America, offers a refreshing alternative to the traditional western mental health paradigm. Using a truly holistic approach to mental health, this book addresses the emotional, practical and spiritual challenges that are common for so many of us. The principles are translated into exercises and practices that can easily integrate into your life, providing new direction and inspiration for your efforts to live well.

The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse Volumes 1-3


Dilgo Khyentse - 2011
    A complete exposition of the stages of the Buddhist path is presented through Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s commentaries on the root texts of classic Tibetan masters including Patrul Rinpoche, Jigme Lingpa, Shechen Gyaltsab, and Mipham Rinpoche. Originally given orally to Western students, the texts afford a rare glimpse into the direct transmissions of a master teacher. Moreover, several of the texts have never been published before. Students interested in the nine vehicles of Tibetan Buddhism will find here a complete array of enlightening instructions to inspire and guide them in a most authentic way.

The Encyclopedia of Yoga and Tantra: Over 2,500 Entries on the History, Philosophy, and Practice


Georg Feuerstein - 2011
    With over twenty-five hundred entries and extensive illustrations, it combines comprehensiveness with accessibility. The book is arranged and written in a manner that will inform rather than overwhelm the lay reader, while at the same time offering valuable references for the professional researcher and the historian of religion. This new edition includes information about contemporary Yoga teachers. It also provides fuller descriptions and illustrations of Yoga poses, and features additional cross references.