Best of
Zen

2017

The Other Shore: A New Translation of the Heart Sutra with Commentaries


Thich Nhat Hanh - 2017
      In September, 2014 Thich Nhat Hanh completed a profound and beautiful new English translation of the Prajñaparamita Heart Sutra, one of the most important and well-known sutras in Buddhism.   The Heart Sutra is recited daily in Mahayana temples and practice centers throughout the world. This new translation came about because Thich Nhat Hanh believes that the patriarch who originally compiled the Heart Sutra was not sufficiently skillful with his use of language to capture the intention of the Buddha's teachings—and has resulted in fundamental misunderstandings of the central tenets of Buddhism for almost 2,000 years.   In The Other Shore: A New Translation of the Heart Sutra with Commentaries, Thich Nhat Hanh provides the new translation with commentaries based on his interpretation. Revealing the Buddha's original intention and insight makes clear what it means to transcend duality and pairs of opposites, such as birth and death, and to touch the ultimate reality and the wisdom of nondiscrimination. By helping to demystify the term "emptiness," the Heart Sutra is made more accessible and understandable.   Prior to the publication of The Other Shore, Thich Nhat Hanh's translation and commentaries of the Heart Sutra, called The Heart of Understanding, sold more than 120,000 copies in various editions and is one of the most beloved commentaries of this critical teaching. This new book, The Other Shore, supersedes all prior translations.

Just So: An Odyssey Into the Cosmic Web of Connection, Play, and True Pleasure


Alan W. Watts - 2017
    From the 1950s to the 1970s, Eastern spiritual philosophies ignited in the West profound new ways of perceiving ourselves and the mysteries of life. And from the beginning, Alan Watts was at the forefront sparking insight after insight at live gatherings and radio broadcasts. Today, Alan Watts books and recordings bring perennial delight to new readers and listeners of all ages and beliefs. Here, the luminary author and speaker explores three often-overlooked yet essential universal dynamics: connection, play, and pleasure. This exceptional collection of sessions includes three complementary seminars: The Cosmic Network a journey into the interconnected web of the personal and the infiniteEcological Awareness reflections on how humanity and nature evolve through discovery and purposeless playThe Pursuit of Pleasure how a true materialism connects us fully through our senses with others and to the natural flow of the cosmos. Along the way, you ll explore many other themes, at turns humorous, prophetic, and more relevant today than ever. What unfolds is a liberating view of life that arises from possibility and the unpredictable perfect and just so not in spite of its messy imperfections, but because of them."

The Light That Shines Through Infinity: Zen and the Energy of Life


Dainin Katagiri - 2017
    From ancient times, the people of Asia have developed spiritual, medical, and martial art traditions based on the flow of universal energy as the life force (sometimes called chi). The teachings of Buddhism have acknowledged and incorporated this cosmic energy, which enlivens everything and interconnects everything yet depends on the impermanence of everything in order to function. Katagiri Roshi refers to it as the rhythm of life, and he suggests that connecting to the universal energy is essential to awakening, to dharma transmission, and to spiritual life in general. This book, assembled from his recorded talks, compiles a broad range of the master's Zen teachings as they relate to the idea of energy, in a way that applies directly to spiritual practice. It's divided into 5 parts: Life Force and Life, Practice and Enlightenment, Body and Mind, Wisdom and Compassion, Peace and Harmony. It's full of autobiographical bits and stories that bring the teaching to life and that convey some of Roshi's spirit.

It Came from Beyond Zen!: More Practical Advice from Dogen, Japan's Greatest Zen Master -- Vol. 2 of a Radical But Reverent Paraphrasing of Dogen's Treasury of the True Dharma Eye


Brad Warner - 2017
    That man was the Zen monk Eihei Dogen. For centuries his main work, the Shōbōgenzō, languished in obscurity, locked away in remote monasteries until scholars rediscovered it in the twentieth century. What took so long? In Brad Warner's view, Dogen was too ahead of his time to find an appreciative audience. As Warner writes, "He understood aspects of human nature that we take for granted today but that there weren't even words for in his time." In order to bring Dogen's work to a bigger audience in the West, Warner began paraphrasing the Shōbōgenzō, recasting it in simple, everyday language. The first part of this project resulted in Don't Be a Jerk, and now Warner presents this follow-up volume, It Came from Beyond Zen. Once again, Warner uses humor and pop-culture references to bridge the gap between past and present, making Dogen's words clearer and more relevant than ever before.

Ten Tales from Tibet: Cultivating Compassion


Lama Lhakpa Yeshe - 2017
    Quickly read it through then return again and again to slowly absorb the simple wisdom of the tales and be inspired by the stark soaring photographs of Tibet's landscape." - Cygnus Review Ten Tales from Tibet offers ten gentle, yet powerful, lessons exploring compassion, the very essence of Buddhism. A collection of poetic re-tellings distilled from ancient oral tradition, the stories have been specially chosen by Lama Lhakpa Yeshe because they demonstrate a beautiful wisdom in a simple, yet profound way, and teach us how to nurture the singular human quality that defines us all. Introduced by global peace and environment campaigner, Satish Kumar, a pupil of Lama Lhakpa Yeshe, and illustrated with photography by fellow Buddhist Matthieu Ricard, this is a beautifully crafted book and unique guide to opening our hearts and minds by cultivating compassion--helping others and ourselves--to find joy, peace, and happiness.

The Transmigrant


Kristi Saare Duarte - 2017
    In the year 8 AD, five-year-old Yeshua receives a visit from two mysterious strangers who predict he will bring a message of peace to the world. Oblivious of the prophecy, Yeshua grows up yearning to be a rabbi, but soon learns that it’s his duty and destiny to become a carpenter like his father.One day, when a Buddhist pilgrim tells Yeshua about a country called Sindh where anyone can be a monk, his hope is kindled. He joins a camel caravan and sets off on a thousand-mile journey across the Silk Road into the unknown. Along the way, he studies the teachings of the Buddha and Krishna and loses his virginity to a beautiful young widow in a secluded convent. Upon returning to Palestine after nearly twenty years, he finds a country tormented by the Romans who perceive him as a dangerous rebel. THE TRANSMIGRANT is a spiritual, alternative novel about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Inspired both by ancient scriptures and relatively new findings, such as Russian traveler Nicolas Notovitch's 1894 book "The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ." It is a remarkable tale of self-discovery and a reflection on the lengths to which a man will go to be admired, accepted, and, ultimately, loved.

I Am Through You So I


Brother David Steindl-Rast - 2017
    Beginning with his childhood in Vienna, he describes his time in World War II and his years as a student after the war, his family's emigration to the US and his entry into the then newly founded Benedictine monastery in the state of New York. There, he soon began looking for what were then still untrodden spiritual paths with undiscovered entryways to non-Christian religions. He became particularly involved in the dialogue between Christianity and Buddhism, founding the "Center for Spiritual Studies" in 1968, together with Rabbis, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. His work encouraging dialogue between religions earned him the 1975 Martin Buber Award. Still traveling on occasion to teach or write, Brother David is now living in a Benedictine monastery in Europe. Mysticism is his mission--but not a mysticism devoid of connection to the world. His is a mysticism of the everyday, of life immediate in the now, of experiencing fully. He is convinced that God's spirit speaks in and to us all. Unparalleled: unique biography of one of the most significant spiritual teachers and global guest speakers, +

Be Still and Know: Zen and the Bible


Ruben Habito - 2017
    A treasure for all seekers, Christian and otherwise.

Find Your True Fork


Jeff Krasno - 2017
    Find Your True Fork answers all the questions you have about eating a healthy, whole foods diet, explaining how to start an urban garden, providing composting techniques, and demystifying biodynamic agriculture. It's the definitive guide to developing a closer connection to what you eat.With the help of an all-star cast of chefs and wellness influencers that contribute expert advice, the book has yummy recipes for vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, and everything in between. Being conscious about what we put in our bodies is a cornerstone of living a balanced life, and with Find Your True Fork you can take that passion for healthy living off the mat and onto the plate.

Treasury of the Eye of True Teaching: volume I


Thomas Cleary - 2017
    Treasury of the Eye of True Teaching is a classic of Chan Buddhism, a massive compilation of speeches, stories, dialogues, poems, and commentaries extracted from Chan lore, representing teaching material used by the famous master Dahui (1089-1167).