this is one of those rare books that will change your beliefs - and in doing so will change your life. tHE ANt AND tHE FERRARI offers readers a clear, navigable path through the big questions that confront us all today. What is the meaning of life? Can we be ethical beings in today's world? Can we know if there is life after death? Is there such a thing as Absolute truth? What caused the Big Bang and why should you care?

    It’s also a philosophy that’s allowed Al to sculpt a magnificent physique—while maintaining an ever-burning passion to further develop his calisthenic excellence.Al’s “secret sauce”? A Zen-like attitude to physical cultivation—which marries intense focus with a light-hearted “joy-in-the-journey.” Zen-like too, is Al’s insistence on intuitive simplicity and his celebration of personal, direct experience as the most trustworthy teacher.Zen Mind, Strong Body culls 26 of Al’s favorite articles, elaborating his position on a wide spectrum of fitness subjects from diet and supplements, to machines and free weights, to cardio options, to mental training. For Al, though, all roads finally lead to Bodyweight Exercise—as the supreme path for all-around, everyday athleticism and practical functionality.Want what Al Kavadlo has? Absorb the hard-earned, earthy training wisdom in Zen Mind, Strong Body—and you will be on your way.Discover:•How to put the fun back into your fitness—instead of treating your workouts as a chore…•How to combine “presence” and joy—for a deeper, more rewarding training experience…•How “light heart” translates to “heavy payload”—when it comes to spectacular, long-term physical gains…•How to infuse “warrior spirit” into your body-mind—and attain the calisthenic ideal of physical excellence…•How to recruit the power of the “Big 3”—Experience, Logic and Intuition—as your preferred allies in the battle against weakness, fatness, slowness and tiredness…•Why to beware of the “Tricky 3”—Dogma, Faith and Science”—when it comes to wise practice in diet and exercise…•The empowering secret of “open-ended” program design—to free you from the shackles and restrictions of one-size-fits-all fitness shibboleths…•The key differences between gymnastics and calisthenics—when considering your optimal goals for physical development…•How to make impressive gains year-after-year—while staying off the “injured reserve” list…•How to marry fun and function—for athletic longevity and enhanced well being…•How to use your mind to manifest what you choose—including the body of your dreams...•The “Specificity Principle”—and the direct approach to getting better and better and better…•The hows and whys of building strength without mass—when whipcord-functionality is your goal…•The #1 factor to consider in practicing strength as a skill—it’s the difference between longterm success and the also-rans…•What “business” you need to focus on first—if being a lean ‘n mean machine is what you want…•Why “subtle nuance” can be more important than “gross motor”—when developing supreme movement skills…•The 5 major levels of bodyweight strength—so you know where you stand in the chain of greatness…•The 4 best bodyweight drills to emulate the benefits of the traditional deadlift—when you don’t want to bother with a barbell…•The

    Burned out, laid up with back problems, disillusioned by relationships and religion itself, he was still hoping for that big journalistic break—and the answers to life’s biggest riddles as well. So he set out on a geographic, historical and personal expedition that would lead him around the world in search of those answers, and then some.First, to better understand the man who was born Prince Siddhartha Gautama, he followed the time-honored pilgrimage “in the footsteps of the Buddha” in India. From there, he tracked the historical course of Buddhism: to Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Tibet, Japan and on to San Francisco and Europe. He found that the Buddha’s teachings have spawned a worldwide movement of “engaged Buddhism,” the application of Buddhist principles to resolve social, environmental, health, political and other contemporary problems. From East to West and back to the East again, this movement has caused a Buddhism Boom. Along the way he met a diverse array of Buddhist practitioners—Thai artists, Indian nuns, Sri Lankan school children, Zen archers in Japan, kung fu monks in China and the world’s first Buddhist comic (only in America). Among dozens of Buddhist scholars and leaders, Garfinkel interviewed His Holiness the Dalai Lama, an experience that left him speechless—almost. As just reward for his efforts, toward the end of his journey Garfinkel fell in love in the south of France at the retreat center of a leader of the engaged movement, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh—a romance that taught him as much about Buddhism as all the masters combined. In this original, entertaining book, Garfinkel separates Buddhist fact from fiction, sharing his humorous insights and keen perceptions about everything from spiritual tourism to Asian traffic jams to the endless road to enlightenment.From the Hardcover edition.

    Street Zen follows Dorsey from his days as a female impersonator to the LSD experiences that set him on the spiritual path. In 1989, after 20 years of Zen practice, he became abbot of San Francisco's Hartford Street Zen Center, where he founded a hospice for AIDS patients. Street Zen draws on interviews David Schneider conducted with Dorsey before his death in 1990 and parallels their nearly 20-year friendship.

    The director of two feature films with Buddhist themes (the international sensation The Cup and Travelers and Magicians), this provocative teacher, artist, and poet is widely known and admired by Western Buddhists.Moving away from conventional presentations of Buddhist teachings, Khyentse challenges readers to make sure they know what they're talking about before they claim to be Buddhist. With wit and irony, Khyentse urges readers to move beyond the superficial trappings of Buddhism beyond a romance with beads, incense, and exotic people in robes straight to the heart of what the Buddha taught.In essence, this book explains what a Buddhist really is, namely, someone who deeply understands the truth of impermanence and how our emotions can trap us in cycles of suffering. Khyentse presents the fundamental tenets of Buddhism in simple language, using examples we can all relate to.

    The inner critic might feel overpowering, but it can be managed effectively. Meditation teacher and therapist Mark Coleman helps readers understand and free themselves from the inner critic using the tools of mindfulness and compassion. Each chapter offers constructive insights into what creates, drives, and disarms the critic; real people’s journeys to inspire and guide readers; and simple practices anyone can use to live a free, happy, and flourishing life.

    Part inspiration, part information narrative for our story is based on walking meditation, also known as mindful walking; an active practice thatrequires you to be consciously aware and moving in the environment rather than sitting with your eyes closed.Just as The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo's mega-selling book (over 4 million copies soldworldwide) provides readers with a life/spiritual philosophy embedded in the how-to of minimalism (with practical tips for de-cluttering of one's home), A Walk in the Wood provides a narrative grounded in the simple act of slowing down, observing what is around us, and being present.Appealing to adults who are actively searching ways to join the JOMO movement (Joy of Missing Out and beingcontent just "being"), A Walk in the Wood also makes for a perfect gift for stressed-out family membersand friends.

    Trust Yourself All that you need for growth and guidance 
in life is already present inside you.2. As You Sow, You Will Reap Your thoughts and actions shape your character, 
and your character determines your destiny.3. Nothing Outside You Can Harm YouCircumstances and events don't matter 
as much as how you deal with them.4. The Universe Is Inside You
The world around you is a reflection of the world within you.5. Identify with the InfiniteCenter your identity on the soul 
and your life's purpose will unfold.6. Live in the Present The present moment is your point of power. Eternity is now.7. Seek God WithinThe highest revelation is the divinity of the soul.

    Through explorations of the three pillars of Zen--teaching, practice, and enlightenment--Roshi Philip Kapleau presents a comprehensive overview of the history and discipline of Zen Buddhism.  An established classic, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs, as well as a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede, who has succeeded Philip Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center, one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States.

    For many years Powers's nearly 600-page Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism has served as the field's most authoritative and comprehensive overview of Tibet's distinctive Buddhist tradition. A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism explains the core Buddhist doctrines and the practices of meditation and tantra and provides a survey of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

    In this elegant, authoritative, and entirely accessible book, he sets out to answer these questions. Although meditation is a lifelong process even for the wisest, Why Meditate? demonstrates that by practicing it on a daily basis we can change our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. In this brilliant short book and the accompanying audio download, Ricard talks us through the theory, spirituality, and practical aspects of meditation. He illustrates each stage of his teaching with examples, leading readers deeper into their own practice. Through his experience as a monk, his close reading of sacred texts, and his deep knowledge of the Buddhist masters, Ricard shows the significant benefits that meditation, based on selfless love and compassion, can bring to each of us.

    Sophisticated without being daunting, brilliantly clear without becoming simplistic, Andrew Olendzki's writing is filled with rich phrases, remarkable images, and the fruits of decades of careful thought. Grounded in profound scholarship, psychological sophistication, and many years of teaching and personal practice, this much-anticipated collection of essays will appeal to anyone looking to gain a richer understanding of Buddhism's experiential tools for exploring the inner world. In Unlimiting Mind, Olendzki provokes fresh and familiar reflections on core Buddhist teachings.

    Twenty-five centuries later, humans have transformed everything about our world—except our brains, which remain the same powerful yet flawed instruments possessed by our ancestors. What if the solution we seek to the psychological problems of life in the digital age—distraction, anxiety, addiction, loss of deep meaning—had already been worked out by the Buddha in ancient India? Appealing to readers of Eastern wisdom and Jon Kabat-Zinn, as well as to fans of bestsellers by Oliver Sacks and Malcolm Gladwell, acclaimed science writer and practicing Buddhist James Kingsland reveals how scientists are now unlocking the remarkable secrets of Siddhartha’s brain.Moving effortlessly between science and scripture, Kingsland charts Siddhartha’s spiritual journey and explains how new research by leading neuroscientists and clinical psychologists—many of whom are interviewed in these pages—suggests that mindfulness practice reconfigures our brains to make us sharper, smarter, healthier, and happier, and that it can help treat stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, hypertension, and substance abuse. There have even been hints that meditation can enhance immune function, slow cellular aging, and keep dementia at bay. Featuring six guided meditations, Siddhartha’s Brain is a practical and inspiring odyssey of mind and spirit.“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.”—Siddhartha

    “For years,” says the Journal of the Buddhist Society, “the newcomer to Buddhism has lacked a simple and reliable introduction to the complexities of the subject. Dr. Rahula’s What the Buddha Taught fills the need as only could be done by one having a firm grasp of the vast material to be sifted. It is a model of what a book should be that is addressed first of all to ‘the educated and intelligent reader.’ Authoritative and clear, logical and sober, this study is as comprehensive as it is masterly.”This edition contains a selection of illustrative texts from the Suttas and the Dhammapada (specially translated by the author), sixteen illustrations, and a bibliography, glossary and index.

    Explores Tibetan Buddhism as part of a spiritual and physical journey to Mount Kailash, holiest of the Himalayan mountains, to reach sacred graveyards, majestic monasteries, and meditation caves.