Download or read book Endless Vow written by Soen Nakagawa and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 1996-06-11 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Endless Vow is the first English-language collection of the literary works of Soen Nakagawa Roshi. An intimate, in-depth portrait of the master of Eido Tai Shimano, his Dharma heir, introduces the poems, letters, journal entries, and other writings of Soen Roshi, which are illustrated with his calligraphies. In a postscript, some of his best-known American students—including Peter Matthiessen and Ruth McCandless—reminisce about this legendary figure of American Buddhist history.
Download or read book Endless Path written by Rafe Martin and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2011-03-15 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ***WINNER, 2011 Storytelling World Resource Award – Best Storytelling Collection The jataka tales—stories of the Buddha’s past lives (in both human and animal form)—were first said to have been told by the Buddha himself 2,500 years ago. Five hundred and fifty jataka tales comprise part of the oldest Buddhist text, the Pali Canon. From this wealth of folklore, award-winning author and storyteller Rafe Martin has chosen ten tales that illustrate the ideals of the Buddhist paramitas, or “perfections” of character: giving, morality, forbearance, vitality, focused meditation, wisdom, compassionate skillful means, resolve, strength, and knowledge. Artist and designer Richard Wehrman helps bring the spirit of these stories alive with rich illustrations that open each chapter. Endless Path presents these ancient stories, usually reduced to children’s tales in the West, for adults, reconnecting modern seekers with the more imaginative roots of Buddhism. The jatakas help readers see their own lives, their failures and renewed efforts, in the same light as the challenges the Buddha faced—not as obstacles but as opportunities for developing character and self-understanding. Endless Path demonstrates the relevance of these tales to Buddhist lay practitioners today, as well as to those more broadly interested in Buddhist teaching and the ancient art of storytelling.
Download or read book Living by Vow written by Shohaku Okumura and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-06-26 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Sot Zen priest and Dharma successor of Kosho Uchiyama Roshi explores eight of Zen's most essential and universal liturgical texts and explains how the chants in these works support meditation and promote a life of freedom and compassion.
Download or read book Hooked written by Stephanie Kaza and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2005-02-08 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At one time or another, most of us have experienced an all-consuming desire for a material object, a desire so strong that it seems like we couldn't possibly be happy without buying this thing. Yet, when we give in to this impulse, we often find ourselves feeling frustrated and empty. Advertisers, of course, aim to hook us in this way, and, from a global perspective, our tendency to get hooked fuels the rampant over-consumption that is having a devastating impact on the world's stability and on the environment. According to the contributors to this unique anthology, Buddhism can shed valuable light on our compulsions to consume. Craving and attachment—how they arise and how to free ourselves of them—are central themes of Buddhist thought. The writings in this volume, most of which have never been previously published, offer fresh perspectives and much-needed correctives to our society's tendency to believe that having more will make us happier. Hooked! includes a range of writings on how to apply Buddhist thought and ethics to understand and combat the problem of over-consumption as individuals and collectively. Contributors include popular Western teachers, Asian masters, scholars, and practitioners such as: • Pema Chödrön—on what is actually happening at the moment we're "hooked," and how to get beyond that. • Joseph Goldstein—on how mindfulness training can help us stop "wanting to want." • Bhikshuni Thubten Chödrön—on how consumer mentality influences spiritual practice. • Judith Simmer-Brown—on how cultivating spiritually based activism and compassionate action can help us address the negative effects of consumerism. • Rita Gross—on how understanding moderation can curb overconsumption. • Santikaro Bhikkhu—on practicing generosity in a consumer world.
Download or read book The Vow Powered Life written by Jan Chozen Bays and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2016-01-19 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A vow is like a GPS system for your life. When taken on mindfully it can be a source of surprising wisdom and powerful energy, enabling you to accomplish things you never dreamed possible. It can have profound effects even beyond the original intention—and it can even live on after you’re gone. A vow can be as small as the aspiration to smile at someone at least once every day, or it can be as big as marriage; it can be as personal as deciding to be mindful whenever you pick up the phone, or it can be as universal as a commitment to save all sentient beings. But whatever its inspiration, when it’s done with conscious intention a vow becomes a conduit for the energy of your life. In this guide to the vow-directed life, Jan Chozen Bays provides a wealth of practical exercises to use for formulating and implementing vows of your own and for using them to navigate your life with honesty and compassion.
Download or read book Zen Master Who written by James Ishmael Ford and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006-10-20 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Surprisingly little has been written about how Zen came to North America. "Zen Master Who?" does that and much more. Author James Ishmael Ford, a renowned Zen master in two lineages, traces the tradition's history in Asia, looking at some of its most important figures -- the Buddha himself, and the handful of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese masters who gave the Zen school its shape. It also outlines the challenges that occurred as Zen became integrated into western consciousness, and the state of Zen in North America today. The author includes profiles of modern Zen teachers and institutions, including D. T. Suzuki and Alan Watts, and such topics as the emergence of liberal Buddhism, and Christians, Jews, and Zen. This engaging, accessible book is aimed at anyone interested in this tradition but who may not know how to start. Most importantly, it clarifies a great and ancient tradition for the contemporary seeker.
Download or read book Strangers on the Shore written by Albert B. Randall and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2006 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the world's major religions differ in their beliefs, they share common spiritual values. Although Christians and Muslims disagree about the divinity of Jesus, the New Testament and the Qur'an affirm a common set of spiritual virtues that are also found in Hinduism and Buddhism. For Christians, the fundamental spiritual virtues are most memorably stated in the Beatitudes that begin the Sermon on the Mount. Strangers on the Shore explores the virtues in the Beatitudes as they are expressed in the New Testament, the Muslim Qur'an, the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, and the writings and traditions of Buddhism.
Download or read book The Transformation of American Religion The Story of a Late Twentieth Century Awakening written by Amanda Porterfield Professor of Religious Studies University of Wyoming and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2001-04-05 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As recently as a few decades ago, most people would have described America as a predominantly Protestant nation. Today, we are home to a colorful mix of religious faiths and practices, from a resurgent Catholic Church and a rapidly growing Islam to all forms of Buddhism and many other non-Christian religions. How did this startling transformation take place? A great many factors contributed to this transformation, writes Amanda Porterfield in this engaging look at religion in contemporary America. Religious activism, disillusionment with American culture stemming from the Vietnam war, the influx of Buddhist ideas, a heightened consciousness of gender, and the vastly broadened awareness of non-Christian religions arising from the growth of religious studies programs--all have served to undermine Protestant hegemony in the United States. But the single most important factor, says Porterfield, was the very success of Protestant ways of thinking: emphasis on the individual's relationship with God, tension between spiritual life and religious institutions, egalitarian ideas about spiritual life, and belief in the practical benefits of spirituality. Distrust of religious institutions, for instance, helped fuel a religious counterculture--the tendency to define spiritual truth against the dangers or inadequacies of the surrounding culture--and Protestantism's pragmatic view of spirituality played into the tendency to see the main function of religion as therapeutic. For anyone interested in how and why the American religious landscape has been so dramatically altered in the last forty years, The Transformation of Religion in America offers a coherent and persuasive analysis.
Download or read book Like a Dream Like a Fantasy written by Nyogen Senzaki and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2005-08-31 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just as D.T. Suzuki introduced the West to Zen philosophy, Nyogen Senzaki introduced the West to Zen practice. One of the first Zen masters to emigrate from Japan to the United States, Senzaki became the first great Buddhist teacher to fully immerse himself in the everyday life of the West, and his teachings and practice-centers influences a generation of Western Zen practitioners. "Like a Dream, Like a Fantasy" offers an intimate, in-depth look at one of Zen's earliest American teachers. The book features over 40 separate pieces, including essential talks, essays, and poetry. These works not only offer instruction in Zen, but also reveal Senzaki as a man and provide a rare look into the pioneer days of Zen in America. A striking collection that resonates both as a chronicle and a companion, "Like a Dream, Like a Fantasy" is a powerful and informative title that sparkles with numerous treasures.
Download or read book written by Jeffrey M. Brooks and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2002-11-01 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "An unforgettable account, crackling with energy and full of heart, of how one man discovers the twin worlds of the martial arts and Buddhist practice. This is the kind of book that can change your life." -- Philip Zaleski, Editor of The Best Spiritual Writing series, author of Gifts of the Spirit and The Recollected Heart
Download or read book Original Nature written by Mary Farkas and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2012-04-20 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Original Nature is the historic translation and commentary on the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch of Chinese Zen by America's first Zen Master, Sokei-an Sasaki (1882-1945). Finally available, 75 years after its completion, Sokei-an considered the Sixth Patriach's message an essential foundation for the transmission of Zen to America "I think the Sixth Patriarch never dreamed that his record... would be explained to Westerners in New York... I feel that I am in a valley between huge mountains, and that the ancient simple minded woodcutters, fisherman, monks and nuns who are living in the mountains have come to the place where they always make their gatherings, and that I am one of them now..."
Download or read book The Intimate Way of Zen written by James Ishmael Ford and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2024-07-23 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An intimate mystery encompasses you and tugs upon your heart—what does it mean to follow that tug across the arc of a spiritual life? Reflecting out of more than fifty years of practice in Zen Buddhism, Unitarian Universalism, and other contemplative traditions, James Ishmael Ford invites us into a journey through life's mysteries and the stages of spiritual development. Lightly structured by the archetypal Buddhist oxherding images, Ford’s exploration is rooted in the Zen way while being deeply enriched by various strains of world mysticism. The book, sprinkled with insights and quotes from Buddhist, Daoist, and Christian traditions, serves as a map and a companion to spiritual seekers or pilgrims—whether within one religious tradition or cobbling together a way of one’s own. “Here is the most natural of all natural experiences,” writes Ford. “In the midst of our suffering, our longing, our desperation, we capture a glimpse. Something touches us. And with that, if we are lucky and really notice some movement of some spirit within us, we turn our attention to the intimate way.”
Download or read book Big Sky Mind written by Carole Tonkinson and published by Penguin. This book was released on 1995-09-01 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essays, poems, photographs, and letters explore the link between Buddhism and the Beats--with previously unpublished material from several beat writers, including Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder, and Diane diPrima.
Download or read book Seeds for a Boundless Life written by Zenkei Blanche Hartman and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2015-08-25 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Zenkei Blanche Hartman is an American Zen legend. A teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki, author of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, she was the first female abbot of an American Zen center. She is greatly revered, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she has lived and taught for many years. This, her long-awaited first book, is a collection of short teachings taken from her talks on the subject of boundlessness—the boundlessness that sees beyond our small, limited self to include all others. To live a boundless life she encourages living the vows prescribed by the Buddha and living life with the curiosity of a child. The short, stand-alone pieces can be dipped into whenever one is in need of inspiration.
Download or read book No Nonsense Zen for Beginners written by Jason Quinn and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Live mindfully through Zen Buddhism What is Zen? Are there different types? How can you make it part of everyday life? No-Nonsense Zen for Beginners offers an easy starting point to living more intentionally through Zen. Starting with the basics—like what Zen is and how it spread across the globe—experienced Zen instructor Jason Quinn teaches and explores how anyone can use it to live a life filled with more clarity, love, and compassion. Go beyond other meditation books with: A four-part approach—Take things one step at a time as you learn about the history of Zen, important concepts, core teachings, and essential practices. Straightforward Q&A—Understand the basics of Zen with a simple format that breaks information down into easy, digestible questions and answers. Everyday Zen—Find stories and guidance that show how the principles of Zen can help bring peace in day-to-day life. Learn to live more intentionally through Zen thanks to this no-nonsense guide.
Download or read book RUMPA RAY GHOSH written by Williamsji Maveli and published by Authors Click Publishing . This book was released on 2024-08-07 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rumpa Ray Ghosh, a luminary residing in Mumbai, India, is a powerhouse of artistic talent. From captivating poetry to mesmerizing dance moves, and a fervent love for music, she embodies versatility. As the esteemed editor of all works penned by Author Williamsji Maveli, her influence in the literary world is profound. The tribute book, "Rumpa Ray Ghosh - A Complete Artist," celebrates her remarkable contributions. Delve into the captivating journey of a poet, content creator, blogger, and fitness enthusiast. Born in Kolkata, her Bengali roots run deep, yet her experiences across various Indian cities enrich her artistic palette.
Download or read book The Tao of Elvis written by David H. Rosen and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2013-11-01 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Inner Man vs The Mythical King With a scholar's mind and an Elvis-fan's heart, eminent psychiatrist and Jungian analyst Dr David H. Rosen illuminates both the inner Elvis and the myth of Elvis in popular culture. An inspirational, perceptive, personal and truly innovative exploration of Elvis, a rock and roll idol who was a deeply spiritual being, well beyond his well-known gospel and blues singing. The Tao of Elvis includes essays by two New York Times Best-Selling Authors: Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life, contributes a foreword in which he asks pivotal questions about the parallel destinies of Elvis and America. Clarissa Pinkola Estes, author of Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, has contributed a free-wheeling afterword passionately expressing how Elvis's "beautiful flame of life" rocked the post-war world, and rocks her still. Forty-two chapters representing the forty-two years of Elvis's life contain perceptive and inspiring quotations from the world's most perceptive thinkers, as well as from the people who knew Elvis best. In a most readable fashion, Rosen unites the varied voices into each chapter's theme: Tao Opposites Child Mother Father Family and Friends Spirit, Soul, and Religion Love Music and Song Grace and Gentleness Darkness, Sorrow, and Sadness Light, Fire and Passion Dreams Giving and Generosity Alone and Loneliness Twinning and Pairing Man of Tao Innocence and Play Knowledge and Wisdom Image (Persona and Shadow) Truth and Truth of Character Happiness and Joy Virtue Beauty Nature and Water Work (Business) Transcendence and Transformation Success and Failure Home (Graceland) King Pain and Suffering Harmony and Balance Prisoner and Freedom Destiny Meditation and Health Madness and Illness Compassion and Forgiveness Mirror Purpose and Meaning Prayer and Sacrifice Death and Rebirth Spiritual Wholeness The Tao of Elvis is fully illustrated with Chinese papercut-inspired artwork by Diane Katz and includes a the artist's annotations for each chapter, and thorough Notes and Bibliography.
