Download or read book Sitting with Koans written by John Daido Loori and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-06-04 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Zen tradition has just two main meditative practices: shikantaza, or "just sitting"; and introspection guided by the powerful Zen teaching stories called koans. Following in the tradition of The Art of Just Sitting (endorsed as a "A book we have needed for a long, long time"), this new anthology from John Daido Loori illuminates the subtle practice of koan study from many different points of view. Includes writings by: Robert Aitken William Bodiford Robert Buswell Roko Sherry Chayat Francis Dojun Cook Eihei Dogen Heinrich Dumoulin Hakuin Ekaku Victor Sogen Hori Keizan Jokin Philip Kapleau Chung-fen Ming-Pen Taizan Maezumi Dennis Genpo Merzel Soen Nakagawa Ruth Fuller Sasaki Sokei-an Sasaki Nyogen Senzaki Zenkei Shibayama Eido Shimano Philip Yampolsky Hakuun Yasutani Wayne Yokoyama Katsushiro Yoshizawa
Download or read book Introduction to Zen Koans written by James Ishmael Ford and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-06-05 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An indispensible guide to koans, teaching the reader about the importance of lineage, the practice of “just sitting,” and koan practice as paths to awakening. “This marvelous book opens the treasure house of Zen and yet, happily, does not dispel its mystery. James Ford, an excellent storyteller and longtime Zen practitioner, presents a detailed and beautiful description of the craft of zazen, including “just sitting” and various forms of breath meditation—but focuses primarily on koan introspection. The power of koans, these 'public cases' from China, has never ceased to enrich my own experience of Zen. They are a medium of exploration of the history, culture, and view of Zen, but most importantly are a medium of awakening. James Ford is fundamentally a koan person, and for this, the book is particularly rich, opening the practice of koans in a splendid way. I am grateful for his long experience as a teacher and practitioner of this rare and powerful practice. Since the word koan has found its way into popular English usage, I am grateful too for the more nuanced and fertile view of koans that Ford presents. His definition of the word is telling: “a koan points to something of deep importance, and invites us to stand in that place.” He has also has created a wonderful translation of the Heart Sutra, Zen’s central scripture—and carefully opens up the heart of the Heart Sutra through scholarship and practice. Rich in textual sources and woven throughout with the perspectives of contemporary teachers, Introduction to Zen Koans sheds new light on ancient teachings. Through it, the reader will discover the importance of lineage, the traceless traces of the Zen ancestors, and the places of “just sitting” and koan practice as paths to awakening, as the great doorways into Zen.” —from the foreword by Joan Halifax
Download or read book The Art of Just Sitting written by John Daido Loori and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2005-06-10 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shikantaza--or "just sitting"--is one of the simplest, most subtle forms of meditation, and one of the most easily misunderstood. This peerless volume brings together a wealth of writings, from the Buddha himself to Bodhidharma and Dogen and many of modern Zen Buddhism's most influential masters, all pointing directly to the heart of this powerful practice. Edited by one of America's pre-eminent Zen teachers, this book is a rich resource for wisdom seekers and scholars alike.
Download or read book The Gateless Gate written by Koun Yamada and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2005-06-10 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Gateless Gate, one of modern Zen Buddhism's uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the Mumonkan, one of Zen's greatest collections of teaching stories. This translation was compiled with the Western reader in mind, and includes Koan Yamada's clear and penetrating comments on each case. Yamada played a seminal role in bringing Zen Buddhism to the West from Japan, going on to be the head of the Sanbo Kyodan Zen Community. The Gateless Gate would be invaluable if only for the translation and commentary alone, yet it's loaded with extra material and is a fantastic resource to keep close by: An in-depth Introduction to the History of Zen Practice Lineage charts Japanese-to-Chinese and Chinese-to-Japanese conversion charts for personal names, place names, and names of writings Plus front- and back-matter from ancient and modern figures: Mumon, Shuan, Kubota Ji'un, Taizan Maezumi, Hugo Enomiya-Lasalle, and Yamada Roshi's son, Masamichi Yamada. A wonderful inspiration for the koan practitioner, and for those with a general interest in Zen Buddhism.
Download or read book Sound Of 1 Hand written by Out Of Print and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 1975-12-17 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When The Sound of the One Hand came out in Japan in 1916 it caused a scandal. Zen was a secretive practice, its wisdom relayed from master to novice in strictest privacy. That a handbook existed recording not only the riddling koans that are central to Zen teaching but also detailing the answers to them seemed to mark Zen as rote, not revelatory. For all that, The Sound of the One Hand opens the door to Zen like no other book. Including koans that go back to the master who first brought the koan teaching method from China to Japan in the eighteenth century, this book offers, in the words of the translator, editor, and Zen initiate Yoel Hoffmann, the clearest, most detailed, and most correct picture of Zen that can be found. What we have here is an extraordinary introduction to Zen thought as lived thought, a treasury of problems, paradoxes, and performance that will appeal to artists, writers, and philosophers as well as Buddhists and students of religion."
Download or read book The Book of Mu written by James Ishmael Ford and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-05 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the Zen principle of mu and presents the writings of over forty teachers on the practice of mu.
Download or read book Bring Me the Rhinoceros written by John Tarrant and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2008-11-11 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A provocative and playful exploration of the Zen koan tradition that reveals how everyday paradoxes are an integral part of our spiritual journey Bring Me the Rhinoceros is an unusual guide to happiness and a can opener for your thinking. For fifteen hundred years, Zen koans have been passed down through generations of masters, usually in private encounters between teacher and student. This book deftly retells more than a dozen traditional koans, which are partly paradoxical questions dangerous to your beliefs and partly treasure boxes of ancient wisdom. Koans show that you don’t have to impress people or change into an improved, more polished version of yourself. Instead you can find happiness by unbuilding, unmaking, throwing overboard, and generally subverting unhappiness. Author and Zen teacher John Tarrant brings the heart of the koan tradition out into the open, reminding us that the old wisdom remains as vital as ever, a deep resource available to anyone in any place or time.
Download or read book Zen Koans written by Steven Heine and published by Dimensions of Asian Spirituali. This book was released on 2014-09-30 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Koans, such as What is the sound of one hand clapping and Does a dog have Buddha-nature? are concise, confusing and often contradictory sayings expressed by ancient masters that serve as the centerpiece of Zen Buddhist learning and training on several levels. First, Koans form the central component of a remarkable body of literature contained in voluminous collections produced in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. These works include various styles of elegant poetic and eloquent prose commentaries on cryptic dialogues. The Koan compilations were greatly influenced by one of the high points in the distinguished history of the literary tradition in East Asia. The texts appealed to intellectuals in China, Japan and Korea, who sought spiritual fulfillment through interpreting elaborate rhetoric related to mysterious metaphysical exchanges.
Download or read book Nothing Is Hidden written by Barry Magid and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-09-16 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this inspiring and incisive offering, Barry Magid uses the language of modern psychology and psychotherapy to illuminate one of Buddhism's most powerful and often mysterious technologies: the Zen koan. What's more, Magid also uses the koans to expand upon the insights of psychology (especially self psychology and relational psychotherapy) and open for the reader new perspectives on the functioning of the human mind and heart. Nothing Is Hidden explores many rich themes, including facing impermanence and the inevitability of change, working skillfully with desire and attachment, and discovering when "surrender and submission" can be liberating and when they shade into emotional bypassing. With a sophisticated view of the rituals and teachings of traditional Buddhism, Magid helps us see how we sometimes subvert meditation into just another "curative fantasy" or make compassion into a form of masochism.
Download or read book The Book of Equanimity written by Gerry Shishin Wick and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2005-03-15 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Book of Equanimity contains the first-ever complete English language commentary on one of the most beloved classic collections of Zen teaching stories (koans), making them vividly relevant to spiritual seekers and Zen students in the twenty-first century. Continually emphasizing koans as effective tools to discover and experience the deepest truths of our being, Wick brings the art of the koan to life for those who want to practice wisdom in their daily lives. The koan collection Wick explores here is highly esteemed as both literature and training material in the Zen tradition, in which koan-study is one of two paths a practitioner might take. This collection is used for training in many Zen centers in the Americas and in Europe but has never before been available with commentary from a contemporary Zen master. Wick's Book of Equanimity includes new translations of the preface, main case and verse for each koan, and modern commentaries on the koans by Wick himself.
Download or read book Imperial Way Zen written by Christopher Ives and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2009-07-08 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the first half of the twentieth century, Zen Buddhist leaders contributed actively to Japanese imperialism, giving rise to what has been termed "Imperial-Way Zen" (Kodo Zen). Its foremost critic was priest, professor, and activist Ichikawa Hakugen (1902–1986), who spent the decades following Japan’s surrender almost single-handedly chronicling Zen’s support of Japan’s imperialist regime and pressing the issue of Buddhist war responsibility. Ichikawa focused his critique on the Zen approach to religious liberation, the political ramifications of Buddhist metaphysical constructs, the traditional collaboration between Buddhism and governments in East Asia, the philosophical system of Nishida Kitaro (1876–1945), and the vestiges of State Shinto in postwar Japan. Despite the importance of Ichikawa’s writings, this volume is the first by any scholar to outline his critique. In addition to detailing the actions and ideology of Imperial-Way Zen and Ichikawa’s ripostes to them, Christopher Ives offers his own reflections on Buddhist ethics in light of the phenomenon. He devotes chapters to outlining Buddhist nationalism from the 1868 Meiji Restoration to 1945 and summarizing Ichikawa’s arguments about the causes of Imperial-Way Zen. After assessing Brian Victoria’s claim that Imperial-Way Zen was caused by the traditional connection between Zen and the samurai, Ives presents his own argument that Imperial-Way Zen can best be understood as a modern instance of Buddhism’s traditional role as protector of the realm. Turning to postwar Japan, Ives examines the extent to which Zen leaders have reflected on their wartime political stances and started to construct a critical Zen social ethic. Finally, he considers the resources Zen might offer its contemporary leaders as they pursue what they themselves have identified as a pressing task: ensuring that henceforth Zen will avoid becoming embroiled in international adventurism and instead dedicate itself to the promotion of peace and human rights. Lucid and balanced in its methodology and well grounded in textual analysis, Imperial-Way Zen will attract scholars, students, and others interested in Buddhism, ethics, Zen practice, and the cooptation of religion in the service of violence and imperialism.
Download or read book The True Dharma Eye written by John Daido Loori and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2009-08-11 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of three hundred koans compiled by Eihei Dogen, the thirteenth-century founder of Soto Zen in Japan, this book presents readers with a uniquely contemporary perspective on his profound teachings and their relevance for modern Western practitioners of Zen. Following the traditional format for koan collections, John Daido Loori Roshi, an American Zen master, has added his own commentary and accompanying verse for each of Dogen’s koans. Zen students and scholars will find The True Dharma Eye to be a source of deep insight into the mind of one of the world’s greatest religious thinkers, as well as the practice of koan study itself.
Download or read book Taking the Path of Zen written by Robert Aitken and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2015-12-15 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a fine art to presenting complex ideas with simplicity and insight, in a manner that both guides and inspires. In Taking the Path of Zen Robert Aitken presents the practice, lifestyle, rationale, and ideology of Zen Buddhism with remarkable clarity. The foundation of Zen is the practice of zazen, or mediation, and Aitken Roshi insists that everything flows from the center. He discusses correct breathing, posture, routine, teacher-student relations, and koan study, as well as common problems and milestones encountered in the process. Throughout the book the author returns to zazen, offering further advice and more advanced techniques. The orientation extends to various religious attitudes and includes detailed discussions of the Three Treasures and the Ten Precepts of Zen Buddhism. Taking the Path of Zen will serve as orientation and guide for anyone who is drawn to the ways of Zen, from the simply curious to the serious Zen student.
Download or read book Mountain Record of Zen Talks written by John Daido Loori and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2008-12-02 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this treasury of Zen wisdom based on his talks, the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, New York, explores the eight areas of study that are the focus for training in his community: meditation, study with the teacher, liturgy, art practice, body practice, the study of scriptures, work practice, and the moral and ethical teachings. John Daido Loori also covers such topics as koans, the martial arts, and illness and healing, and he makes intriguing observations about the spirit and requirements of Zen in America.
Download or read book Andylution written by Andy Spickler and published by . This book was released on 2018-10-11 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dear Disapproving Reader,First off, I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to peruse through my book and leave me your feedback. This isn't sarcasm, so I hope you do not interpret it as such. I put countless hours of painstaking labor into my books; carefully crafting every highly complex detail of the puzzles so that they emanate my intentions with the most optimal precision possible, given the media employed. That said, I would like to let anyone reading this comment know that, although Amazon labelled you as having made a "verified purchase", you did not pay for any physical copy of this book (the intended medium); rather, you viewed it for free as part of your Kindle Unlimited plan (by which much of the book's meaning is lost in translation, so to speak). This detail is crucial, as it sets the framework for your interpretation as well as my reply.Now, since there's nothing in the book that is obscene or politically charged, I'm not quite sure why you would go out of your way to spit such venom at me for bringing my artistic vision to fruition, as it were. I am left to surmise that you took issue with (again, not insulting you, just clarifying for my audience) the puzzles/koans being outside of your cognitive ability. You see, contrary to your comment about my book harboring the ability to kill brain cells (a comical notion I may now reference in my third book, having drawn inspiration from your comment), my books are actually designed to raise the intelligence of the reader (incidentally, preliminary research hitherto has yielded very promising results); however, the books need to be approached as 'active' or 'interactive' reads, rather than as 'passive' reads; like the sorts of books your comment history indicates you're accustomed to. Furthermore, it should be noted that many of the puzzles/jokes in my books require an IQ north of 160 to piece together; however, there are many riddles within the books which even people of modest IQs can also appreciate; if they put in the time, that is. Your intelligence will be raised by way of initially figuring out a few of the easier puzzles; thereby gaining the confidence and curiosity to tackle the more difficult ones. For some, my books will take years or decades to figure out; for others, perhaps only a few days. I believe this is where your misunderstanding of the work arose from and why you were unable to appreciate the humor and wit; although, I do believe, that with patience, persistence and a 'can-do attitude', you too could join in on the fun. The nice thing about my books is that instead of getting old, the jokes get funnier and more profound as time passes due to their inherent ability to take on deeper meaning with each subsequent reading. In this way, my work better resembles the humor of Joyce's 'Finnegans Wake' than it does of 'The Family Circus' (I'm sure would not even be able to comprehend the first page of the latter).Andylution is a compilation of original drawings birthed from the crevices of Andy Spickler's inflamed dada imagination. Each illustration is accompanied by a witty, sometimes strange and convoluted zen koan, joke, riddle, mental exercise or just an abstruse observation of the world. This little compilation of abstract illustrations and scattered wisdoms is both a bringer of smiles and reliever of stress. It wills stimulate your imagination and condition your soul. The world that lives inside Andy's head an addictive one, albeit preposterous.This book is like a pair of magical glasses that skillfully guides you through the labyrinth of phantasmagories created by the unconscious mind. It's a veritable vacation for the soul.For those of you who love halloween, philosophy, zen koans as well as the artwork of Saul Steinberg, Shel Silverstein, Robert Crumb, Ralph Steadman, and Gary Larson, this is book will keep you both puzzled and entertained. Get ready to scratch your head and laugh.
Download or read book Introduction to Zen Koans written by James Ishmael Ford and published by Wisdom Publications. This book was released on 2018-06-05 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An indispensable guide to koans, teaching the reader about the importance of lineage, the practice of “just sitting,” and koan practice as paths to awakening. “This marvelous book opens the treasure house of Zen and yet, happily, does not dispel its mystery. James Ford, an excellent storyteller and longtime Zen practitioner, presents a detailed and beautiful description of the craft of zazen, including “just sitting” and various forms of breath meditation—but focuses primarily on koan introspection. The power of koans, these 'public cases' from China, has never ceased to enrich my own experience of Zen. They are a medium of exploration of the history, culture, and view of Zen, but most importantly are a medium of awakening. James Ford is fundamentally a koan person, and for this, the book is particularly rich, opening the practice of koans in a splendid way. I am grateful for his long experience as a teacher and practitioner of this rare and powerful practice. Since the word koan has found its way into popular English usage, I am grateful too for the more nuanced and fertile view of koans that Ford presents. His definition of the word is telling: “a koan points to something of deep importance, and invites us to stand in that place.” He has also has created a wonderful translation of the Heart Sutra, Zen’s central scripture—and carefully opens up the heart of the Heart Sutra through scholarship and practice. Rich in textual sources and woven throughout with the perspectives of contemporary teachers, Introduction to Zen Koans sheds new light on ancient teachings. Through it, the reader will discover the importance of lineage, the traceless traces of the Zen ancestors, and the places of “just sitting” and koan practice as paths to awakening, as the great doorways into Zen.” —from the foreword by Joan Halifax
