Download or read book The Hazy Moon of Enlightenment written by Bernie Glassman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-06-07 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Hazy Moon of Enlightenment takes the reader to the next level of Zen practice, exploring some of the more subtle and sophisticated topics in Zen. The first two parts of the book explore enlightenment and delusion: What is nature of enlightenement? What does it mean to describe enlightenment as sudden or gradual? What is the nature of delusion, and how can watch out for the particular delusion that masquerades as enlightenment? The third part looks at "enlightenment in action"--what it means for someone to living and acting in order with the deep wisdom of enlightenment, and how we can practice learning "learning how to be satisfied" and enjoy serenity and transquility. The final section is a moving and powerful firsthand account of one woman's solitary realization of the deepest truths--a story that can become an inspiration for all of us. The contributors to this volume include some the pioneering masters who were seminal in helping Zen take firm root in American soil.
Download or read book Appreciate Your Life written by Taizan Maezumi and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2002-06-11 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is the first major collection of the teachings of Taizan Maezumi Roshi (1931-1995), one of the first Japanese Zen masters to bring Zen to the West and founding abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles and Zen Mountain Center in Idyllwild, California. These short, inspiring readings illuminate Zen practice in simple, eloquent language. Topics include zazen and Zen koans, how to appreciate your life as the life of the Buddha, and the essential matter of life and death. Appreciate Your Life conveys Maezumi Roshi's unique spirit and teaching style, as well as his timeless insights into the practice of Zen. Never satisfied with merely conveying ideas, his teisho, the Zen talks he gave weekly and during retreats, evoked personal questions from his students. Maezumi Roshi insisted that his students address these questions in their own lives. As he often said, "Be intimate with your life." The readings are not teachings or instructions in the traditional sense. They are transcriptions of the master's teisho, living presentations of his direct experience of Zen realization. These teisho are crystalline offerings of Zen insight intended to reach beyond the student's intellect to her or his deepest essence.
Download or read book Zen Brain Reflections written by James H. Austin and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2010-09-24 with total page 615 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sequel to the popular Zen and the Brain further explores pivotal points of intersection in Zen Buddhism, neuroscience, and consciousness, arriving at a new synthesis of information from both neuroscience research and Zen studies. This sequel to the widely read Zen and the Brain continues James Austin's explorations into the key interrelationships between Zen Buddhism and brain research. In Zen-Brain Reflections, Austin, a clinical neurologist, researcher, and Zen practitioner, examines the evolving psychological processes and brain changes associated with the path of long-range meditative training. Austin draws not only on the latest neuroscience research and new neuroimaging studies but also on Zen literature and his personal experience with alternate states of consciousness. Zen-Brain Reflections takes up where the earlier book left off. It addresses such questions as: how do placebos and acupuncture change the brain? Can neuroimaging studies localize the sites where our notions of self arise? How can the latest brain imaging methods monitor meditators more effectively? How do long years of meditative training plus brief enlightened states produce pivotal transformations in the physiology of the brain? In many chapters testable hypotheses suggest ways to correlate normal brain functions and meditative training with the phenomena of extraordinary states of consciousness. After briefly introducing the topic of Zen and describing recent research into meditation, Austin reviews the latest studies on the amygdala, frontotemporal interactions, and paralimbic extensions of the limbic system. He then explores different states of consciousness, both the early superficial absorptions and the later, major "peak experiences." This discussion begins with the states called kensho and satori and includes a fresh analysis of their several different expressions of "oneness." He points beyond the still more advanced states toward that rare ongoing stage of enlightenment that is manifest as "sage wisdom." Finally, with reference to a delayed "moonlight" phase of kensho, Austin envisions novel links between migraines and metaphors, moonlight and mysticism. The Zen perspective on the self and consciousness is an ancient one. Readers will discover how relevant Zen is to the neurosciences, and how each field can illuminate the other.
Download or read book The Dude and the Zen Master written by Jeff Bridges and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-01-08 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The perfect gift for fans of The Big Lebowski, Jeff Bridges's "The Dude", and anyone who could use more Zen in their lives. Zen Master Bernie Glassman compares Jeff Bridges’s iconic role in The Big Lebowski to a Lamed-Vavnik: one of the men in Jewish mysticism who are “simple and unassuming,” and “so good that on account of them God lets the world go on.” Jeff puts it another way. “The wonderful thing about the Dude is that he’d always rather hug it out than slug it out.” For more than a decade, Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges and his Buddhist teacher, renowned Roshi Bernie Glassman, have been close friends. Inspiring and often hilarious, The Dude and the Zen Master captures their freewheeling dialogue and remarkable humanism in a book that reminds us of the importance of doing good in a difficult world.
Download or read book Teaching of the Great Mountain written by Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2001 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on dharma talks given by Maezumi Roshi, this title presents his teachings as live words. The text features talks on koans, Kwan Yin, or Kanzeon Bodhisattva, and the Zen art of Just Sitting.
Download or read book Spectre of the Stranger written by Manu Bazzano and published by Apollo Books. This book was released on 2012 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Manu Bazzano engages with identity, otherness and ethics in a wide-ranging discussion of hospitality, exploring various social and political implications. Identity is examined primarily through the experience of Buddhist meditation, understood as phenomenological enquiry, as an exploration aimed at clarifying the non-substantiality of the self, the fluid nature of identity, and the contingent nature of existence. Otherness is discussed using insights from philosophy and psychology. In today's world of globalized capitalism there is the spectre of the stranger, the migrant, the asylum seeker. If the 'I' comes fully into being when relating to the other, the citizen can only become a true citizen when he/she responds adequately to the presence of the non-citizen. A self which does not respond to the other is isolated. And a citizen who fails to respond, or worse demonizes non-citizens, can he still be called a citizen? The book retraces the origins of collective forms of malaise such as fanatical patriotism and xenophobia, both legacies of monotheism - the cult of an exclusivist deity. It looks critically at the notions of covenant, territory, kinship and nation, and formulates the view of "nation-state" as expansion of the ego (Buber) and as imagined community. Symbolic and aesthetic dimensions provide a necessary humanistic perspective - the context of demands imposed by others and the phenomenological means to accommodate frames of reference of different religious, philosophical and scientific systems. And herein the author provides a revealing alternative - poetry - which promotes the opening up of new vistas, emancipation and radical change: H lderlin spoke of "dwelling poetically on the earth." Throughout, the author engages with philosophy/religion from antiquity till today, and from East to West, thus providing an historic overview of how hospitality goes to the core of psychological well-being.
Download or read book 7 Veils written by Meredith Zelman Narissi and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2017-07-17 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 7 Veils: Mystical Secrets of a Feminine Path to Enlightenment Do you wish to be spellbound? Then contemplate the Seven Veils. Mystical secrets hide within them. You are enveloped in ethereal layers of protection and insight. Which one wraps around you now? Once you unveil, wisdom enters. It comes in enigmatic ways. This inspirational memoir, including engaging tales from other women, reveals how the ancient art of belly dancing evokes feminine transformation. This metaphoric unveiling opens your hidden gifts. Each portal of insight brings you toward enlightenment. Please enter...you are invited. 7 VEILS uncovers: the sacred secret found in denial sensation as a guide how to see yourself "unveiled" the mysterious gift hidden in love promise as spiritual alignment integration to enable healing stillness as a path to bliss "This is a wonderful book. It is beautifully woven with vivid stories, genuine reflection and compelling insight. It is grounded and lofty-- a veritable treasure of wisdom. I recommend it wholeheartedly." James O'Dea is a former President of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and award winning author. www.jamesodea.com " 7 Veils: Mystical Secrets of a Feminine Path to Enlightenment" is Meredith Zelman Narissi's beautiful offering for women seeking self-realization and personal transcendence through the full expression of the Feminine." Abigail Brenner, M.D., author of Transitions: How Women Embrace Change and Celebrate Life and SHIFT: How to Deal When Life Changes
Download or read book Opening the Hand of Thought written by Kosho Uchiyama and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2005-06-10 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For over thirty years, Opening the Hand of Thought has offered an introduction to Zen Buddhism and meditation unmatched in clarity and power. This is the revised edition of Kosho Uchiyama's singularly incisive classic. This new edition contains even more useful material: new prefaces, an index, and extended endnotes, in addition to a revised glossary. As Jisho Warner writes in her preface, Opening the Hand of Thought "goes directly to the heart of Zen practice... showing how Zen Buddhism can be a deep and life-sustaining activity." She goes on to say, "Uchiyama looks at what a person is, what a self is, how to develop a true self not separate from all things, one that can settle in peace in the midst of life." By turns humorous, philosophical, and personal, Opening the Hand of Thought is above all a great book for the Buddhist practitioner. It's a perfect follow-up for the reader who has read Zen Meditation in Plain English and is especially useful for those who have not yet encountered a Zen teacher.
Download or read book Flowers Fall written by Hakuun Yasutani and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2001-05-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by the founder of Japanese Zen, Eihei Dogen (1200-1253), the Genjokoan is often considered to be the key text within Dogen's masterwork, Shobogenzo. The Genjokoan addresses in terse and poetic language many of the perennial concerns of Zen, focusing particularly on the relationship between practice and realization.
Download or read book Eloquent Zen written by Kenneth Kraft and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 1997-01-01 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Zen master Daito (1282-1337) played a leading role in the transmission of Zen (Ch'an) from China to Japan. He founded Daitokuji, a major monastery that has been influential for centuries, and he provided interpretations of Chinese texts. Daito's traditional biography is full of vivid episodes, including his years among the beggars of Kyoto and ending with his dramatic death in the meditation posture. Despite his importance, however, Daito has remained virtually unknown in the West. With the publication of Eloquent Zen Kenneth Kraft offers the first comprehensive account of the life and teachings of one of the greatest of Japan's Zen masters. Dr. Kraft begins with the foundations of medieval Japanese Zen. He shows that Daito's predecessors were concerned with clarifying the essentials of Zen as it began to take root in Japan. During this formative phase, the Zen pioneers embraced varied conceptions of enlightenment and divergent notions of authenticity. Kraft places Daito's contributions within this context, offering new insights about early Japanese Zen and about Zen itself. Throughout this study, Kraft looks closely at the complex role of language in Zen--a tradition supposedly distrustful of words. Daito wrote haiku-like poetry, participated in brilliant dialogues, and delivered powerful sermons. His virtuosity in articulating the way of Zen, "beyond words, beyond silence, " is nowhere more apparent than in his use of the capping phrase, an interpretive and commentarial device unique to Zen. Analyzing Daito's use of this device, Kraft elucidates the significance of the literary and aesthetic dimensions of the Zen tradition. Eloquent Zen includes valuable translations of Daito's poetryand other writings. Illustrations include three classic portraits of Daito and rare examples of his calligraphy. This lucid and engaging study will interest scholars and nonspecialists interested in Zen, Japanese culture, and Asian philosophy, poetry, and related fields.
Download or read book Nothing is Hidden written by Jisho Warner and published by Weatherhill, Incorporated. This book was released on 2001 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume offers a lucid translation of the text by the Soto sect's central office and Eiheiji Temple, which Dogen founded. A dozen accompanying essays by leading Japanese monks and scholars offer enlightening viewpoints on the text.
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 528 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 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: A thought-provoking collection of Zen koans culls the wisdom of thisnfluencial brand of Buddhism to present a series of "teaching stories" thatresent spiritual wisdom in interesting ways. Original.
Download or read book Zen Meditation in Plain English written by John Daishin Buksbazen and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-10 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An excellent, practical introduction to Zen meditation. Written in a warm and easily accessible style, the book appeals to anyone with an interest in meditation, Zen, or, as is often the case today, a combination of the two. The book emphasizes the importance of receiving good instruction and of finding groups to practice with, yet it lays out the necessary steps to practice Zen meditation on your own. The book includes easily followed exercises to help the reader along. For anyone looking to uncover a clear and insightful path into the philosophy and practice of Zen meditation, this book represents the culmination of that search
Download or read book A Year of Zen written by Bonnie Myotai Treace and published by Rockridge Press. This book was released on 2021-09-14 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reflect, meditate, and explore through a year of Zen journaling Each day is a new empty space to bring to life--it can be loaded with stress or decorated with moments of calm and clarity. Embark on a wondrous journey through the self with this 52-week guided journal from Zen priest and teacher Bonnie Myotai Treace, sensei. Her wise, thought-provoking prompts will lead beginners and experienced practitioners alike through the seasons, filling the blank spaces with peaceful self-exploration and reflection every day. Explore topics from the mundane to the holy with creative prompts like: Reverence--Zen artists tend to be very reverential toward the tools of their trade. Describe your pen, brush, musical instrument, etc., with the deep, precise attention that reflects that reverence. Being a Curious Being--What if you could become more curious and impartial toward your thoughts instead of being so easily persuaded by them? Write a few lines as you consider. Evening Threshold--Catch yourself at sundown, light fading from the sky. What does the arrival of night trigger or bring up for you? Walk the path of growth and build a mindful daily practice with this Zen Buddhism journal.
Download or read book Zen City written by Eliot Fintushel and published by John Hunt Publishing. This book was released on 2016-06-24 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world of ZEN CITY is a world of passionate desires: the desire for power, the desire for order, and the desire for self-transcendence. ZEN CITY is a story about the struggle and violence of people who see themselves as striving for the ultimate. Along the way, ZEN CITY presents a sly critique of the practice and perversions of imported spirituality in twentieth-century America. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY starred review "...this book succeeds brilliantly, deftly weaving a tragic romance that’s about all of us, and none at all!
Download or read book The Moon Represents My Heart written by Martin Avery and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2016-02-20 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Moon Represents My Heart, by Martin Avery, is a sci fi novel with a romance about a Canadian writer who wins the Nobel Prize for Literature and gets invited to be the first Writer In Residence on The Moon in China's Moon colony.
