Download or read book Zen and the Gospel of Thomas written by Joanne P. Miller and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-08-14 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Zen and the Gospel of Thomas illuminates sacred, mysterious wisdom from two traditions, revealing how these profound teachings apply to our everyday life and spiritual practice. Imagine that the Buddha asked Jesus to write a text for a Zen audience that would explain his take on the mysteries of his Kingdom. Imagine also that Jesus chose to present it in a set of short koanlike sayings similar to the classic koan collections of the Zen tradition. This is, in essence, the gnostic Gospel of Thomas. A Zen reading of Thomas allows us to access the living Jesus through Buddhist eyes so we can add to and refine our own practice with his wisdom. Likewise, Thomas can be a gateway for Christians to make use of Zen. Like the Buddha, this Jesus of Thomas wishes us to realize, individually and personally, the truth of the eternal. He offers teachings for the whole of our lives, dealing with such topics as: the proper use of money; how to foster wisdom and insight; the nature of awakening and non-attachment; love and judgment; how to rest in the essential; and the nature of what it means to be an enlightened person. Like koans, the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas ask each of us to discover the same secrets of mystery that Jesus himself discovered and to live out that knowledge in our own unique way.
Download or read book Zen and the Birds of Appetite written by Thomas Merton and published by New Directions Publishing. This book was released on 2010-07-27 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Merton, one of the rare Western thinkers able to feel at home in the philosophies of the East, made the wisdom of Asia available to Westerners. "Zen enriches no one," Thomas Merton provocatively writes in his opening statement to Zen and the Birds of Appetite—one of the last books to be published before his death in 1968. "There is no body to be found. The birds may come and circle for a while... but they soon go elsewhere. When they are gone, the 'nothing,' the 'no-body' that was there, suddenly appears. That is Zen. It was there all the time but the scavengers missed it, because it was not their kind of prey." This gets at the humor, paradox, and joy that one feels in Merton's discoveries of Zen during the last years of his life, a joy very much present in this collection of essays. Exploring the relationship between Christianity and Zen, especially through his dialogue with the great Zen teacher D.T. Suzuki, the book makes an excellent introduction to a comparative study of these two traditions, as well as giving the reader a strong taste of the mature Merton. Never does one feel him losing his own faith in these pages; rather one feels that faith getting deeply clarified and affirmed. Just as the body of "Zen" cannot be found by the scavengers, so too, Merton suggests, with the eternal truth of Christ.
Download or read book Christian Zen written by William Johnston and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Christian Zen was first published in the early 1970's, it was reviewed enthusiastically in many parts of the world. A subsequent edition added new material from the author's experience. This latest edition, from Fordham University Press, includes a new Preface by the author and a letter to the author from the Christian mystic Thomas Merton, written shortly before Merton's untimely death. William Johnston presents a study of Zen meditation in the light of Christian mysticism.
Download or read book The Hidden Gospel of Thomas written by William G Duffy and published by Silverwood Books. This book was released on 2020-08-10 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A lost gospel is found and everything changes.
Download or read book Way of Thomas Insights for Spiritual Living from the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas written by REV JOHN R. MABRY and published by Apocryphile Press. This book was released on 2015-11 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Whoever finds the meaning of these words will not taste death." Gospel of Thomas Christians have been thirsting for the wisdom and sayings of Jesus Christ for over 2000 years, constantly looking for new meaning to discover in Jesus' words, as offered in the ancient gospels of the New Testament in the Bible. Yet, the most accurate portrayal of the teachings of Jesus may have been intentionally hidden from Christians by the Church. With the discovery of the Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas in Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945, scholars of biblical history now believe that we have a document that contains some of Jesus' actual words--original quotes from Jesus Christ, as recorded in writing by one of his closest confidants, Saint Thomas. In The Way of Thomas, author John Mabry, PhD in World Religions and professor of Comparative Theology at the Chaplaincy Institute offers new and relevant evidence about Thomas' gospel and the sayings of Jesus: What were Jesus' original teachings, and how do they differ from the story told today by the Christian church? What is the real story of early Christianity? Can we find a Jesus that is relevant as a spiritual guide for people today? These and many other questions are addressed in this popular presentation of the teachings of this mystical Christian text. Page Up and Order Now.
Download or read book The Gospel of Thomas written by Uwe-Karsten Plisch and published by American Bible Society. This book was released on 2008 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Gospel of Thomas, a collection of words of Jesus, is one of the most significant extrabiblical texts of the early Christian era. This edition presents the texts in the classical languages and provides an English translation and a readily readable commentary. It includes: An introduction to the Gospel of Thomas The complete Coptic text The text of the Greek fragments and a Greek retranslation of all logia with parallel texts from the canonical gospels An English translation An extensive commentary Illustrations of the Coptic manuscript An appendix with an index and bibliography The introduction and commentary do not assume knowledge of the classical languages, making the Gospel of Thomas accessible to a broad audience. Dr. Uwe-Karsten Plisch is a renowned specialist in extrabiblical texts of the early Christian era (2nd/3rd centuries). He participates in the German translation of the texts from Nag Hammadi
Download or read book The Gospel of Thomas written by Jean-Yves Leloup and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2005-02-16 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new translation and analysis of the gospel that records the actual words of Jesus • Explores the gnostic significance of Jesus's teachings recorded in this gospel • Explains the true nature of the new man whose coming Jesus envisioned • Translated and interpreted by the author of the bestselling The Gospel of Mary Magdalene and The Gospel of Philip One of the cache of codices and manuscripts discovered in Nag Hammadi, the Gospel of Thomas, unlike the canonical gospels, does not contain a narrative recording Christ's life and prophecies. Instead it is a collection of his teachings--what he actually said. These 114 logia, or sayings, were collected by Judas Didymus Thomas, whom some claim to be Jesus's closest disciple. No sooner was this gospel uncovered from the sands of Upper Egypt than scholars and theologians began to bury it anew in a host of conflicting interpretations and polemics. While some say it is a hodgepodge from the canonical gospels, for others it is the source text from which all the gospel writers drew their material and inspiration. In this new translation of the Gospel of Thomas, Jean-Yves Leloup shows that the Jesus recorded by the "infinitely skeptical and infinitely believing" Thomas has much in common with gnostics of non-dualistic schools. Like them, Jesus preaches the coming of a new man, the genesis of the man of knowledge. In this gospel, Jesus describes a journey from limited to unlimited consciousness. The Jesus of Thomas invites us to drink deeply from the well of knowledge that lies within, not so that we may become good Christians but so we may attain the self-knowledge that will make each of us, too, a Christ.
Download or read book The Gospel of Thomas written by Robert Wolfe and published by Karina Library. This book was released on 2010-11-11 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If Jesus, like the Buddha and the ancient Indian Vedas before him, taught the radical oneness of all things¿an unorthodox singularity between self and the divine¿where is the record of such pronouncements by Jesus? It¿s not in the New Testament. In 1945, a discovery in an Egyptian desert may have revealed such a document: The Gospel of Thomas.
Download or read book Gospel of Thomas Annotated Explained written by and published by SkyLight Paths Publishing. This book was released on 2002 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The recently discovered mystical sayings of Jesus, with facing-page commentary that brings the text to life for you. "The Gospel of Thomas really is, I believe, the clearest guide we have to the vision of the world's supreme mystical revolutionary, the teacher known as Jesus. To those who learn to unpack its sometimes cryptic sayings, the Gospel of Thomas offers a naked and dazzlingly subversive representation of Jesus' defining and most radical discovery: that the living Kingdom of God burns in us and surrounds us at all moments." --from the Foreword by Andrew Harvey This ancient text can become a companion for your own spiritual journey. In 1945, twelve ancient books were found inside a sealed jar at the base of an Egyptian cliff. One of those texts was the Gospel of Thomas, one of the most important religious archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century. While illuminating the origins of Christianity, it raises the question whether the New Testament's version of Jesus' teachings is entirely accurate and complete. Written at the same time as the canonical Gospels, the Gospel of Thomas portrays Jesus as a wisdom-loving sage. The aphoristic sayings emphasize the value of the present, teaching that the Kingdom of God is here and now, rather than a future promise or future threat. It presents a new way of looking at the challenging and intriguing figure of Jesus, and reminds us that the Divine can be found right here on earth. Now you can experience the Gospel of Thomas with understanding even if you have no previous knowledge of early Christian history or thought. This SkyLight Illuminations edition offers insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that explains references and philosophical terms, shares the inspiring interpretations of famous spiritual teachers, and gives you deeper understanding of Thomas's innovative message: that self-knowledge and contemplation of the nature of this world are the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Download or read book The Gospel of Thomas written by Marvin W. Meyer and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-09-15 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fresh, authoritative English translation, with an informative introduction, fascinating explanatory notes, and the Coptic text, with interpretation by Harold Bloom, our pre–eminent literary critic.
Download or read book Jesus Christ Zen Master written by Matthew Barnes and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-02 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jesus Christ was a Zen master? In at least one version of early Christian belief, he sure sounded like one. Early Christianity was far from the gentle and unified belief system that we have been led to believe it was. In fact, in the earliest stages of its development, interpretations of the meanings of Jesus' teachings varied widely, were hotly debated, and differing views were not tolerated well at all. The Jesus narrative that eventually won out was passed on to future generations while the losers had their books burned and adherents imprisoned, tortured, or put to death. Talk about issues with freedom of religion! Luckily, an early Christian group called the "Gnostics", in seeing their beloved books burned and adherents mistreated, buried their most important works in hopes of future discovery. These works were discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945 and have shed quite a bit of light on an alternative and very different interpretation of Jesus' teachings--one that was widely followed in the early years of Christianity, yet more closely resembles the "enlightenment" teachings of Zen and Buddhism. The Zen-like nature of the Gnostic's Jesus is the focus of this work. "What you seek after is within you." - Dialogue of the Savior Scroll up and grab your copy today!
Download or read book The Way of Chuang Tz written by Zhuangzi and published by New Directions Publishing. This book was released on 1965 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Free renderings of selections from the works of Chuang-tzŭ, taken from various translations.
Download or read book Brother Lawrence written by Anamchara Books Staff and published by Anamchara Books. This book was released on 2011-05-16 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brother Lawrence's famous work, The Practice of the Presence of God, is broken into bite-size pieces and paired with the writings of some of the greatest Zen teachers, from the Buddha to the Dalai Lama. The result sheds new light on this great Christian classic, offering profoundly practical insights for the spiritual life.
Download or read book Compassion and Meditation written by Jean-Yves Leloup and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-06-25 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A profound reflection on how complementary themes in Buddhism and Christianity could serve as the basis for a truly ecumenical faith • Compares Zen meditation with the Greek Orthodox practice of Hesychasm (prayer of the heart) • Shows how Buddha and Jesus represent the distinct yet complementary values of meditation and compassion In Asian spiritual traditions the mountain traditionally symbolizes meditation while the ocean signifies compassion. Jean-Yves Leloup uses this metaphor to compare Buddhist and Christian approaches to meditation and compassion to reveal the similarities and divergences of these profound practices. Emphasizing their complementary nature, Leloup describes how Jesus and Buddha are necessary to one another and how together they form a complete system: Jesus as awakening through love, and Buddha as awakening through meditation. Where Buddha represents the forests, Jesus represents the trees. Buddha is brother to the universe, whereas Jesus is brother to humanity. Nevertheless, these two religious traditions have a profound common ground. Compassion is central to Buddhism, and meditation practices have been central to many Christian traditions. Both view murder, theft, and the destructive use of sexuality as great barriers to realizing our essential being, and both agree on the need to rise above them. Here, however, Leloup suggests that both faiths could benefit from the precepts of the other. The complementary aspects of Christianity and Buddhism offer the possibility for a truly profound ecumenical religion whose interfaith relations are based on deep understanding of the true meaning and practice of meditation and compassion and not merely shared goodwill.
Download or read book I See You Buddha written by Josh Bartok and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-11-17 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If Dr. Seuss were drawing on classical Buddhist texts for inspiration, this is what he’d write—with playful yet traditional illustrations by the award-winning artist behind The Empty Pot, whose books have sold half a million copies. Destined to be a classic. An instant classic, this book will help children (and their parents) learn patience and to see the good in everyone—including themselves! It will also help children meet difficult circumstances, such as being sick, doing chores, and not getting everything they want—and help them overcome low self-esteem and negative self-talk. I See You, Buddha is based on a chapter in the Lotus Sutra, one of the most influential Buddhist texts worldwide—a classical scripture that has inspired a whole genre of works, especially in Japan, known as Lotus Literature. The Lotus Sutra teaches the way of the bodhisattva—a being engaged in compassionate, enlightened activity in the service of all—by offering examples of what this activity might look like in the world. One such model in the text is Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful (or Never Disparaging), who, despite troubling encounters with and even harsh treatment from others, bows down respectfully to everyone, recognizing their Buddha nature and honoring their own journeys along the bodhisattva path to enlightenment—whether they know they’re future buddhas or not!
Download or read book Behold the Spirit written by Alan Watts and published by Vintage. This book was released on 1972-02-12 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The perfect guide for a course correction in life" (Deepak Chopra) that teaches us how to enjoy a deeper, more meaningful relationship with the spiritual in our present troubled times. Drawing on his experiences as a former priest, Watts skillfully explains how the intuition of Eastern religion—Zen Buddhism, in particular—can be incorporated into the doctrines of Western Christianity, offering a timeless argument for the place of mystical religion in today’s world.
Download or read book The Illustrated Lotus Sutra written by Gene Reeves and published by Wisdom Publications. This book was released on 2019-10-22 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Renowned and beloved the world over, a peerless contemporary translation of one of Buddhism’s most important texts comes alive with over 110 full-page illustrations by a multiple award-winning artist. The Lotus Sutra is regarded as one of the world’s great religious scriptures and most influential texts. It’s a seminal work in the development of Buddhism throughout East Asia and, by extension, in the development of Mahayana Buddhism throughout the world. Taking place in a vast and fantastical cosmic setting, the Lotus Sutra places emphasis on skillfully doing whatever is needed to serve and compassionately care for others, on breaking down distinctions between the fully enlightened buddha and the bodhisattva who vows to postpone salvation until all beings may share it, and especially on each and every being’s innate capacity to become a buddha. This illustrated edition features more than 110 full-page and two-page illustrations by a world-renowned and award-winning artist, and brings the fantastical and image-filled world of the Lotus Sutra vividly to life. Demi’s illustrations are both classical and contemporary in feel, perfectly complementing Reeves’s masterful and modern translation.
