Zen Buddhism Books
Liverpool University Press Zen Buddhism: Beliefs and Practices
Book SynopsisInformed by almost two decades of dialogue, research and teaching, this book refutes the mistaken premise that Zen Buddhism is more suited to people who lived all those years ago, or at least live all those miles away. Pivotal to this work is recognition that Buddhism is a mind culture. To appreciate that one is not in control of one's own mind is alarming indeed, but it is our perceptions of real and imagined threats that generate our anxieties, not an objective appraisal of the situation. Beginning with the annotated 'ox path' pictures, the gradual development of the wayward mind away from aimless wandering and towards Buddhahood is depicted and examined. Ever mindful of the legacy of India, the life and teaching of Sakyamuni Buddha are revisited as are the scriptures themselves. At every point, this book presents Zen Buddhism, not as some esoteric mystery cult, accessible only to the eastern mind, but in an animated, meaningful manner that demonstrates its purpose and function in today's world.Trade Review"This is an extremely lucid and readable introduction to Zen, which serves as a good introduction to Buddhism in general. Merv Fowler has performed an excellent task in bringing together material on the history, scriptures, teachings and spiritual practices associated with Zen. The book is a first-class introduction for students as well as the general reader. The author tackles very competently and reliably the salient features of the Zen tradition. I thoroughly recommend it..." -- G D Chryssides, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Wolverhampton.
£25.97
New Directions Publishing Corporation Zen and the Birds of Appetite
Book SynopsisMerton, 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.
£10.99
Dogen Sangha Publications To Meet the Real Dragon
£9.95
University of Hawai'i Press Chan Buddhism 2 Dimensions of Asian Spirituality
Book SynopsisChan Buddhism has become paradigmatic of Buddhist spirituality. This work expresses the meaning of Chan as it developed in China more than a thousand years ago and provides insights into the distinctive aims and forms of practice associated with the tradition.
£14.41
University of Hawai'i Press How Zen Became Zen
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£16.96
Osho International Zen
Book SynopsisOnly once in the history of human consciousness, says Osho, has a thing like Zen come into being. In Zen: Its History and Teachings, the noted mystic explains that Zen has no rituals, no chanting, no mantras, no scriptures only short, evocative parables and teachings that make it ideal for the modern seeker. Using his characteristic humorous, encouraging style, Osho guides readers through the origins and development of this seminal spiritual tradition that is neither religion nor dogma nor creed. He provides a context for those who have not been born into the Zen tradition, introducing them to its timeless approach to existence. The book argues that the only preparation for fully experiencing Zen''s power is meditative awareness, and Osho presents simple techniques to achieve this awareness. Stunning color photographs throughout offer further inspiration and illumination.
£9.49
Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd Stoep Zen
Book SynopsisLao Tsu meets Oom Schalk Lourens in this delightful meditation on what it means to practise Zen in a changing South Africa. Antony Osler - Buddhist monk, legal adviser, farmer and father - contemplates life as it passes by the stoep of his Karoo farm, sharing anecdotes and conversations, poetic images and indelible characters, watching the seasons, the people and his country as everything changes, just so. "I lift my eyes to Coleskop and fear no evil But if I don't watch my step I will fall into an aardvarkgat." Zen practice is to find the heart of each moment, as Osler reminds us. His title is as full of heart as it is of wisdom; his musings on humility, acceptance, reconciliation and love are gentle and often humorous - reminders of what it is to be human.
£15.19
Stone Bridge Press A Glossary of Zen Terms
Book SynopsisOver the course of Zen's development in China and Japan, the sayings and episodes of the masters have formed a huge collection of literature. Designed to put these writings within easy reach of serious students for inspiration and understanding, this glossary provides 5,500 entries on Zen terms, names of persons, texts, idiomatic expressions, references to Chinese classics, general Buddhist terms, and even particles and other parts of speech considered important in grasping the original intent and meaning. Hisao Inagaki received a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and is a professor at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan.
£37.59
Shambhala Publications Inc Just This Is It: Dongshan and the Practice of
Book SynopsisTeachings on the practice of things-as-they-are, through commentaries on a legendary Chinese Zen figure. The joy of “suchness”—the ultimate and true nature inherent in all appearance—shines through the teachings attributed to Dongshan Liangjie (807–869), the legendary founder of the Caodong lineage of Chan Buddhism (the predecessor of Soto Zen). Taigen Dan Leighton looks at the teachings attributed to Dongshan—in his Recorded Sayings and in the numerous koans in which he is featured as a character—to reveal the subtlety and depth of the teaching on the nature of reality that Dongshan expresses. Included are an analysis of the well-known teaching poem “Jewel Mirror Samadhi,” and of the understanding of particular and universal expressed in the teaching of the Five Degrees. “The teachings embedded in the stories about Dongshan provide a rich legacy that has been sustained in practice traditions,” says Taigen. “Dongshan’s subtle teachings about engagement with suchness remain vital today for Zen people and are available for all those who wish to find meaning amid the challenges to modern lives.”
£21.60
New World Library In My Own Way: An Autobiography
Book SynopsisIn this new edition of his acclaimed autobiography long out of print and rare until now Alan Watts tracks his spiritual and philosophical evolution from a child of religious conservatives in rural England to a freewheeling spiritual teacher who challenged Westerners to defy convention and think for themselves. From early in this intellectual life, Watts shows himself to be a philosophical renegade and wide-ranging autodidact who came to Buddhism through the teachings of Christmas Humphreys and D. T. Suzuki. Told in a nonlinear style, In My Own Way wonderfully combines Watts’ own brand of unconventional philosophy and often hilarious accounts of gurus, celebrities, psychedelic drug experiences, and wry observations of Western culture. A charming foreword written by Watts’ father sets the tone of this warm, funny, and beautifully written story of a compelling figure who encouraged readers to follow your own weird” something he always did himself, as his remarkable account of his life shows.
£17.99
Columbia University Press Clouds Thick Whereabouts Unknown
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis books fulfills at least three needs and fulfills them at a very high standard... it expands the body of Ch'an poetry available in English... it provides an account of the Ch'an religious tradition... the translations are graceful. Journal of Chinese ReligionsTable of ContentsDynastic Timeline A Note on Pinyin Romanization List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Poems Introductions to the Poets and Explanatory Notes Glossary Bibliography Index
£76.00
Shambhala Publications Inc The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master
Book SynopsisThe classic samurai-era text that fused Japanese swordsmanship with Zen philosophy—written by the incomparable Zen master Takuan Soho Written by the seventeenth-century Zen master Takuan Soho (1573–1645), The Unfettered Mind is a book of advice on swordsmanship and the cultivation of right mind and intention. It was written as a guide for the samurai Yagyu Munenori, who was a great swordsman and rival to the legendary Miyamoto Musashi. Takuan was a giant in the history of Zen; he was also a gardener, calligrapher, poet, author, adviser to samurai and shoguns, and a pivotal figure in Zen painting. He was known for his brilliance and acerbic wit. In these succinct and pointed essays, Takuan is concerned primarily with understanding and refining the mind—both generally and when faced with conflict. The Unfettered Mind was a major influence on the classic manifestos on swordsmanship that came after it, including Miyamoto Musashi''s Book of Five Rings and Yagyu Munenori''s Life-Giving Sword.
£14.44
Oxford University Press Hoofprint of the Ox
Book SynopsisRevered by Buddhists in the United States and China, Master Sheng-yen shares his wisdom and teachings in this first comprehensive English primer of Chan, the Chinese tradition of Buddhism that inspired Japanese Zen. Often mistunderstood as a system of mind games, the Chan path leads to enlightenment through apparent contradiction. while demanding the mental and physical discipline of traditional Buddhist doctrine, it asserts that wisdom (Buddha-nature) is innate and immediate in all living beings, and thus not to be achieved through devotion to the strictures of religious practice. You arrive without departing. Master Sheng-yen provides an unprecedented understanding of Chan, its precepts, and its practice. Beginning with a basic overview of Buddhism and meditation, ''Hoofprint of the Ox'' detials the progressive mental exercises traditionally followed by all Buddhists. Known as the Three Disciplines, these procedures develop moral purity, meditiative concentration, and enlightening inTrade Review"Master Sheng-Yen has written another inspiring introduction to the Chan buddhist tradition in China, more familiar to Americans as Zen, its incarnation in Japan.... Aided by a masterful introduction by well-known scholar Dan Stevenson, this book brings introductory books on Chan/Zen to a new level of sophistication, accuracy and relevance to both the more advanced and the novice American practitioner."--Publishers Weekly "In this illuminating treatise readers will discover a Chan practice that is marvelously alive.... A very special book; highly recommended."--Library Journal
£13.49
Osho International Dang Dang Doko Dang: The Sound of the Empty Drum
Book SynopsisOsho sees Zen not as a historical spiritual tradition, but as the future of a humanity that has matured to the point that people no longer need religions controlled by "priesthoods" and based on fearful superstitions that cripple people's innate intelligence and divide them from one another. This book offers a deeper understanding of the underlying differences between Eastern and Western approaches to religion and the nature of consciousness. It's a beautiful introduction to a world where each individual has the capacity for an instant and profound understanding of existence, and a rebirth of the trust in life that each of us are born with. Dang Dang Doko Dang represents the sound of the drum beaten by a Zen master in an existential lesson for a disciple. As well as symbolizing the poetic quality of Zen, the title represents the special flavor of this collection of Osho's commentaries on well-known Zen stories. This volume is part of the OSHO Classics series and also includes Osho's responses to questions about the meditation technique of Zazen.Table of ContentsPreface Chapter #1 Never Pretend, Even about Skulls Chapter #2 Magicless Magic Chapter #3 As Within, So Without Chapter #4 When Grapes Are Sour Chapter #5 Two Ladies and a Monk Chapter #6 Joy Is the Criterion Chapter #7 Be a Light unto Yourself Chapter #8 Another Sunday Chapter #9 Dang Dang Doko Dang Chapter #10 The Body Is a Friend About Osho More books Information
£10.44
Parallax Press Love Letter to the Earth
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£12.59
University of California Press The Bodhidharma Anthology The Earliest Records of
Book SynopsisThe discovery of a walled-up cave in northwest China led to the retrieval of a lost early Ch'an (Zen) literature of the T'ang dynasty, one of the recovered texts was the collection "Bodhidharma Anthology". This text provides a detailed study and an annotated translation of the anthology.Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABBREVIATIONS AND CONVENTIONS 1. Introduction I 2. Translation of the Seven Texts of the Bodhidharma Anthology 3· Commentary on the Biography,Two Entrances, and Two Letters 4· Commentary on the Records APPENDIX A: THE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE TUN-HUANG CH'AN MANUSCRIPTS APPENDIX B: TOWARD A LITERARY HISTORY OF EARLY CH'AN NOTES GLOSSARY OF CHINESE LOGOGRAPHS WORKS CITED INDEX
£21.25
Stone Bridge Press My Year of Dirt and Water: Journal of a Zen
Book SynopsisIn February 2004, when her American husband, a recently ordained Zen monk, leaves home to train for a year at a centuries-old Buddhist monastery, Tracy Franz embarks on her own year of Zen. An Alaskan alone—and lonely—in Japan, she begins to pay attention.My Year of Dirt and Water is a record of that journey. Allowed only occasional and formal visits to see her cloistered husband, Tracy teaches English, studies Japanese, and devotes herself to making pottery. Her teacher instructs her to turn cup after cup—creating one failure after another. Past and present, East and West intertwine as Tracy is twice compelled to return home to Alaska to confront her mother’s newly diagnosed cancer and the ghosts of a devastating childhood. Revolving through the days, My Year of Dirt and Water circles hard questions: What is love? What is art? What is practice? What do we do with the burden of suffering? The answers are formed and then unformed—a ceramic bowl born on the wheel and then returned again and again to dirt and water.
£12.34
Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press AN INTRODUCTION TO ZEN BUDDHISM
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£12.34
Parallax Press How to Walk
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£7.59
University of Hawai'i Press Zen and Western Thought Zen and Western Thought
Book SynopsisThis collection of Abe's essays is a welcome addition to philosophy and comparative philosophy.
£17.56
Penguin Books Ltd The Art of Simple Living
Book SynopsisTrade Review“Even just the title of this book appeals. There are many reasons that a Zen monk might acquire a lifetime of wisdom—the least of which is my personal edification—but I’m grateful for it all the same.” —Estelle Tang, Elle.com“100 snack-size Zen activities you can do daily to add more calm to your life . . . The Art of Simple Living brings the spirit of Zen Buddhism to everyday life.” —The Daily Telegraph“Powerful . . . A profoundly beautiful work, easy to read, encouraging deep thought and reflection, but most importantly, acting as a practical guide to Zen action.” —The Japan Times“This international bestseller has helped people around the world quiet the chaos of everyday life, stress less and appreciate more. . . . Masuno’s tips are easy to execute. . . . Through this inspiring guide, Masuno shows that every step you take on the path of personal growth, no matter how small, can have a major impact.” —BookPage“A bestseller in Japan, this will certainly resonate with fans of Zen practice, or those simply looking to declutter a busy mind.” —Publishers Weekly“100 deceptively simple daily practices . . . to help you find, and embrace, the stillness at the center of your existence.” —Energy Times“Pithy tips on how to increase our feelings of well-being.” ―Lion’s Roar: Buddhist Wisdom for Our Time“Living a simpler life is a practice. It’s ordinary and it’s everyday. Shunmyo Masuno’s simple and relevant practices land gently and with the most comforting ordinariness, like a warm breath of familiarity to us, the frazzled masses.” —Sarah Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of First, We Make the Beast Beautiful“Our mind is blazing in the new dopamine war between alarmist news and attention-hooking apps. The Art of Simple Living is a bucket of water on the flames.” —Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation“I love this book. These little Zen practices can bring so much serenity to your life.” —Francine Jay, bestselling author of The Joy of Less and Lightly“I haven’t carried a purse in years, but this book almost made me wish I did, so I could keep it within reach.” —Cait Flanders, bestselling author of The Year of Less“I love The Art of Simple Living. With easy-to-follow, inspiring advice and lovely stories illustrating little things you can do that can have a big effect on your peace of mind, it’ll bring joyful moments into every day of your life.” —James Wallman, bestselling author of Stuffocation“The Art of Simple Living makes the time-tested wisdom of the Buddha radically accessible by providing easy-to-follow yet profound practices that blend perfectly with, and are a natural part of, everyday life. It is an encouraging and straightforward companion for all who seek to amplify the inherent peace of their minds.” —Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, author of Emotional Rescue and Rebel Buddha“This little treasure needs to be at every bedside. It awakens us to the most ordinary, everyday moments of our lives, revealing the richness, peace, and joy that come from living simply.” —Allan Lokos, founder and guiding teacher, Community Meditation Center, NYC; author of Through the Flames, Patience, and Pocket Peace
£17.20
Editorial Kairos Ni agua, ni luna: Charlas sobre zen
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£17.43
Rockridge Press A Year of Zen: A 52-Week Guided Journal
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£13.49
Shambhala Publications Inc No-Gate Gateway: The Original Wu-Men Kuan
Book SynopsisA new translation of one of the great koan collections--by the premier translator of the Chinese classics--that reveals it to be a literary and philosophical masterwork beyond its association with Chan/Zen.A monk asked: “A dog too has Buddha-nature, no?” And with the master’s enigmatic one-word response begins the great No-Gate Gateway (Wu-Men Kuan), ancient China’s classic foray into the inexpressible nature of mind and reality. For nearly eight hundred years, this text (also known by its Japanese name, Mumonkan) has been the most widely used koan collection in Zen Buddhism—and with its comic storytelling and wild poetry, it is also a remarkably compelling literary masterwork. In his radical new translation, David Hinton places this classic for the first time in the philosophical framework of its native China, in doing so revealing a new way of understanding Zen—in which generic “Zen perplexity” is transformed into a more approachable and earthy mystery. With the poetic abilities he has honed in his many translations, Hinton brilliantly conveys the book’s literary power, making it an irresistible reading experience capable of surprising readers into a sudden awakening that is beyond logic and explanation.
£16.19
Rabsel Editions Boundless Awakening: The Heart of Buddhist
Book SynopsisAn excellent book for people interested in meditation, from beginners to advanced. The practice of meditation leads to a mind that is more peaceful, tranquil, and at ease. Because the mind is more relaxed, events that usually disturb us seem to take on less importance, and we stop taking them in such a serious way. Likewise, through meditation the mind gradually learns to be independent of external conditions and circumstances, discovering its own stability and tranquility. A stable mind leads to the experience of less suffering in our lives.
£7.95
Shambhala Publications Inc Sky Above, Great Wind: The Life and Poetry of Zen
Book SynopsisThe delightful and often funny poetry of Zen’s quintessential free spirit, Master Ryokan—in a fresh translation by a beloved American Zen figureRyokan Taigu (1758-1831) was a monk in the Soto lineage of Japanese Zen who spent a good part of his life as a hermit, writing poetry, playing with children, and creating simple and exquisitely beautiful calligraphies—sometimes using twigs as his instrument when he couldn''t afford a brush. He was never head of a monastery or temple and as an old man, he fell in love with a young Zen nun who also became his student. His affection for her colors the mature poems of his late period.This loving tribute to the great legendary nonconformist includes more than 140 of his poems, 13 examples of his art, and a selection of laugh-out-loud funny anecdotes about his highly idiosyncratic teaching behavior.
£15.29
New World Library Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on
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£14.44
Shambhala Publications Inc Riding the Ox Home: Stages on the Path of
Book SynopsisMaps and guideposts are helpful when we undertake a journey. The ten Ox-Herding Pictures, the accompanying ancient poems, and a modern commentary by John Daido Loori, sketch the spiritual path encountered in Zen training, a path of exhaustive study of the self and the realization of the ultimate nature of reality. The Ox-Herding Pictures can be our companion on the Way of self-discovery, our compass and perspective when we need one. They are a bottomless source of mysterious wisdom to which we can return again and again for inspiration, and they translate easily into the gritty reality of spiritual practice that emerges from and grounds us in the inescapable relevance of our daily lives. The exquisite versions of the pictures found in the book are traditional Chinese nanga brush paintings by Gyokusei Jikihara Sensei, a modern Japanese master of calligraphy and a teacher in the Obaku School of Zen. The traditional verses accompanying them have been translated by John Daido Loori and Kazuaki Tanahashi, translator and editor of Enlightenment Unfolds: The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Dogen.
£16.00
Shambhala Publications Inc Only Don't Know: Selected Teaching Letters of Zen
Book SynopsisHere is the inimitable Zen Master Seung Sahn up close and personal?in selections from the correspondence that was one of his primary modes of teaching. Seung Sahn received hundreds of letters per month, each of which he answered personally, and some of the best of which are included here. His frank and funny style, familiar to readers of Dropping Ashes on the Buddha, is seen here in a most intimate form. The beloved Zen master not only answers questions on Zen teaching and practice, but applies an enlightened approach to problems with work, relationships, suffering, and the teacher-student relationship.
£22.10
Flatiron Books Standing at the Edge
Book SynopsisAn evocative examination of how to respond to suffering, live our fullest lives, and experience spiritual and personal growth - from a renowned activist, humanitarian, and spiritual thought-leader.
£13.29
Shambhala Publications Inc A Concise Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen
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£22.46
Shambhala Publications Inc Zen Bow, Zen Arrow: The Life and Teachings of Awa
Book SynopsisHere are the inspirational life and teachings of Awa Kenzo (1880-1939), the Zen and kyudo (archery) master who gained wordwide renown after the publication of Eugen Herrigel''s cult classic Zen in the Art of Archery in 1953. Kenzo lived and taught at a pivotal time in Japan''s history, when martial arts were practiced primarily for self-cultivation, and his wise and penetrating instructions for practice (and life) - including aphorisms, poetry, instructional lists, and calligraphy - are infused with the spirit of Zen. Kenzo uses the metaphor of the bow and arrow to challenge the practioner to look deeply into his or her own true nature.
£13.29
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance 50th
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£18.69
State University of New York Press Approaches to Chan Son and Zen Studies
Book SynopsisA comprehensive treatment of the shared traditions of Chan, Son, and Zen in dynamic interaction across East Asia, acknowledging the changing and growing parameters of the field of Zen studies.This volume focuses on Chinese Chan Buddhism and its spread across East Asia, with special attention to its impacts on Korean Son and Japanese Zen. Zen enthralled the scholarly world throughout much of the twentieth century, and Zen Studies became a major academic discipline in its wake. Interpreted through the lens of Japanese Zen and its reaction to events in the modern world, Zen Studies incorporated a broad range of Zen-related movements in the East Asian Buddhist world. As broad as the scope of Zen Studies was, however, it was clearly rooted in a Japanese context, and aspects of the "Zen experience" that did not fit modern Japanese Zen aspirations tended to be marginalized and ignored. Approaches to Chan, Son, and Zen Studies acknowledges the move beyond Zen Studies to recognize the changing and growing parameters of the field. The volume also examines the modern dynamics in each of these traditions.
£24.93
Keep it Simple Books,U.S. Making a Change for Good: A Guide to
Book SynopsisMaking a Change for Good will assist anyone to make a change of any kind, whatever the area—diet, fitness, stress, addictions, unskillful behaviors, anxiety, finances, spiritual practice…. Kind, compassionate encouragement for confronting personal issues head on and supportive tools for addressing the struggle are the differences in approach this book offers. Readers realize that lack clarity is the hindrance to addressing an issue, not lack of self-discipline. Rather than being caught in self-hating and self-blaming loops that veer us off course, we can learn to mentor ourselves, and this book teaches us how. The 30-day retreat at the end of the book provides a structure for practicing compassionate self-discipline.Table of Contents 1. Compassionate Self-Discipline and Presence: The Opportunity as We See It 2. Who’s Talking? 3. Meditation 4. Disidentification 5. The Voices of Self-Hate 6. Mentoring: Kind and Wise Support 7. Self-Discipline and Eating 8. Self-Discipline and Time Management 9. Self-Discipline vs. Self-Improvement 10. Awareness Practice Guided Retreat: 30 Days of Compassionate Self-Discipline
£12.56
Parallax Press Chanting from the Heart Vol I: Sutras and Chants
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£15.99
Penguin Books Ltd Dont Worry
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£13.49
Ebury Publishing How To Live When A Loved One Dies
Book SynopsisA comforting book that will offer relief to anyone moving through intense grief and loss, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh shares accessible, healing words of wisdom to transform our suffering. In the immediate aftermath of a loss, sometimes it is all we can do to keep breathing. With his signature clarity and compassion, Thich Nhat Hanh will guide you through the storm of emotions surrounding the death of a loved one. How To Live When A Loved One Dies offers powerful practices such as mindful breathing that will help you reconcile with death and loss, feel connected to your loved one long after they have gone and transform your grief into healing and joy.
£8.54
Profile Books Ltd Essays in Zen Buddhism
Book Synopsis'Suzuki's works on Zen Buddhism are among the best contributions to the knowledge of living Buddhism' Carl Jung Essays in Zen Buddhism was the first book to fully introduce Zen in the West. In it, Dr D.T. Suzuki outlines the origins of Zen as a unique Chinese interpretation of the Doctrine of Enlightenment with the aim of attaining Satori ('Sudden Enlightenment'). He describes how Satori can be achieved and the methods that can bring it about - but always stresses that Zen has to be a way of life that can cope with the demands and frustrations of everyday life. Exploring the history of Buddhism, the daily life of a Zen monk and the path to enlightenment, Essays in Zen Buddhism offers an understanding of Zen not as a religion but as a way of perceiving, acting and being. It is both a classic introduction to Zen and a foundation for living a fulfilled life. After reaching enlightenment at the age of 27, Dr Suzuki spent the next 65 years writing about Buddhism and teaching in universities in Europe and the US. Widely regarded as the twentieth century's leading authority on Buddhism, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1963.Trade ReviewSuzuki's works on Zen Buddhism are among the best contributions to the knowledge of living Buddhism. * Carl Jung *He speaks of what he has experienced... the essential quality of Zen. * Erich Fromm *Dr Suzuki writes with authority... he is a Buddhist... He is honoured in every temple in Japan for his knowledge of spiritual things. -- Christmas Humphreys
£11.69
Amber Books Ltd The Book of Tea: Japanese Tea Ceremonies and
Book Synopsis‘Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage,’ are the opening words of Okakura Kakuzō’s The Book of Tea, written in English in 1906 for a Western audience. The book is a long essay celebrating the secular art of the Japanese tea ceremony and linking its importance with Zen Buddhism and Taoism. It is both about cultural life, aesthetics and philosophy, emphasising how Teaism – a term Kakuzō coined – taught the Japanese many things; most importantly, simplicity, which can be seen in Japanese art and architecture. Looking back at the evolution of the Japanese tea ceremony, Kakuzō argues that Teaism, in itself, is one of the profound universal remedies that two parties could sit down to. Where the West had scoffed at Eastern religion and morals, it held Eastern tea ceremonies in high regard. With a new introduction, this is an exquisitely produced edition of a classic text made using traditional Chinese bookbinding techniques. Surely it’s time for tea.Table of ContentsIntroduction I. The Cup of Humanity II. The Schools of Tea III. Taoism and Zenism IV. The Tea-Room V. Art Appreciation VI. Flowers VII. Tea-Masters
£16.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet
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£14.39
Monkfish Book Publishing Company Untangling Karma: Intimate Zen Stories on Healing
Book Synopsis"This book is at once a love letter to Zen practice and a critique of late twentieth century American Zen. Judith inspires us to investigate our own karmic knots, and in the middle of this suffering, she invites us to walk quietly down to the neighborhood pond and take a cooling dip in the moonlight." —Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones, and many other booksUntangling Karma is a memoir of accepting and healing personal trauma, both on and off the meditation cushion. Author Judith Ragir, an American Zen teacher, has used her spiritual practice to overcome anger and self-imposed isolation and become more loving. In Buddhism, the personal and the systemic are interwoven. If we are to heal from trauma, we need to find and face our deeply held, often hidden pain. Because we have been raised in a society of greed, aggression, and confused values, this is something we all must do, regardless of our ethnic or racial background.Ragir lets fall the stereotypical cool, calm Zen teacher’s demeanor to reveal her complicated, emotional self. She discusses what she has done to find greater inner peace as well as the personal impacts of transferring an Eastern philosophy onto her Western mind and applying a male-inspired monastic model to herself as an American woman, Jew, and mother. Untangling Karma is at once a love letter to Zen Buddhism and a critique of turn-of-the-century American Zen.If we can be bold when facing our personal pain and traumatic experiences, says Ragir, and curious about our own karmic histories, then we can help build a more inclusive, healing-focused, 21st-century Buddhism.
£12.59
Hodder & Stoughton One Blade of Grass: A Zen Memoir
**A TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR SELECTION**As heard on The Tim Ferriss Show!'Captivating'TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT'The book Shukman was born to write'NATALIE GOLDBERG, author of WRITING DOWN THE BONES'A wonderful and generous book'DAVID HINTON, author of THE WILDS OF POETRY***One Blade of Grass is award-winning novelist and poet Henry Shukman's account of his journey through the world of Zen Buddhism. Raised in a rationalist household in Oxford during the spiritual heyday of the Sixties and Seventies, an unexpected spiritual awakening would prompt a lifelong quest to integrate the experience into his life, leading him eventually to Zen Buddhism. As Shukman gets to grips with meditative practice and struggles with anxiety, depression and the chronic eczema he had had since childhoods, he discovers in surprising ways the emotional, spiritual and even physical healing that he has been searching for all along.By turns humorous and moving, this beautifully written memoir demystifies Zen training, casting its profound insights in simple, lucid language, and takes the reader on a journey of their own, into the hidden treasures of life that contemplative practice can reveal to any of us.
£10.44
Inner Traditions Bear and Company The Finger and the Moon: Zen Teachings and Koans
Book SynopsisJodorowsky notes that most people are incapable of self-realization because of their fear of the void within, an emptiness they seek to fill with noise and chatter. He shows that Zen teachings can be compared to a finger pointing at the moon, directing you to awaken to your true nature--the Buddha within. The danger lies in mistaking the pointing finger for the moon, mistaking the words for the essential enlightenment, which can only be grasped once words have been surpassed. Unlike most tales, these stories are intended to evoke silent illumination--as true awakening and self-realization cannot occur until the mind has been stilled.Trade Review“No one alive today, anywhere, has been able to demonstrate the sheer possibilities of artistic invention--and in so many disciplines--as powerfully as Alejandro Jodorowsky.” * NPR Books *“Alejandro Jodorowsky is a demiurge and an interpreter of our stories, always exploring further the understanding of both the beauty and complexity revealed by humankind.” * Diana Widmaier Picasso, art historian *“Jodorowsky is a brilliant, wise, gentle, and cunning wizard with tremendous depth of imagination and crystalline insight into the human condition.” * Daniel Pinchbeck, author of Breaking Open the Head *“Alejandro Jodorowsky seamlessly and effortlessly weaves together the worlds of art, the confined social structure, and things we can only touch with an open heart and mind.” * Erykah Badu, artist and alchemist *“One of the most inspiring artists of our time. . . . A prophet of creativity.” * Kanye West, recording artist *“The Dance of Reality begs to be read as a culminating work. . . .” * Los Angeles Times *“The Dance of Reality [film] is a trippy but big-hearted reimagining of the young Alejandro’s unhappy childhood in a Chilean town. . . .” * New York Times Magazine *“Manual of Psychomagic is great . . . like a cookbook of very useful recipes that can help us to understand our life and the universe we live in.” * Marina AbramoviÄ?, performance artist *“His films El Topo and The Holy Mountain were trippy, perverse, and blasphemous.” * Wall Street Journal *“The best movie director ever!” * Marilyn Manson, musician, actor, and multimedia artist *Table of ContentsPROLOGUE Experience with Ejo Takata (Mexico, 1961) The Essential Sound of Emptiness ZEN AND JAPANESE STORIES Swallowing the Serpent The Two Cat Doors The Fool and the Theologian Crossing the River Eyes Wide Open The Monks and the Rabbits Miracle and Faith The Zen Garden Attention Ignorance and Enlightenment The Interview Hell and Paradise Pay Attention An Impassive Old Man The Test of the Jar The Head of the Dog The Learning Process KOANS Regarding Koan Masters and Disciples The Wooden Buddha in the Temple Fire Water What Is Buddha? Back to the World Infinity Is Buddha in the Dog? Seizing the Sky The Master’s Bones The Master’s Death Two Monks and a Nightingale The White Stone The Heart of the Tree The Visit of Master Tanka Mokugen’s Smile Submit! Open Hand, Closed Hand Cutting Off Buddha’s Neck A Million Things The One-Pound Shirt Break the Shape Where Are You? Becoming One with the Path The Dog’s Nature Nansen’s Arrow Joshu and the Birds The Monk, the Bridge, and the River The Spirit at the Center Falling into the Well The Sleeping Attendant Constant Inconstancy The Thousand Hands of the Buddha of Compassion The Master’s Heart Ten Thousand Stronger than Buddha Interior and Exterior The Best Piece of Meat The Three Worlds What Has Become of the Old Masters? A Definition of Zen Facing Disaster Tchao-Tcheu Tests an Old Woman The Mocking Gloss of Wu-Men Arakuine’s Tears Enlightenment The Candle The Master’s Gratitude HAIKUS GLOSSARY INDEX
£12.34
Shambhala Publications Inc How to Cook Your Life: From the Zen Kitchen to
Book SynopsisThis modern-day commentary on Dogen’s Instructions for a Zen Cook reveals how everyday activities—like cooking—can be incorporated into our spiritual practice In the thirteenth century, Zen master Dogen—perhaps the most significant of all Japanese philosophers, and the founder of the Japanese Soto Zen sect—wrote a practical manual of Instructions for the Zen Cook. In drawing parallels between preparing meals for the Zen monastery and spiritual training, he reveals far more than simply the rules and manners of the Zen kitchen; he teaches us how to "cook," or refine our lives. In this volume Kosho Uchiyama Roshi undertakes the task of elucidating Dogen''s text for the benefit of modern-day readers of Zen. Taken together, his translation and commentary truly constitute a "cookbook for life," one that shows us how to live with an unbiased mind in the midst of our workaday world.
£15.29
HarperCollins Publishers The Buddhist on Death Row The inspirational true
Book SynopsisFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author, an extraordinary story of redemption in the darkest of places.Jarvis Jay Masters's early life was a horror story whose outline we know too well. Born in Long Beach, California, his house was filled with crack, alcohol, physical abuse, and men who paid his mother for sex. He and his siblings were split up and sent to foster care when he was five, and he progressed quickly to juvenile detention, car theft, armed robbery, and ultimately San Quentin. While in prison, he was set up for the murder of a guard a conviction which landed him on death row, where he's been since 1990.At the time of his murder trial, he was held in solitary confinement, torn by rage and anxiety, felled by headaches, seizures, and panic attacks. A criminal investigator repeatedly offered to teach him breathing exercises which he repeatedly refused, until desperation moved him.With uncanny clarity, David Sheff describes Masters's gradual but profound transformation fromTrade Review‘This is a beautiful, profoundly spiritual book, and a page-turner. Jarvis Jay Masters’s transformation, from an unloved child of violence and poverty to Buddhist teacher on Death Row, is thrilling. Reading it changed me, threw the lights on, opened and gentled my heart. I’m going to give it to everyone I know.’ Anne Lamott, New York Times bestselling author of Almost Everything ‘This profound, gorgeous book displays the miraculous human capacity to find redemption, and even joy, no matter who or where we are. Jarvis Masters’s story proves that we are all united by our suffering and by our potential to help others who suffer.’ Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking ‘An inspiring book about how meaning can be found even in—perhaps especially in—adversity. It’s a study of Buddhism, of criminal justice, of the ways people connect with each other, and it’s written with deep feeling and verve.’ Andrew Solomon, New York Times bestselling author of Far from the Tree ‘I believe [this book] will encourage many people to examine their own lives and their unrealized potential for awareness, generosity, commitment, and courage.’ Rebecca Solnit, author of Men Explain Things to Me ‘I’m grateful to be Jarvis Masters’s teacher in part because he has taught me so much. I have rarely encountered anyone who expresses the essence of Buddhism in a clearer, more moving way than he does, and I deeply admire how David Sheff has captured that hard-won wisdom in this book.’ Pema Chodron, author of When Things Fall Apart ‘This book celebrates a liberation not gained by guns and gangs, prison breaks and murder, but by sitting with one’s breath and believing in the perfection of the universe and all who strive and suffer within it. The Buddhist on Death Row is a deeply useful reminder that we can all be free regardless of where we are placed.’ Alice Walker
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Everyday Zen
Book SynopsisCharlotte Joko Beck offers a warm, engaging, uniquely American approach to using Zen to deal with the problems of daily living—love, relationships, work, fear, ambition, and suffering. Everyday Zen shows us how to live each moment to the fullest. This Plus edition includes an interview with the author.
£14.44
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Book SynopsisTHE CLASSIC BOOK THAT HAS INSPIRED MILLIONSA penetrating examination of how we live and how to live betterFew books transform a generation and then establish themselves as touchstones for the generations that follow. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one such book. This modern epic of a man?s search for meaning became an instant bestseller on publication in 1974, acclaimed as one of the most exciting books in the history of American letters. It continues to inspire millions.A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son,Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenancebecomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions on how to live. The narrator''s relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reckoning; the craft of motorcycle maintenance leads to an austerely beautiful process for reconciling science, religion, and humanism. Resonant with the confusions of existence, this classic is a touching and transcendent book of life.This new edition contains an interview with Pirsig and letters and documents detailing how this extraordinary book came to be.
£17.09
