Zen Buddhism Books

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

Read more less

Book Synopsis''The basic idea of Zen is to touch the inner workings of our being, and to do this in the most direct way possible.''In this widely praised introduction, Dr D.T. Suzuki presents the nature, technique and practice of Zen with exceptional clarity, wisdom and frankness. A Japanese Zen master who was also a highly respected authority on Mahayana Buddhism and who regularly taught in the USA and Europe, Suzuki was uniquely qualified to explain Zen to an international readership.Zen is described by the author as the keystone of Oriental culture. This book is essential reading for all Zen students and for everyone who wishes to understand the psychology of the Far East.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTwo classic Zen Buddhist texts that present the foundational teachings of the tradition—now collected in one volume for the modern practitionerThe Diamond Sutra, composed in India in the fourth century CE, is one of the most treasured works of Buddhist literature and is the oldest existing printed book in the world. It is known as the Diamond Sutra because its teachings are said to be like diamonds that cut away all dualistic thought, releasing one from the attachment to objects and bringing one to the further shore of enlightenment. The format of this important sutra is presented as a conversation between the Buddha and one of his disciples. The Sutra of Hui-neng, also known as the Platform Sutra, contains the autobiography of a pivotal figure in Zen history and some of the most profound passages of Zen literature. Hui-neng (638–713) was the sixth patriarch of Zen in China but is often regarded as the true father of the Zen tradition. He was a poor, illiterate woodcutter who is said to have attained enlightenment upon hearing a recitation of the Diamond Sutra. Together, these two scriptures present the central teaching of the Zen Buddhist tradition and are essential reading for all students of Buddhism.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLet go of parenting expectations and fears to raise courageous, confident children.The Zen Mama philosophy is that mother and child complement each other in adventures and experiences, always putting safety first but without getting caught up in the anxieties, drama, impossible expectations and mental baggage that too often comes along with modern parenting. Learning to become a Zen Mama will help you grow and nurture a Zen Child - someone who isn''t afraid to be different, who can stand up for himself or his friends, and can travel the world and experiment with new things without being overwhelmed with self-doubt or being scared. Full of facts, actionable advice and practical tips, this book will be about combining the heart and the head with what works for you and your family, not comparing yourselves to others or meeting a societal standard. It will support and nurture the mother''s journey like a wise and sympathetic friend and offers ideas and expeTrade ReviewI struggled with confidence when raising my four children, always comparing my mothering skills to other 'perfect' mums. Sarah's advice and warm-hearted approach will help you let go of the judgement and embrace the facts: that you are a good mother, that you have a clear purpose and that you will flourish on this wonderful journey of motherhood. -- Julie Montagu * Wellness icon and author of RECHARGE *Sarah has an alluring honesty and humour for how to raise children in a kind, compassionate and relaxed way. I wholeheartedly resonated with her! -- Iben Dissing Sandahl * bestselling author of THE DANISH WAY OF PARENTING *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers selections from the foundational texts of the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Zen traditions. This title provides students with an introduction to the first 1200 years of this tradition. It includes general introduction and notes that provide historical, biographical, and cultural context.Trade Review"[T]he Zen Sourcebook [is] an excellent cross-section of some of the most important texts in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Zen. The translations [are] well chosen from among the best available. . . . This is an excellent sourcebook for both beginners and serious practitioners." —John Daido Loori, Abbot, Zen Mountain Monastery"This is an excellent book . . . to be commended for its wide coverage; the Korean material is especially hard to find. . . . The short introductions to the selections are lucid, informative and focused, providing a good framework through which to understand the readings. Anyone who wants to work directly with translations of the primary texts, rather than textbook summaries, will find this book the most convenient available." —Brook Ziporyn, Northwestern University"The timeless words of Zen masters running the gamut from the well-known (Dogen and Bodhidharma) to the more obscure (miscellaneous Chinese nuns) can be found in [this book]. . . The teachings, which come in many forms—poetry, letters, and artwork among them—serve as primary texts, while pithy introductions provide historical background on topics ranging from the declining influence of Zen masters in seventeenth-century Japan to Korean master So Sahn's famous army of five thousand monks. This collection of Zen delights offers plenty of teachings to sink your teeth into, including this Blue Cliff Record koan: "A monk asked Yun-men, 'What is the teaching that goes beyond Buddhas and Patriarchs?' Yun-men said, 'A sesame bun.'" Bon appetit." —Tricycle"[A]n invaluable collection of teachings from China, Korea, and Japan, revealing Zen's brilliant use of language to evoke the Buddha's realization." —Buddhadharma"This sourcebook seem to me to be a uniquely rich and valuable treasure trove."—Rachel Hadas, Department of English, Rutgers University"I find that students from all academic backgrounds are able to access the material, yet it is scholarly and rigorous. I particularly appreciate the inclusion of the nuns' poetry, which other collections (such as The Roaring Stream) tend to ignore." —Alison Jameson, Department of East Asian Studies, University of Arizona

Read more less

Book SynopsisA simple, exhaustive—and often hilarious—presentation of the essence of Zen by a modern Zen Master of considerable renown In his many years of teaching throughout the world, the Korean-born Zen Master Seung Sahn has become known for his ability to cut to the heart of Buddhist teaching in a way that is strikingly clear, yet free of esoteric and academic language. In this book, based largely on his talks, he presents the basic teachings of Buddhism and Zen in a way that is wonderfully accessible for beginners—yet so rich with stories, insights, and personal experiences that long-time meditation students will also find it a source of inspiration and a resource for study.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs Zen takes root in the west, new forms arise. For centuries Zen masters have tested their students with koans and capping phrases. A koan is a spiritual paradox that must be solved intuitively. A capping phrase is a trenchant comment. Both are meditative practices that reveal deeper truths about the self and, ideally, lead to enlightenment. In Zen Traces, Buddhist scholar Kenneth Kraft plays off these practices in a new idiom. He selects passages from four sources: traditional Zen, present-day Zen, Henry David Thoreau, and Mark Twain. When a koan-like story about a contemporary Zen teacher is paired with a pithy comment by Mark Twain, something fresh emerges.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis Zen Buddhist guide to mindful living is “a thoughtful, sensitive examination of how to be a genuinely good person in this world” (Sharon Salzlberg, author of Lovingkindness) Life is rising up to meet us at every moment. The question is: Are we there to meet it or not? Diane Rizzetto presents a simple but supremely effective practice for meeting every moment of our lives with mindfulness, using the Zen precepts as tools to develop a keen awareness of the motivations behind every aspect of our behavior—to “wake up to what we do”—from moment to moment.   As we train in mindfulness of our actions, every situation of our lives becomes our teacher, offering priceless insight into what it really means to be happy. It’s a simple practice with transformative potential, enabling us to break through our habitual reactions and to see clearly how our own happiness and well-being are intimately, inevitably connected to the happiness and well-being of everyone around us.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisRediscovery of Chinese lost gods

Read more less

Book SynopsisBased on the Zen philosophy that we learn more from our failures than from our successes, One Continuous Mistake teaches a refreshing new method for writing as spiritual practice. In this unique guide for writers of all levels, Gail Sher—a poet who is also a widely respected teacher of creative writing—combines the inspirational value of Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way with the spiritual focus of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. Here she introduces a method of discipline that applies specific Zen practices to enhance and clarify creative work. She also discusses bodily postures that support writing, how to set up the appropriate writing regimen, and how to discover one's own learning personality.In the tradition of such classics as Writing Down the Bones and If You Want to Write, One Continuous Mistake will help beginning writers gain access to their creative capabilities while serving as a perennial reference that working wriTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: A Writing "Habit"Exercise: Writing Zazen1. Four Noble Truths for Writers2. Pointing Directly at Your Own Heart, You'll Find Buddha3. Single-Minded Effort4. Grandmother's Fingerpointing5. A Writing "Habit"6. Waves of the Sea Belong to the Sea7. Writing Posture8. The Kiss of the Asp9. The Writer's Middle Way10. DistractionsPart II: Like Jesus, It's From God. And From You.Exercise: Writing Kinhin11. Stay-at-Home Days12. Fleeting Thoughts13. Books Read Us14. Reading Supports Writing—But Watch Out!15. Bleached-Bone Simplicity16. Ode to a Drawer17. The Rubbery Time of Revision18. One Continuous Mistake19. Like Jesus, It's From God. And From You.20. Ping!21. Five Pillars of WritingPart III. The Lesson of Little Red Riding HoodExercise: Sneaking Up On Your Mind22. Tigers in the Lowland23. Invisible Practice24. The Gentle Cycle25. Writer's Block: The Magic Mountain26. Writer's Anorexia: The Abuse of Creative Power27. The Lesson of Little Red Riding Hood28. Writing ParentsPart IV. Beauty Plus PityExercise: Watching the Mind29. If I Think About Myself, Does That Mean I'm Selfish?30. Writer-Jock31. Writing and "Right" Livelihood32. Who Is Writing Better Vedas?33. Ripples on the Surface of the Water34. Art Is Theft, Art Is Armed Robbery, Art Is Not Pleasing Your Mother35. Beauty Plus Pity36. A Button and a Few Bones37. Life Is Not KilledPart V. A Word Is a Charged SituationExercise: Mot Juste38. Huckleberry "K"39. Tibetan English40. The Told Story41. Art for Life's Sake42. The Look of a Voice43. Grasp the Thing, Words Will Follow44. Wild by LawPart VI. "No, No—Poetry Is Serious! Zen Is Not Serious."Exercise: Silence Is Not Silence Is Not Silence45. The Gospel According to This Moment46. "Ashes Do Not Come Back to Firewood"47. Lady Murasaki's Insight48. Heron and I49. Lean Words & Quietly50. The Frida Kahlo Principle51. An Angel in the House52. Not Knowing53. One World at a TimeAppendicesA. Guidelines for Beginning Writers of HaikuB. Your Reading PersonalityC. Your Learning PersonalityNotesBibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisJeffrey L. Broughton offers an annotated translation of the Whip for Spurring Students Onward Through the Chan Barrier Checkpoints (Changuan cejin), which he abbreviates to Chan Whip. This anthology, compiled by Yunqi Zhuhong (1535-1615), has served as a Chan handbook in both China and Japan since its publication in 1600. To characterize the Chan Whip as late Ming Chan is inaccuratein fact, it is a survey of virtually the entirety of Chan literature, running from the late 800s (Tang dynasty) to about 1600 (late Ming). The Chan extracts, the bulk of the book, are followed by a short section of extracts from Buddhist canonical works (showing Zhuhongs adherence to the convergence of Chan and the teachings). The Chan extracts deliberately eschew abstract discussions of theory in favor of autobiographical narratives, anecdotal sketches, exhortations, sermons, sayings, and letters that deal very franklysometimes humorouslywith the concrete ups and downs of lived practice. Recent decades haveTrade ReviewBroughton delivers a very well crafted and eruditely annotated translation of the work. Those familiar with literary Chinese will also be happy to see that the original text is annexed. This is an important contribution to the growing body of scholarly translations of seminal Chan literature, deserving a wide readership. * Lukas Pokorny, University of Vienna *The Chan Whip (C. Changuan cejin, K. Songwan chaekchin, J. Zenkan sakushin) is a work that played a major role in the revival of gongan (K. kongan, J. koan) practice that swept the Chan, Son, and Zen schools of Buddhism in East Asia in the seventeenth century, and its influence continues to be felt down to the present. Jeffrey Broughton provides a clear and consistent translation of this inspiring but difficult work, together with a critical apparatus that is well-designed to make it as accessible as possible to a Western audience. Scholars and practitioners alike can benefit greatly from his philological expertise and sensitive interpretations of the material. * T. Griffith Foulk, Professor of Religion, Sarah Lawrence College *Table of ContentsAbbreviations ; Introduction ; Whip for Spurring Students Onward Through the Chan Barrier Checkpoints ; Preface to Whip for Spurring Students Onward Through the Chan Barrier Checkpoints ; Front Collection: The First Gate ; Front Collection: The Second Gate ; Back Collection: Single Gate ; Chinese Text of Changuan cejin ; Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisKoans are enigmatic spiritual formulas used for religious training in the Zen Buddhist tradition. This innovative religious practice is one of the most distinctive elements of this tradition, which originated in medieval China and spread to Japan and Korea. Perhaps no dimension of Asian religous has attracted so much interest in the West, and its influence is apparent from beat poetry to deconstructive literary critisism. The essays collected in this volume, all previously unpublished, argue that our understanding of the koan tradition has been severely limited. The authors try to undermine stereotypes and problematic interpretations by examining previously unrecognized factors in the formation of the tradition, and by highlighting the rich complexity and remarkable diversity of koan practice and literature.Trade ReviewThose with a serious interest in the history of Zen Buddhism will find the essays collected here an invaluable resource ... appropriate for both undergraduate and graduate libraries. * Religious Studies Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBodhidharma, its first patriarch, reputedly said that Zen Buddhism represents a special transmission outside the teaching/Without reliance on words and letters. This saying, along with the often perplexing use of language (and silence) by Zen masters, gave rise to the notion that Zen is a lived religion, based strictly on non-linguistic practice and lacking a substantial canon of sacred texts. Even those who recognize the importance of Zen texts commonly limit their focus to a few select texts without recognizing the wide variety of Zen literature. This collection of previously unpublished essays argues that Zen actually has a rich and varied literary heritage. Among the most significant textual genres are hagiographic accounts and recorded sayings of individual Zen masters, koan collections and commentaries, and rules for monastic life. During times of political turmoil in China and Japan, these texts were crucial to the survival and success of Zen, and they have for centuries been va

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Chan (Zen in Japanese) school of Chinese Buddhism began when, in the seventh century, a small religious community gathered around a Buddhist monk named Hongren. Over the centuries, Chan Buddhism grew from an obscure movement to an officially recognized and eventually dominant form of Buddhism in China and throughout East Asia. In this book Albert Welter presents, for the first time in a comprehensive fashion in a Western work, the story of the rise of Chan, a story which has been obscured by myths about Zen. Zen apologists in the twentieth century, Welter argues, sold the world on the story of Zen as a transcendental spiritualism untainted by political and institutional involvements. In fact, Welter shows that the opposite is true: relationships between Chan monks and political rulers were crucial to Chan''s success. The book concentrates on an important but neglected period of Chan history, the 10th and 11th centuries, when monks and rulers created the so-called Chan golden age and the classic principles of Chan identity.Trade ReviewWelter's Monks, Rulers, and Literati is a much needed and very readable work that presents a rich and multifaceted picture of the development of Chan and significantly advances our understanding of it. It is a must-read for every scholar interested in Chinese Buddhism. I will also be highly useful in graduate seminars and even in upper-level undergraduate courses. * Journal of Chinese Religions *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a companion volume to The Koan and The Zen Canon, by the same editors. The first volume collected original essays on koan collections, recorded sayings of individual masters, histories of major schools, and compilations of monastic regulations. The second focuses on the early history of Zen in China, providing overview assessments of many of the most important canonical texts that set the Zen tradition in motion throughout East Asia. Zen Classics will follow that historical movement, focusing primarily on texts from Korea and Japan that brought this Buddhist movement to fruition. Although enormously diverse in style and structure all of the texts and genres of texts considered here were fundamental to the unfolding of Zen in East Asia. The range of genres reveals the varieties of Zen practice, from rules of daily practice to sermons and meditation manuals. The all new essays in this volume will be contributed by an international team of distinguished scholars of Buddhism. It is aimed at a broad audience including college students, Zen practitioners, and scholars of East Asian history, religion, and culture, as well as specialists in Buddhist history.Trade Reviewa welcome addition to university libraries * The Middle Way *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince Zen Buddhism first captivated the attention of Western seekers the dominant discourse about this sect has been romantic, idealistic, and utopian. The essence of Zen has been described as ineffable, wholistic, and promoting social harmony. In recent years, however, some scholars have begun to examine Zen through the lenses of historical and cultural criticism, producing a sharp challenge to the traditional view. These clashing viewpoints are now entrenched in two warring camps, and their exponents talk past each other with virtually no constructive interaction. In this book, Steven Heine argues that a constructive compromise is possible. He focuses on three principal areas of disagreement: (1) the role of language and discourse in a tradition that claims to be ''outside words and letters,'' yet has produced a voluminous body of texts, (2) the function of rituals and objects of worship to gain world benefit in a tradition supposedly founded on unmediated experience attained in an iTrade ReviewIn each chapter he [Heine] brings to attention a number of examples that playfully juxtapose both sides of the story..By bringing together discussions about literature, ritual and ethics in one book, Heine portrays Zen as a multidimensional, multivocal tradition...[this is] an excellent contribution to scholarship...[which] contains a number of engaging observations * Brian Black, Times Higher Education Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs a religion concerned with eternal salvation, Zen is based on and grew out of a Buddhist worldview very different from the currently prevalent scientific materialism. Indeed, says Taigen Dan Leighton, Zen cannot be fully understood outside of a worldview that sees reality itself as a vital, ephemeral agent of awareness and healing. In this book, Leighton explicates that worldview through the writings of the Zen master Eihei Dogen (1200-1253), considered the founder of the Japanese Soto Zen tradition, which is now spreading in many places in the West. Broader awareness of Dogen''s worldview and its implications, says Leighton, is helpful for a modern understanding of Zen and Mahayana praxis, and is relevant to contemporary environmental and ethical concerns.Trade Review"Leighton's clear, articulate prose renders Dogen's writings alive, accessible, and relevant to life in the twenty-first century."-Philosophy East and WestTable of ContentsI. THE PIVOTAL LOTUS STORY AND DOGEN'S WORLDVIEW ; II. . Hermeneutics and Discourse Styles in Study of the Lotus Sutra and Dogen ; III. . Selected East Asian Interpretations of the Story ; IV. . Dogen's Interpretations of this Lotus Sutra Story ; V. . Dogen's View of Earth, Space, and Time Seen in Mahayana Context ; AFTERWORD: IMPLICATIONS OF DOGEN'S MAHAYANA WORLDVIEW

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume continues the work of a recent collection published in 2012 by Oxford University Press, Dogen: Textual and Historical Studies. It features some of the same outstanding authors as well as some new experts who explore diverse aspects of the life and teachings of Zen master Dogen (1200-1253), the founder of the Soto Zen sect (or Sotoshu) in early Kamakura-era Japan. The contributors examine the ritual and institutional history of the Soto school, including the role of the Eiheji monastery established by Dogen as well as various kinds of rites and precepts performed there and at other temples. Dogen and Soto Zen builds upon and further refines a continuing wave of enthusiastic popular interest and scholarly developments in Western appropriations of Zen. In the last few decades, research in English and European languages on Dogen and Soto Zen has grown, aided by an increasing awareness on both sides of the Pacific of the important influence of the religious movement and its founTrade ReviewThis book offers many original insights into both Dogen (1200-1253) and the influence of the Soto school that his teachings later inspired... This volume of collected essays by respected academics is another valuable contribution from editor Steven Heine. * Taigen Dan Leighton, Monumenta Nipponica *This excellent volume sheds new and corrective light on Dogen and the Soto Zen tradition. Exploring a rich array of topics- Dogen's views of meditation, women, poetry, and death; his standing as a philosopher; distinctive Soto approaches to texts, precepts, liturgical practices, robes, and monastic architecture-the contributors bridge the divide between textual analyses of Dogen's thought and scholarship on institutional facets of Soto Zen. A must read for anyone with a serious interest in Zen. * Christopher Ives, author of Imperial-Way Zen *Heine is one of the most important Dogen scholars active today ... the volume continues to build on recent trends in Buddhist/Zen studies ... Highly recommended. * G. Wrisley, CHOICE *Table of ContentsContributors ; Acknowledgments ; Abbreviations ; Editor's Introduction: Two for the Price of One - Steven Heine ; Part I. Studies of Dogen ; 1. Dogen's Use of Rujing's 'Just Sit' (shikan taza) and Other Koans - T. Griffith Foulk ; 2. 'Raihaitokuzui' and Dogen's Views of Gender and Women: A Reconsideration - Miriam Levering ; 3. Dogen, A Medieval Japanese Monk Well-Versed in Chinese Poetry: What He Did and Did Not Compose - Steven Heine ; 4. Negotiating the Divide of Death in Japanese Buddhism: Dogen's Difference - John C. Maraldo ; 5. 'When all Dharmas are the Buddha-dharma': Dogen as Comparative Philosopher - Gereon Kopf ; Part II. Studies of Soto Zen ; 6. Keizan's Denkoroku: A Textual and Contextual Overview - William M. Bodiford ; 7. Are Soto Zen Precepts for Ethical Guidance or Ceremonial Transformation? Menzan's Attempted Reforms and Contemporary Practices - David Riggs ; 8. Vocalizing the Remembrance of Dogen: A Study of the Shinpen Hoon Koshiki - Michaela Mross ; 9. Interpreting the Material Heritage of the 'Elephant Trunk Robe' in Soto Zen - Diane Riggs ; 10. Embodying Soto Zen: Institutional Identity and Ideal Body-Image at Daihonzan Eiheiji - Pamela D. Winfield ; Sino-Japanese Glossary ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisEnlightenment in Dispute is the first comprehensive study of the revival of Chan Buddhism in seventeenth-century China. Focusing on the evolution of a series of controversies about Chan enlightenment, Jiang Wu describes the process by which Chan reemerged as the most prominent Buddhist establishment of the time. He investigates the development of Chan Buddhism in the seventeenth century, focusing on controversies involving issues such as correct practice and lines of lineage. In this way, he shows how the Chan revival reshaped Chinese Buddhism in late imperial China. Situating these controversies alongside major events of the fateful Ming-Qing transition, Wu shows how the rise and fall of Chan Buddhism was conditioned by social changes in the seventeenth century.Table of ContentsConventions and Explanatory Notes ; Chronology ; Introduction ; Part I: The Context of Seventeenth-Century China ; 1. Reenvisioning Buddhism in the Late Ming ; 2. The Literati and Chan Buddhism ; 3. The Rise of Chan Buddhism ; Part II: The Principle of Chan ; 4. Clashes among Enlightened Minds ; 5. The Divergence of Interpretation ; 6. The Yongzheng Emperor and Imperial Intervention ; Part III: Lineage Matters ; 7. The Debate about Tianhuang Daowu and Tianwang Daowu in the Late Ming ; 8. The Lawsuit about Feiyin Tongrong's Wudeng yantong in the Early Qing ; 9. The Aftermath ; Part IV: Critical Analysis ; 10. Explaining the Rise and Fall of Chan Buddhism ; 11. The Pattern of Buddhist Revival in the Past ; Concluding Remarks ; Appendix 1 ; Appendix 2 ; Appendix 3 ; Glossary ; Abbreviations of Dictionaries and Collections ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA long overdue corrective to the androcentric scholarship that has ignored Zen nuns'' importance.... This very readable book is ideal for classroom use.-Religious Studies ReviewArai''s sensitive first-hand account is at times emotional, but the reflexive recollections that derive from her personal experiences and interactions with the nuns are insightful and well documented....the book is valuable in providing us with a different mode of appreciation in order to understand the position of women living in [an]other religious and cultural context.--Japanese Journal of Religious StudiesThis is an anthropological study, carried out with love, care, and attention to detail...By the end of the journey, readers will find themselves moved, their humanity reassured and refreshed.--Journal of Asian StudiesIn this study, based on both historical evidence and ethnographic data, Paula Arai shows that nuns were central agents in the foundation of Buddhism in Japan in the sixth century. They were actTrade Review...a long overdue corrective to the androcentric scholarship that has ignored Zen nuns' importance.... This very readable book is ideal for classroom use. * Religious Studies Review *...a long overdue corrective to the androcentric scholarship that has ignored Zen nuns' importance.... This very readable book is ideal for classroom use. * Religious Studies Review *A long overdue corrective to the androcentric scholarship that has ignored Zen nuns' importance . . . This very readable book is ideal for classroom use. * Religious Studies Review *Arai's sensitive first-hand account is at times emotional, but the reflexive recollections that derive from her personal experiences and interactions with the nuns are insightful and well documented....the book is valuable in providing us with a different mode of appreciation in order to understand the position of women living in another religious and cultural context. * Japanese Journal of Religious Studies *This is an anthropological study, carried out with love, care, and attention to detail...By the end of the journey, readers will find themselves moved, their humanity reassured and refreshed. * Journal of Asian Studies *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Transliteration Guide ; Prologue ; One: Introduction ; Scholarly Contexts ; Theoretical Considerations ; Methodological Considerations ; Two: Historical Background ; Pioneering Monastics ; Dogen and Women ; Tokugawa Encroachments ; Meiji Reclamations ; Three: Twentieth-Century Leadership ; First Generation: Rapid Ascent Through Education ; Second Generation: Stategists of Egalitarianism ; Third Generation: Zen Master of a New Tradition ; Four: The Monastic Practices of Zen Nuns ; Nuns' Vision of Monastic Life ; Daily Life in a Monastery of Zen Nuns ; Divisions within the Monastery ; Ceremonial Rituals and Activities ; Educational Curriculum and Degrees ; The Aesthetics of Discipline ; Five: Motivations, Commitments, and Self-Perceptions ; Changing Life Patterns of Twentieth-Century Zen ; Buddhist Practice: Meaning and Action ; Nuns' Views on Monastic Life ; Six: Conclusion: Innovators for the Sake of Tradition ; Preservers and Creators of Buddhist Tradition ; Bearers and Transmitters of Traditional Japanese Culture ; Notes ; Appendix A: Questionnaire ; Appendix B: Glossary of Japanese Terms ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Linjilu (Record of Linji or LJL) is one of the foundational texts of Chan/Zen Buddhist literature, and an accomplished work of baihua (vernacular) literature. Its indelibly memorable title character, the Master Linji--infamous for the shout, the whack of the rattan stick, and the declaration that sutras are toilet paper--is himself an embodiment of the very teachings he propounds to his students: he is a true person, free of dithering; he exhibits the non-verbal, unconstrained spontaneity of the buddha-nature; he is always active, never passive; and he is aware that nothing is lacking at all, at any time, in his round of daily activities. This bracing new translation transmits the LJL''s living expression of Zen''s personal realization of the meaning beyond words, as interpreted by ten commentaries produced by Japanese Zen monks, over a span of over four centuries, ranging from the late 1300s, when Five-Mountains Zen flourished in Kyoto and Kamakura, through the early 1700s, an ageTrade ReviewJeffrey Broughton's Record of Linji is a magnificent work of scholarship. It translates what the author rightly calls 'the most prominent work in all of Chan literature,' and goes far beyond all previous translations in making this seminal text understandable by embedding the ten most important Zen commentaries into the original text. This rich textual tradition is made readily available to readers of Broughton's translation and the result is an opportunity to enter into Chan and Zen discourse that has been previously unavailable to western readers. * Dale Wright, David B. and Mary H. Gamble Professor in Religion, Occidental College *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Abbreviations ; Introduction ; Translation of the Linjilu ; Part I: Dharma-Hall Convocations ; Part II: Sangha Instruction ; Part III: Calibrating and Adjudicating ; Part IV: Record of the Karman of the Master's Career ; Part V: Stupa Record of Chan Master Linji Huizhao ; Yuanjue Zongyan's Xuanhe 2 (1120) Linjilu Edition (LJL) ; Appendix 1: Pre-Song Linji and Puhua Sayings and Episodes Preserved in the Collection of the Patriarchal Hall (Zutangji) ; Appendix 2: Pre-Song Linji Sayings Preserved in the Mind-Mirror Record (Zongjinglu) ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn his definitive introduction to Zen Buddhism, Alan Watts (the perfect guide for a course correction in life —Deepak Chopra), explains the principles and practices of this ancient religion. With a rare combination of freshness and lucidity, he delves into the origins and history of Zen to explain what it means for the world today with incredible clarity. Watts saw Zen as “one of the most precious gifts of Asia to the world,” and in The Way of Zen he gives this gift to readers everywhere.“Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, Watts had the rare gift of ‘writing beautifully the unwritable.’” —Los Angeles Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisMaster Sheng-yen, a dharma descendant from the founders of Buddhism in China, considers the concepts of suffering, enlightenment, and compassion; provides a glossary of key terms; and briefly recaps the history of Buddhism in China. But he goes beyond these issues to discuss contemporary matters and questions he has encountered in his years of teaching in the United States. Sometimes personal and always instructive, Sheng-yen's introductory work is perfect for those just coming to Buddhism, and for those who are already very familiar with the Tibetan and Zen schools.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis biography concentrates on Tosui's years as a beggar and labourer, recounting episodes from an unorthodox life while at the same time opening a new window on 17th-century Japan.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTakuan Sōho’s (1573–1645) two works on Zen and swordsmanship are among the most straightforward and lively presentations of Zen ever written and have enjoyed great popularity in both pre-modern and modern Japan.

Read more less