Search results for ""Windhorse Publications""

One of the seminal texts in the Buddhist literary canon, "The Dhammapada" presents the timeless wisdom of the Buddha. This edition is introduced and translated by the founder of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order and is annotated for ease of understanding. It can be taken as a straightforward and practical summary of the essential teachings of the Buddha, but - much more than that - the "Dhammapada" is a poetic representation of a sublime spiritual ideal.

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This illuminating collection of previously unpublished talks traces the development of Sangharakshita's presentation of the Dharma in the West from 1965 to 2011. It includes some of his characteristic teachings in their earliest forms (the levels of Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels, for example), and makes other talks accessible for the first time in published form. We see the unfolding of the Buddhist movement he founded, from Sangharakshita's talks before the movement began, his early teachings that foreshadow aspects of its nature, and then its beginnings in a basement in 1960s London. Other talks cover development of the sangha over the years, and Sangharakshita's reflections on what would help it develop in the years to come. Drawing on a wide range of sources, from the Pali canon and The Tibetan Book of the Dead to Beowulf and William Wordsworth, there are many intriguing perspectives: an exploration of Buddhist psychology, the histories of great teachers like Padmasambhava and Atisa, reflections on going forth, creativity, the demons around and within us, the role of the will in the spiritual life, and much more. The final talks in the volume, given towards the end of Sangharakshita's life, are more personal, and they include reflections on dreams, old age and rebirth.

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Most of us constantly look outside ourselves for something: happiness, love, contentment. But this something is not out there. 'It' is within us. We are full of these qualities: happiness, love, contentment and more. In It's Not Out There, Buddhist teacher and mentor, Danapriya, helps you to look inside yourself in such a way that life becomes more vivid, joyful and extraordinary. If you want to suffer less and to live life more fully, this book is for you. It's about seeing the reality of the human predicament, and seeing through the illusions that create unnecessary pain for yourself and others. This book uncovers the fertile ground of your own potential, and enables you to live the life you are here for. Stop, look, listen and sense, you are worth it.

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'The Bodhisattva ideal is a vast subject. It is the major distinctive emphasis of the phase of the development of Buddhism known as the Mahāyāna, which had its flowering for a period of around 500 years (0–500CE), but is still practised today in many different forms, from Tibetan Buddhism to Zen. To consider this topic is to place one’s hand on the very heart of Buddhism, and feel the beating of that heart.' Thus Sangharakshita introduces his theme. The first part of this volume describes the arising of the bodhicitta and the bodhisattva's path to Enlightenment in a weaving together of the sublime and the inspiringly practical, and the second part is a commentary on Śāntideva's classic 8th-century text, the Bodhicaryāvatara, based on a seminar given in 1973, in the very early days of Triratna, thus shaping the newly emerging Buddhist movement. The seminar was titled The Endlessly Fascinating Cry, echoing Śāntideva's fervent prayer: 'In order to grasp this jewel of the mind, I offer ... the endlessly fascinating cry of wild geese ...' The volume ends with 'The Bodhisattva Principle', a talk given in 1983 to a conference of scientists and mystics in which Sangharakshita presents a vision of the bodhisattva as an embodiment of the key to the evolution of consciousness, individual and collective. The subject of this book may be an ideal, but it offers many ways to take the first real steps on this most significant of all journeys, and much nourishment for the heart and mind of the would-be bodhisattva.

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Explore the potential of your heart and discover a warmer, more loving you. The second in this "Art of Meditation" series by Western Buddhist meditation teacher Vessantara after "The Breath", this book shows us how cultivating more warmth, more kindness, and more happiness is possible for all of us. Through the loving-kindness meditation, the gentle and encouraging approach of the author helps us to discover the positive wonder of what is already in our hearts. Accessible for those new to or experienced in meditation as well as teachers, this book provides clear instruction with suggestions for integrating meditation and what we can learn from it into our lives.

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This work features tools which are teachings, exercises and reflections which can be applied to everyday life. The tools draw on the Buddhist tradition to guide us along a progressive path of ethics, meditation and wisdom in the context of our day-to-day living. The tools are drawn from the author's rich experience of guiding newcomers to Buddhism and meditation in how to integrate the teachings into our daily lives. There are also tools on how to bring calm into the midst of a busy active life. It is the next best thing to your own personal Buddhist teacher!

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Bhikkhuni Dhammananda defied convention to become the first woman fully ordained in the Thai Theravada Buddhist tradition. Her American student Cindy Rasicot, tells her story, and shares Bhikkhuni Dhammananda's wisdom and direct insights about how to live a more compassionate life.

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The eagerly awaited Complete Works of Sangharakshita begins with Volume 9 on Dr Ambedkar and the revival of Buddhism. One of the most far-reaching of Sangharakshita's contributions to modern Buddhism was giving shape to the Buddhist conversion movement begun by the great Indian statesman and reformer, Dr B.R. Ambedkar. In 1956, along with hundreds of thousands of his followers, Ambedkar renounced the Hindu caste system - according to which they were condemned to be 'untouchable' - and converted to Buddhism, thus beginning a new life.The first part of this volume tells the story of how Ambedkar overcame the suffering and struggle of his early years to become the shaper of the Indian constitution and the leader of his people to a new life; and how, following Ambedkar's untimely death, Sangharakshita took on the challenge of teaching Buddhism to the new community of Buddhists.The second part is a collection of 36 edited talks, many published here for the first time, from Sangharakshita's tour of the Buddhist communities in India in 1981-2. Wherever and in whatever circumstances you live, there is much here to bring new life and depth to your Buddhist practice.

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'Once upon a time there was a rich old man who lived in a vast mansion ...' Aware that whatever our age, we never lose our responsiveness to story, myth and drama, the Buddha often told stories and parables, and in the Mahayana phase of the development of Buddhism, the stories became ever more mythical and magical. In this volume, Sangharakshita introduces us to the strange and wonderful worlds of three of the best-loved Mahayana sutras, worlds from which - if we pay close attention - we can return with treasures in the form of teachings and advice. Thanks to Sangharakshita's imaginative and creative approach to these sutras, their gems, mythical or even magical though their origins may be, turn out to be exchangeable for hard currency - the practical business of how we are to live our lives in the everyday world. From the transcendental critique of religion and the means of unification offered by the Vimalakirti-nirdesa to the light shed on economics, ecology and politics by the Sutra of Golden Light, and the vision of life as a journey offered by the White Lotus Sutra, these commentaries offer a unique and transformative perspective on the value of human existence.

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In this pioneering book, in turns poetic and philosophical, Nagapriya shows how the insights into the existential condition offered by Shinran can transform our understanding of what Buddhist practice consists in, and what it means to awaken to our ultimate concern. Shinran (1173 – 1263) is one of the most important thinkers of Japanese Buddhist history, and founder of the Jōdo Shinshū Pure Land school. Nagapriya explores Shinran’s spirituality and teachings through close readings, confessional narrative, and thoughtful interpretation. This book is an invitation to reimagine Shinran’s religious universe, not for the sake of historical curiosity, but as an exercise that has the potential to remake us in the light of our ultimate concerns.

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You're diagnosed with an aggressive cancer - what do you do? Devamitra - English actor and Buddhist teacher - describes the discomforts and indignities of being treated for prostate cancer. He also draws on the deep well of his Buddhist practice to work with his mind and meet fear, uncertainty and frailty with resolve. It is an entertaining read, full of wit and fantastically funny dialogue. If you or someone you know is facing a cancer diagnosis, this book will help light your way.

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'Uncontrived Mindfulness' is a fresh and comprehensive guide to awareness of how the mind shapes experience. The Buddha emphasized that happiness is found through understanding the mind rather than getting caught up in sense experience. This simple yet radical shift is key to a relaxed and uncontrived way of practising. Freedom comes from uniting right view and mindfulness. A deep dive into the practice of exploring our experience as it happens, Vajradevi's emphasis is on cultivating wisdom, using the tools of attention, curiosity and discernment to recognize and see through the delusion that is causing our suffering. Vajradevi is a warm and insightful guide to this exploration, drawing on her intensive and wide-ranging practice of satipatthana meditation. The clear explanations and instructions are amplified by Vajradevi's personal accounts, charting her uncompromising voyage into self-discovery. Guided meditations are included.

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Is there gender equality in Buddhist traditions? What do Buddhist texts say about women? How have Buddhist women responded to misogyny? Collett is well placed to review both recent scholarship and original writing by and about women in Buddhism. She shows that core Buddhist doctrines provide no justification for the notion that women are inferior to men. But Buddhism was born and took root in societies that held traditional views of women, and social norms positioning women as inferior to men have found their way into Buddhist tradition. This book tells the stories of many inspiring Buddhist women who overcame attempted constraint to gain liberation and become esteemed teachers. Not only do we hear about them in this book, but we also hear from them in their own words. An ideal introduction to gender studies in Buddhism and the history of women in the tradition.

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In this volume Sangharakshita approaches communicating Buddhism in the West from two very different, but equally illuminating, angles. In the first part, in talks given in the early years of his teaching in England, he introduces the apparently exotic worlds of Tibetan Buddhism (1965) and its creative symbols (1972) and Zen Buddhism (1965), clarifying their mysteries while also somehow allowing them to work their magic. In the second part, by contrast, he examines the practice of Buddhism in the context of Western culture. In the polemical paper The FWBO and 'Protestant Buddhism' (first published in 1992) he looks at the characteristics of the Triratna community (the FWBO at the time of writing) as it was 25 years after its founding, in a response to an academic's assessment of the nascent Buddhist movement. And in From Genesis to the Diamond Sutra (first published in 2005) he reveals his own attitude to the literature and doctrines of Christianity, including the Christian view of homosexuality, in a multi-faceted exploration which includes autobiographical material not found anywhere else in his written work.

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The teaching of the Buddha's Noble eightfold Path is explored in relation to every aspect of life - a treasury of wisdom and practical guidance. The reader is taken deeper than most introductions while always remaining practical, inspiring and accessible. This title is first in a new series: "Buddhist Wisdom for Today".

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This beautifully illustrated new edition collects a number of Buddhist devotional rituals and verses. It features a revised translation of the Heart Sutra and enlarged typeface which is ideal for dimly lit rooms. This new edition also includes the traditional Pali and Sanskrit verses as well as English translations. What is a Puja? It is the chanting of devotional mantras and verses which has been performed by Buddhists worldwide for centuries. It is meant to encourage the arising of the Bodhicitta: the desire to seek enlightenment for the sake of all living beings.

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Growing the seed to happiness Kindness is one of the most basic qualities we can possess, and one of the most powerful. In Buddhism it is called metta - an opening of the heart to all that we meet. Any friendly feeling contains the kernel of metta. It is a seed that is waiting to be developed, right here amidst the conditions of our daily life. Living with Kindness is a pithy commentary on the Buddha's teaching of metta in the Karaniya metta sutta. In it, Sangharakshita, a teacher of Buddhism for over fifty years, shows us how to cultivate many of the facets of kindness in ordinary, everyday life. Outlining the nurturing conditions the seed of kindness needs to grow, he encourages us to follow the path that leads to a warm and expansive heart - and beyond. And with_that heart, we can be happier and more fulfilled in ourselves and empathise with the joys and sufferings of all living beings. An excellent companion to Living with Awareness, also by Sangharakshita, which is a commentary on the Satipattana Sutta (Living with Awareness, ISBN 1899579389)

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'The ten pillars of Buddhism' are ten ethical principles which together provide a comprehensive moral guide. Considered in the first part collectively and in the second individually, Sangharakshita highlights the depth of these apparently simple teachings. This work features a new introduction. With a timeless design and brand new introductions, "Sangharakshita Classics" refreshes these important and beloved works by Sangharakshita. First published twenty years or more ago, they are as relevant now as when they were first written.

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In the breath Vessantara, who has been meditating on the breath for over 30 years, writes engagingly for both newcomers to meditation and those with some experience, giving us: Clear instruction on how to meditate on the breath; Practical ways to integrate meditation into our lives; Suggestions for deepening calm and concentration; Advice on how to let go and dive into experience; Insights into the lessons of the breath; This is an incredibly useful combination of practical instruction on the mindfulness of breathing with much broader lessons on where the breath can lead us. Unique and so very useable for meditators as well as their teachers.

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In a world of increasingly confused ethics, "Living Ethically" looks back over the centuries for guidance from Nagarjuna, one of the greatest teachers of the Mahayana tradition. Drawing on the themes of Nagarjuna's famous scripture, Precious Garland of Advice for a King, this book explores the relationship between an ethical lifestyle and the development of wisdom. Covering both personal and collective ethics, Sangharakshita considers such enduring themes as pride, power and business, as well as friendship, love and generosity.

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Sangharakshita's arrival in India in 1944 marked the beginning of a period of prodigious literary and intellectual output. This was the base from which he would begin his life's work for the future of Buddhism. The essays gathered here, first published in journals such as Stepping Stones, The Maha Bodhi and The Middle Way, were written between 1944 and 1964. Ranging from The Unity of Buddhism, written in London at the age of only 18, to the panoramic A Bird's Eye View of Indian Buddhism, published on his return from India, all that distinguishes Sangharakshita's thought as teacher, synthesizer and translator is already evident here. We see the unity underlying all Buddhist schools, the inspiring ideal of the Bodhisattva, and the certainty that the Dharma is urgently needed in the modern world. This volume contains the previously published collections Crossing the Stream and Early Writings, plus other articles long since out of print. In the groundbreaking Ordination and Initiation in the Three Yanas (1959), Sangharakshita first comes close to recognizing Going for Refuge as the unifying factor in all of Buddhism. In Krishna's Flute (1944), the mind of the philosopher combines with the poet, and in A Visit to a Tibetan Monastery (1946), Sangharakshita the insightful traveller appears, seen later in his memoirs and travel letters. All the essays are fully annotated, and those previously published in Early Writings come with a detailed commentary and extensive introduction by Kalyanaprabha. A foreword by Nagabodhi introduces the collection. The insights and ideas expressed in these brief passages are as illuminating, as stimulating and as indispensable as anything Sangharakshita was ever to produce.

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This volume, which introduces the sequence of Complete Works volumes that include Sangharakshita's commentaries on a range of traditional Buddhist texts, begins with The Eternal Legacy, an introduction to the canonical literature of Buddhism, which succinctly and with great feeling gives the context for the commentaries to follow. Next comes Sangharakshita's talk 'The Glory of the Literary World', which considers how the Buddhist canon is to be approached, in a broad consideration of the literary traditions of both East and West. This is followed by an introduction to one of the earliest works of the Pali canon, the Udana, newly edited from a 1975 seminar for this Complete Works volume under the title Buddhism before Buddhism. Here we trace the Buddha's life from the period just after his Enlightenment to the time of his approaching death, and Sangharakshita (studying the text with members of what was in 1975 a very young Buddhist movement) draws out the newness and freshness of the Buddha's vision - so new, indeed, that words could scarcely be found to express it. And this volume concludes fittingly with Wisdom Beyond Words, Sangharakshita's much-loved commentary on several Perfection of Wisdom texts, another way of seeing how, in Asvaghosa's words, 'We use words to get free of words until we reach the pure wordless essence.'

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In this volume of memoirs we find Sangharakshita after twenty years in the East arriving back in England at the invitation of the English Sangha Trust. He expects to stay no more than a few months, but the months become years and, as he comes to know the then small world of British Buddhism, he realizes that after all it is here that he may best be able to work for the good of Buddhism , as one of his teachers had once exhorted him. After a farewell tour of his friends and teachers in India, he goes on to found a new Buddhist movement and to ordain twelve men and women into a new Buddhist Order. The answer to the question Why did Sangharakshita found a new Buddhist movement and Order? is in these pages. 'Moving Against the Stream' has for its backdrop 1960s Britain, with figures as diverse as Prime Minister Harold Wilson, and David Cooper, the anti-psychiatry psychiatrist. In the world of British Buddhism there is Christmas Humphreys, founder of the London Buddhist Society, and Maurice Walshe, translator of the Digha Nikaya, and many others. Here also is the story of a friendship that was to be deeply significant for Sangharakshita. As he and Terry Delamare drive across Europe visiting the sites of ancient Greece and the churches, museums and great works of art of Renaissance Italy, Sangharakshita makes vivid the role that higher culture can play in spiritual life. This volume includes '1970 - A Retrospect' in which Sangharakshita tells of a year that begins with lectures in Paris, continues with three months at Yale University as a visiting lecturer, and concludes back in Britain as he resumes his work for the Buddhist movement. A new phase is beginning.

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'Once upon a time there was a rich old man who lived in a vast mansion ...' Aware that whatever our age, we never lose our responsiveness to story, myth and drama, the Buddha often told stories and parables, and in the Mahayana phase of the development of Buddhism, the stories became ever more mythical and magical. In this volume, Sangharakshita introduces us to the strange and wonderful worlds of three of the best-loved Mahayana sutras, worlds from which - if we pay close attention - we can return with treasures in the form of teachings and advice. Thanks to Sangharakshita's imaginative and creative approach to these sutras, their gems, mythical or even magical though their origins may be, turn out to be exchangeable for hard currency - the practical business of how we are to live our lives in the everyday world. From the transcendental critique of religion and the means of unification offered by the Vimalakirti-nirdesa to the light shed on economics, ecology and politics by the Sutra of Golden Light, and the vision of life as a journey offered by the White Lotus Sutra, these commentaries offer a unique and transformative perspective on the value of human existence.

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Our current neoliberal capitalist economic system is based on unethical values. The twentieth century economist John Maynard Keynes recognized this and wrote of a time in the future when we could transcend those values. Unfortunately Keynes believed that this would somehow happen automatically, and did not grasp the necessity of the need now to directly challenge the values on which our society is based, instead of simply waiting for them to fade away. The Buddha identified the vital importance of working to uproot the poisons of greed and hatred in the human psyche and in human society, and to replace them with their counterparts of generosity and loving kindness, in order to allow a different society to come into being.

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The body is the focus of the book. This is something of a new departure in meditation as the body is often given a degree of attention but not the degree and depth that Paramananda offers. Body work: focussing, body therapies, yoga etc are growing fields which often have a cross over interest in meditation. This book would be particularly suitable for these markets. Paramananda is an experienced, accessible and popular teacher (and has sold over 55,000 copies of "Practical Guide"). It will appeal to broader yoga, relaxation and stress reduction fields in addition to the more traditionally Buddhist and spiritual markets.

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How often do we have no time for reflection? Or little time to care for others, or even ourselves? Adrift in our lives, we are pulled further and further away from a sense of who we are. Paramananda speaks directly to our hearts about what is truly important to us, whether we are making a cup of tea or sitting at the bedside of a dying friend. Using simple exercises, reflections and meditations, we can awaken to the magic of being fully present in each moment of our day-to-day activities. Paramananda draws on his experience as a hospice worker and his many years as a Buddhist meditation teacher in both an imaginative and down-to-earth way. He offers us courage, kindness and joy in our search for meaning.

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What is the Buddhist vision? Put simply, it is that all human beings can develop. Each one of us can find a way beyond the dissatisfaction and suffering of everyday life and realize our full potential. In describing three important Buddhist symbols, Subhuti shows us how. The Wheel of Life depicts how we can typically experience and respond to the world. The Spiral Path describes how we can break out of this habitual pattern. The Mandala of the Five Buddhas represents the highest spiritual qualities to which we can aspire. Informed by more than 25 years of committed Buddhist practice, Subhuti's clarity and understanding should be welcomed by both newcomers to Buddhism and those with more experience. His inspiring call challenges us to follow the Buddhist path with all our heart.

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It is all too easy either to think obsessively, or to not think enough. But how do we think usefully? How do we reflect? Like any art, reflection can be learnt and developed, leading to a deeper understanding of life and to the fullness of wisdom. Drawing on his own experience and on Buddhist teachings, Western philosophy, psychology and literature, Ratnaguna provides a practical guide to reflection in its many forms. This is a book about reflection as spiritual practice, about its importance, about "what we think and how we think about it". It is a book about contemplation and insight, and reflection as a way to discover the truth.

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'The Bodhisattva ideal is a vast subject. It is the major distinctive emphasis of the phase of the development of Buddhism known as the Mahāyāna, which had its flowering for a period of around 500 years (0–500CE), but is still practised today in many different forms, from Tibetan Buddhism to Zen. To consider this topic is to place one’s hand on the very heart of Buddhism, and feel the beating of that heart.' Thus Sangharakshita introduces his theme. The first part of this volume describes the arising of the bodhicitta and the bodhisattva's path to Enlightenment in a weaving together of the sublime and the inspiringly practical, and the second part is a commentary on Śāntideva's classic 8th-century text, the Bodhicaryāvatara, based on a seminar given in 1973, in the very early days of Triratna, thus shaping the newly emerging Buddhist movement. The seminar was titled The Endlessly Fascinating Cry, echoing Śāntideva's fervent prayer: 'In order to grasp this jewel of the mind, I offer ... the endlessly fascinating cry of wild geese ...' The volume ends with 'The Bodhisattva Principle', a talk given in 1983 to a conference of scientists and mystics in which Sangharakshita presents a vision of the bodhisattva as an embodiment of the key to the evolution of consciousness, individual and collective. The subject of this book may be an ideal, but it offers many ways to take the first real steps on this most significant of all journeys, and much nourishment for the heart and mind of the would-be bodhisattva.

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New material includes Foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn, how to run Eight Step Recovery Meetings, and how to mentor. New content on the Mindfulness Based Addiction Recovery (MBAR) program, including teacher's notes and handouts.Human nature has an inbuilt tendency towards addiction. All of us can struggle with this tendency, but for some it can lead to the destruction of their lives, through obsessive and compulsive behaviour. We could say therefore that in some sense we are all in recovery. It is no surprise that addiction is so widespread. We live in a world where many of us self-medicate in response to hardships, turning to food, drugs, alcohol, sex, relationships, work and so much more in an attempt to promote happiness. Fortunately, recovery is widespread too. What can the Buddha's teachings offer us in our recovery from addiction? They offer an understanding of how the mind works, tools for helping a mind that is vulnerable to addiction, and ways to overcome addictive and obsessive behaviour, cultivating a calm and clear mind without anger and resentments. The Buddha's teachings offer us a path of recovery.Whether you are struggling to stay off heroin or with an obsessive pattern of thinking that prevents you from leading a more fulfilling life, the same principles - the Eight Steps of this book - apply. These steps take you away from the trouble caused by addictive tendencies, helping you untangle these drives, to discover a richer and more fulfilling way of living.

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This multi-faceted volume includes a collection of aphorisms, a selection of teachings on Buddhism and the arts, and two collections of late writings. The aphorisms, from the first phase of Sangharakshita's teaching in the West, and first selected for publication in 1979 and 1998, are by turns uncompromising, provocative, witty, self-evident, gnomic and plain common sense, though responses will surely vary from reader to reader, mood to mood. The sequence on the arts sheds light on one of Sangharakshita's most distinctive perspectives on the Dharma, from The Religion of Art, which was one of his earliest works on the subject, to articles and interviews published over many years. Full of poetry and grace, they shine with the author's love of the subject and make a convincing case for the closeness of the relationship between Buddhism and the arts. The late writings cover an astonishingly wide range of themes, from his childhood memories to the lucid reflections of Sangharakshita's old age. Those written in the last weeks of his life include subjects as diverse as Einstein's 3-sphere, the relationship between Buddhism and Islam, and the symbolism of rainbows.

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From the Buddhist meditator and scholar, Bhikkhu Analayo, this is a thorough-going guide to the early Buddhist teachings on Satipatthana, the foundations of mindfulness, following on from his two best-selling books, Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization and Perspectives on Satipatthana. With mindfulness being so widely taught, there is a need for a clear-sighted and experience-based guide. Analayo provides it.

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While there are numerous books on Buddhist meditation and philosophy, there are few books that are entirely devoted to the practice of Buddhist ethics. Here Subhadramati, an experienced teacher of meditation and ethics, communicates clearly both their founding principles and the practical methods to embody them. She begins by stating that Buddhist ethics don't see human nature as something to be beaten into submission, tamed or domesticated. Buddhism is not trying 'to cure life of itself'. Buddhism is about fulfilling our human nature, not diminishing it, and its ethics are both the means and the expression of this fulfilment. In Buddhism, being ethical means being truly human. Buddhist ethics are thus not about conforming to a set of conventions, not about 'being good' in order to gain material, social or religious rewards. Instead, as Subhadramati outlines, living ethically springs from the awareness that other people are essentially no different from ourselves. We can, if we choose, actively develop this awareness, through cultivating more and more love, clarity and contentment.Helping us to come into a greater harmony with all that lives, including ourselves, this is ultimately a guidebook to a more satisfactory life.

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A Zen monk strides empty-handed into a tiger's cage. An Indian master empties a bag of gold dust into the air. A young woman lays down the burden of her dead child and asks the Buddha to accept her as his disciple. These are some of the scenes evoked in this collection of Buddhist stories.

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Exploring Karma & Rebirth is a vigorous and thought-provoking inquiry into two important but often misunderstood Buddhist doctrines. This challenging book: clarifies and critically appraises these traditional Buddhist doctrines, examines them in relation to their cultural origins and discusses whether these teachings are still relevant today, and offers an imaginative reading of what the teachings could mean for the postmodern Western world Above all, Exploring Karma & Rebirth insists that, to be of enduring value, these doctrines must continue to serve the overriding aim of Buddhism: spiritual awakening.

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The phenomenon known as "Buddhism" embraces an uninterrupted process of communication through which the Buddha's followers have been guided and inspired for 25 centuries. Communication is a living, evolving thing, and for all its continuity the Buddhist tradition presents the modern student - and practitioner - with a bewildering array of cultural, philosophical and practical forms. This work describes and correlates these diverse manifestations - in Buddhism's homeland of India, and in its spread across Asia, from Mongolia to Sri Lanka and from Japan to the Middle East. Drawing on recent historical and literary research, the author explains the basic concepts of Buddhism from all periods of its development, and places them in an historical framework.

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How do we really get on in this world? Tossed around by gain, buffeted by loss, borne aloft by praise, cast down by blame, how can we not be ground under, lose all direction, confidence, and sense of purpose? The Buddha had clear guidance on how to rise above these 'worldly winds', and Vajragupta here opens up for us the Buddha's compassionate yet uncompromising teaching. Using reflections, exercises and suggestions for daily practice, this book can help you find greater equanimity and perspective in the ups and downs - big and small - of everyday life.

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What is the meaning of life? How can we be truly happy? Buddhism answers these questions through the Dharma, which is a traditional term meaning both "the truth" and "the path", and is the subject of this book, which offers a starter-kit of Buddhist teachings and practices.

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The first part of this volume consists of Sangharakshita's writings about Anagarika Dharmapala, a Sri Lankan Buddhist who made it his life's mission to restore the sacred site of Bodh Gaya, and whom Sangharakshita came to revere as one of the great Buddhists of the twentieth century. The second part is made up of articles Sangharakshita wrote for the Maha Bodhi journal, first as a regular contributor and then as the editor. They include poetic and philosophical reflections on the Dharma, as well as trenchant observations on the Buddhist world and calls to action on the issues of the day. The third part is a collection of book reviews published in the Maha Bodhi journal and other magazines over the course of nearly fifty years, from the days when the appearance of any new translation or commentary was a significant event, to more recent times, when readers could choose between hundreds of new titles.

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Through Buddhist Eyes continues Sangharakshita's five volumes of memoirs. Covering journeys across five continents and two decades, this volume is made up of nineteen travel letters and one talk. They are Sangharakshita's heartfelt communications to the growing membership of the new Buddhist movement he founded: the Triratna Buddhist Order. The journey begins with Sangharakshita's return to India in 1979 after an absence of twelve years. There, the vision of Buddhism he longed to see in the land of the Buddha's birth was already coming to fruition in the movement initiated by Dr Ambedkar. It was to remain a constant theme throughout his subsequent thought and writing. The growing network of friendships, teams and communities that make up this pioneering Buddhist movement then come alive in a late twentieth-century world of airports and motorways, of Beat poets, vegetarian pizzas, counter-culture and visionary social activism. But the travel letters also have a deeper significance; these are, above all, spiritual communications. Whether awed by works of artistic brilliance or enveloped in moods of contemplation, Sangharakshita responds with a combination of keen observation and an ever-present imaginative engagement. Sangharakshita delights in culture, in art and particularly in literature in his letters. This volume supplements the accounts of his adventures with over 800 endnotes detailing the lives and achievements of artists, poets, writers, musicians, philosophers and members of the Triratna Buddhist Order that he references, plus twenty maps and illustrations. Part reflection, part travelogue, part chronicle of a vibrant new spiritual movement, Through Buddhist Eyes opens a window on the inner life and the outer world of Urgyen Sangharakshita, one of the greatest Buddhist teachers of the twentieth century.

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This volume includes two memoirs. In the Sign of the Golden Wheel tells the story of the `middle period’ of the fourteen years Sangharakshita was based in the Indian hill station, Kalimpong. It is a crucial time for Buddhism as the whole Asian world is preparing to celebrate 2,500 years of Buddhism, and Sangharakshita’s abundant energies are brought into play in diverse ways. His commitment to spreading the Dharma as widely as he can and to serving the (few) existing Buddhists in India takes him far afield: from tea estates in Assam to a film studio in Bombay, from the Maha Bodhi Society in Calcutta – he becomes the inspired editor of the internationally read Maha Bodhi Journal – to Kasturchand Park in Nagpur where he speaks to hundreds of thousands of bereaved followers of the great Dr Ambedkar. Whether describing great events of international import or those of more local significance, such as the funeral of Miss Barclay’s cat, the flowing prose descriptions of people, places and events bring it all vividly to life. And through it all the enlightening, inspiring and moving reflections on life, the Dharma, poetry, friendship – and himself. Precious Teachers covers the last period of Sangharakshita’s time in Kalimpong. Here too are vivid encounters with people – a damsel in distress, a dakini, a transsexual and many others. At the forefront, though, are Sangharakshita’s Buddhist teachers: the Tibetans Jamyang Khyentse Rimpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rimpoche, Dudjom Rimpoche, Kachu Rimpoche, Chattrul Sangye Dorje and Dhardo Rimpoche, and Chinese Yogi Chen. He recalls their meetings, his abhiṣekas or initiations, and the friendship that developed with Dhardo Rimpoche. In the background are events of international significance: the Chinese in Tibet, and the oppression of Buddhists in Vietnam. The memoir concludes with a letter from the English Sangha Trust inviting Sangharakshita back to the West....

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This companion to volume 9 begins with a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar's conversion to Buddhism, together with a rejoicing in his merits. Then we follow the dramatic history of the Buddhist revival in India, beginning with a commentary on Dr Ambedkar's article 'Buddha and the Future of His Religion', which prompted Sangharakshita's initial contact with him. Articles on the mass conversion in 1956 and Sangharakshita's crucial visit to Nagpur at the time of Dr Ambedkar's death are followed by the story of Sangharakshita's teachings among the new Buddhists in 1959 to 61, together with notes from some of the hundreds of talks he gave. Sangharakshita did not forget India after returning to England in 1964, giving talks to raise awareness of Dr Ambedkar, and in 1979 returning to perform the first ordinations of the Indian wing of the Order, later the Triratna Buddhist Order. In a sequence of talks (from 1979 to 1992) he tells his Indian audiences about the Buddhist movement he has founded in the West and his western audiences about the Indian sangha, thus weaving together the two communities of new Buddhists. The volume culminates in a commentary on the Pali canon's Udana, edited from two much-loved seminars from the early days of the FWBO and including new translations of the verses (udanas) by Dhivan Thomas Jones. Inspiring us to imagine the time when Buddhism was so new it didn't have a name, the text includes famous teachings - the taste of salt, in the seen only the seen - and declares the first question the Buddha was asked after his Enlightenment: who is the true brahmin? The Buddha's answer, rejecting the caste system and asserting the spiritual values to which he has awakened, takes us to the heart of Dr Ambedkar's revival of Buddhism in India.

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This volume of Sangharakshita's Complete Works includes Facing Mount Kanchenjunga, the second in the series of his memoirs, and, in Dear Dinoo, some very personal letters.Facing Mount Kanchenjunga covers the period 1950-1953, beginning with Sangharakshita's arrival in Kalimpong as a twenty-four-year-old sramanera, and his response to his teacher's injunction to 'stay here and work for the good of Buddhism!' In the pages that follow we are drawn into a deeply committed Dharma life lived in unusual circumstances and among some very colourful characters.As he recalls the significant events of those years - the setting up of the Kalimpong Young Men's Buddhist Association; the creation of a new Buddhist journal, whose contributors included Conze, Guenther, Govinda and other leading Buddhist writers of the time; accompanying the Sacred Relics of the Buddha's chief disciples; advising on the making of a Buddhist film; giving lectures; discovering Dharmapala; meeting Dhardo Rimpoche; in fact, working in every way to spread the Dharma - Sangharakshita also affords the reader glimpses of his inner life, his struggles and disappointments, his aspirations and inspirations, his responses to the beauties of nature, and his feeling for friendship. The twenty-nine letters collected together in Dear Dinoo span the period 1955-1974, giving a sighting of Sangharakshita's life as he experienced it at the time, including what happened on the day of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's untimely death in 1956. We are also afforded a glimpse of the unusual friendship that sprung up between the young English monk and the Montessori teacher.Kalyanaprabha's Introduction highlights some of the significances of the correspondence, including reflections on Sangharakshita, Women, and Friendship. A friend who often appears in the letters, Dr Dinshaw Mehta, Servant of God, and one time naturopath to Gandhi, is the subject of the appendix.

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This is the continuing story of Milarepa and his disciple Rechungpa, first encountered in volume 18 of the Complete Works. As portrayed in The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, Rechungpa is a promising disciple, but he has a lot to learn, being sometimes proud, distracted, anxious, desirous of comfort and praise, over-attached to book learning, stubborn, sulky and liable to go to extremes. In other words, he is very human, and surely recognizable to anyone who has embarked on the spiritual path. He all too often takes his teacher's advice the wrong way, or simply ignores it, and it takes all of Milarepa's skill, compassion and patience to keep their relationship intact and help his unruly disciple to stay on the path to Enlightenment. In the story that begins this volume, matters come to a head when Milarepa burns the books that Rechungpa went all the way to India to acquire, but by the end of the volume, Rechungpa is able to set out on his own mission to teach the Dharma. Much happens in between. Sangharakshita's commentary, based on seminars given in the late 1970s and early 1980s, draws from the stories of Milarepa and his wayward disciple much valuable advice for any would-be spiritual practitioner.

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This is the continuing story of Milarepa and his disciple Rechungpa, first encountered in volume 18 of the Complete Works. As portrayed in The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, Rechungpa is a promising disciple, but he has a lot to learn, being sometimes proud, distracted, anxious, desirous of comfort and praise, over-attached to book learning, stubborn, sulky and liable to go to extremes. In other words, he is very human, and surely recognizable to anyone who has embarked on the spiritual path. He all too often takes his teacher's advice the wrong way, or simply ignores it, and it takes all of Milarepa's skill, compassion and patience to keep their relationship intact and help his unruly disciple to stay on the path to Enlightenment. In the story that begins this volume, matters come to a head when Milarepa burns the books that Rechungpa went all the way to India to acquire, but by the end of the volume, Rechungpa is able to set out on his own mission to teach the Dharma. Much happens in between. Sangharakshita's commentary, based on seminars given in the late 1970s and early 1980s, draws from the stories of Milarepa and his wayward disciple much valuable advice for any would-be spiritual practitioner.

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Sangharakshita read the Diamond Sutra for the first time the summer he turned seventeen. It seemed to awaken him to something whose existence he had forgotten, and he joyfully embraced those profound teachings 'with an unqualified acceptance'. This experience decided the whole future direction of his life.In this first volume of memoirs he describes how, from a working-class childhood in the London suburb of Tooting, he came, a twenty-four-year-old Buddhist novice monk, to Kalimpong in the eastern Himalayas. Sangharakshita paints a vivid picture of the people, the places and the experiences that shaped his life: his childhood, his army days, and the gurus he met during his years as a wandering ascetic staying in the caves and ashrams of India. He moves between the ordinary and the extraordinary, from the mundane to the sublime; his narrative takes in the psychological and aesthetic, the philosophical and spiritual. His experiences are both universal - love and loss, comedy and tragedy - and unique to what is an exceptional life.

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