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Religion
"Let us guard the mind with all diligence from thoughts that obscure the soul's mirror; for in that mirror Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God the Father, is luminously reflected. And let us unceasingly seek the Kingdom of Heaven inside our mind. Indeed if we cleanse the eye of the mind, we will find all things hidden within us. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within us, indicating that Divinity dwells in our minds."
--Saint Philotheos of Sinai, circa ninth century. In this provocative and very human work, Tom Chetwynd tells the story of how his skeptical first encounters with Zen Buddhism led him to discover the rich-but largely forgotten Christian tradition of pure contemplative prayer. Chetwynd explores the surprisingly Zen-like teachings of the Desert Fathers and other Christian meditation masters whose practice stems from the very first Christian communities--and perhaps Jesus Christ himself.
--Saint Philotheos of Sinai, circa ninth century. In this provocative and very human work, Tom Chetwynd tells the story of how his skeptical first encounters with Zen Buddhism led him to discover the rich-but largely forgotten Christian tradition of pure contemplative prayer. Chetwynd explores the surprisingly Zen-like teachings of the Desert Fathers and other Christian meditation masters whose practice stems from the very first Christian communities--and perhaps Jesus Christ himself.
An inspiring guide to reading the Sutras, this text is aimed at those who wish to delve deeper into their meditation practice and their quest for self-realisation.
Powerful, direct, and uncompromising reflections on the teachings of Zen Master Linji and the enlightenment that is inherent within us all One of the key tenets of the Zen school of Mahayana Buddhism is that each one of us is already a Buddha--our enlightenment is inherent within us, and the practice of mindfulness is the tool to bring this truth to our full awareness. While it can bring much relief, this simple statement does not preclude the need for practice. We must strive to always be aware of our Buddha nature, rather than waiting until times of emotional upheaval when it is more difficult to practice. Thich Nhat Hanh uses the teachings of ninth century Zen Master Linji to elaborate on this simple truth and to give readers tools that can help awaken them to their true inner nature. Linji's recorded teachings are the most significant we have from the Ch'an school. One of the unique aspects of Linji's teaching, is the need to "wake ourselves up," not only by means of sitting meditation and listening to enlightened teachings, but also through unique techniques such as the shout, the stick, and the empty fist. Master Linji emphasized direct experience of our true nature over intellectual explorations of the teachings, and he encouraged his students to not "become lost in the knowledge or the concepts of the teaching."
A continuation of the author's history of Zen from its origins in India, its transmission to China, and final development in Japan, when Zen established itself as a lively philosophical and religious movement in the West. This book surveys leading 20th century Zen philosophers from Japan such as D.T. Susuki and other members of the Kyoto School, including Kitaro Nishida and Kaiji Nishitani. It also reviews the transformation of the historical picture of Zen achieved through modern research and translations, and discusses the interaction of Zen with psychology and Christianity, focusing on interpreting Zen enlightnement and building bridges of understanding.
This collection of 28 teachings by Zen Master Hozumi Gensho reads like an eloquent Dharma chapbook complete with original works of Zen calligraphy. Hozumi Roshi gently leads the reader through some of the major themes of Buddhism as presented in the Heart Sutra, the Mumonkan (Gateless Gate), the Hekiganroku (The Blue Cliff Record), and other Zen texts. Ancient and modern masters are also cited along with passages from the Kansanshi (Poems from Cold Mountain) and the Nanporoku (a handbook on the Way of Tea). Hozumi Roshi's work has long been available in Japan and Germany. This is the first time his teachings are available in English. These are things we need to know: *What is Gratitude
* How to Live in the Present, Realizing Wisdom
* Reverence for Life
* Zazen
* The Way of Zen Readers are sure to be inspired by Hozumi Roshi's simple but penetrating texts to discover their own Zen Hearts.
* How to Live in the Present, Realizing Wisdom
* Reverence for Life
* Zazen
* The Way of Zen Readers are sure to be inspired by Hozumi Roshi's simple but penetrating texts to discover their own Zen Hearts.
An illuminating account of how to understand Zen through archery.
The Xiao Zhi Guan makes the practice of Zen, a seemingly strict discipline, accessible to the lay person. This book of meditation has been a favourite of teachers and students of Zen from the sixth century. Its author, Zhi Yi (538-597), was the founder of the Tiantai school of Buddhism in China.
Zen Masters of China presents more than 300 traditional Zen stories and koans, far more than any other collection. Retelling them in their proper place in Zen's historical journey through Chinese Buddhist culture, it also tells a larger story: how, in taking the first step east from India to China, Buddhism began to be Zen. The stories of Zen are unlike any other writing, religious or otherwise. Used for centuries by Zen teachers as aids to bring about or deepen the experience of awakening, they have a freshness that goes beyond religious practice and a mystery and authenticity that appeal to a wide range of readers. Placed in chronological order, these stories tell the story of Zen itself, how it traveled from West to East with each Zen master to the next, but also how it was transformed in that journey, from an Indian practice to something different in Chinese Buddhism (Ch'an) and then more different still in Japan (Zen). The fact that its transmission was so human, from teacher to student in a long chain from West to East, meant that the cultures it passed through inevitably changed it. Zen Masters of China is first and foremost a collection of mind-bending Zen stories and their wisdom. More than that, without academic pretensions or baggage, it recounts the genealogy of Zen Buddhism in China and, through koan and story, illuminates how Zen became what it is today.
Robert Buswell, a Buddhist scholar who spent five years as a Zen monk in Korea, draws on personal experience in this insightful account of day-to-day Zen monastic practice. In discussing the activities of the postulants, the meditation monks, the teachers and administrators, and the support monks of the monastery of Songgwang-sa, Buswell reveals a religious tradition that differs radically from the stereotype prevalent in the West. The author's treatment lucidly relates contemporary Zen practice to the historical development of the tradition and to Korean history more generally, and his portrayal of the life of modern Zen monks in Korea provides an innovative and provocative look at Zen from the inside.
From a living treasure of Japanese Zen, an inspiring collection of teachings about the power of Buddhist practice to help you transform suffering and touch the marrow of your life. In this sparkling collection of teachings, Japanese Zen master Shundo Aoyama Roshi offers an entry to the authentic practice of Zen Buddhism. Or, rather, she offers a myriad of entries--for Zen Seeds, as its title suggests, is comprised of brief chapters meant to plant seeds of wisdom and compassion in readers. Ranging from classical Zen sources, such as the teachings of Dogen and the encounter stories of the koans, to anecdotes from Aoyama's fascinating life and from those of her many students, the book paints a profoundly compelling portrait of the transformative possibilities of Zen. A pioneering female leader in the Soto Zen school, Aoyama Roshi demonstrates the power of practice for anyone seeking to lead a life of greater conviction and spiritual nourishment.
'Kennedy shows other Christians a way of integrating Zen Buddhism and Christian belief. He does this convincingly and gracefully... by weaving together Zen poetry and koans, Western poetry and literature, scriptural texts and personal experience.' --National Catholic Reporter
This complete translation of the original collection of sermons, dialogues, and anecdotes of Huang Po, the illustrious Chinese master of the Tang Dynasty, allows the Western reader to gain an understanding of Zen from the original source, one of the key works in its teachings; it also offers deep and often startling insights into the rich treasures of Eastern thought. Nowhere is the use of paradox in Zen illustrated better than in the teaching of Huang Po, who shows how the experience of intuitive knowledge that reveals to a man what he is cannot be communicated by words. With the help of these paradoxes, beautifully and simply presented in this collection, Huang Po could set his disciples on the right path. It is in this fashion that the Zen master leads his listener into truth, often by a single phrase designed to destroy his particular demon of ignorance.
"Kraft rubs together these pithy thoughts and phrases from traditional and present-day Zen with the sayings of Henry-David Thoreau and Mark Twain to come up with fresh portals of spiritual openness."--Spirituality & Practice
As 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.
Spanning 25 generations of enlightened teachers, this book is a broad survey of the prose and poetry of the Zen ancients, drawing on new and previously untranslated passages of core teachings.
More than ever, people are in pursuit of greater fulfillment in their lives, seeking a deeper spiritual truth and strategies for liberation from suffering. Both Buddhism and psychedelics are subjects that one encounters in such spiritual pursuit. Edited by Tricycle contributing editor Allan Badiner and art edited by renowned visionary artist Alex Grey, Zig Zag Zen features a foreword by Buddhist scholar Stephen Batchelor, a preface by historian of religion Huston Smith and numerous essays, interviews, and art that lie outside the scope of mainstream anthologies. This new edition of the classic work on Buddhism and psychedelics includes a recent interview with Rick Doblin, founder of MAPS, contributions from Ralph Metzner, James Fadiman and Kokyo Henkel, and a discussion of ayahuasca's unique influence on Zen Buddhism. Packed with enlightening entries offering eye-opening insights into alternate methods of inner exploration.