Buddhisme: Zen

"The Blue Cliff Record, a twelfth-century collection of Ch'an (Zen) koans, is a treasure of world religious literature. Like any such text, it operates at several levels: it is a remarkable example of classical Chinese literature and poetry; it is a philosophical text of profound power; and it is an active practice guide in use by Ch'an and Zen Buddhists all over the world. In this innovative rendering, renowned translator David Hinton pares the Chinese original down to its earliest and most essential version-the sangha-cases (koans) and brief poetic responses (or gathas, meaning a Buddhist "sutra-poem") compiled by the great master Snow-Chute Mountain (Hsèueh Tou, 980-1052). In doing so, he brings the reader closer to the Taoist cosmological framework that lays at the foundation of the entire Ch'an tradition-revealing a whole new understanding of this seminal text. In these one hundred classic koans, beginners will discover a strange, funny, and provocative world of quixotic exchanges and penetrating insights, and longtime koan practitioners will find themselves challenged anew by Hinton's masterful translations"--

Zen to Reveal the Extraordinary Tao offers an accessible and hands-on guide to how we can use the insights of Zen Buddhism and Taoism to inform and enrich our daily lives. In a search to know something more than our 'I-self', psychologist Trevor Rufli describes how the 'knowing' that came to him in his own journey 'turned everything on its head' and set everything in the opposite direction to where he had been looking: The really wonderful thing about this knowing is that it is not something we need to come to know through acquiring knowledge, becoming religious, doing spiritual stuff, making an effort or doing anything in particular. You don't have to believe anything either. Rather this knowing is acquired through a process of understanding that is a process of letting go rather than accruing. Trevor draws on the knowledge and experience of the giants of Zen Buddhism and Taoism to clarify paradoxical matters such as: non-doing versus doing nothing, self and non-self, desire and fulfilment, and the potential pitfalls of specific spiritual practices. Whether you are an experienced spiritual seeker, or engaged in self-exploration for the first time, Zen to Reveal the Extraordinary Tao is a unique experiential guide.

Uncover the historical truth about Buddhist warrior monks with this informative and enlightening book. Exploring the origins of Buddhism and the ethos of the Japanese samurai, university professor and martial arts practitioner Jeffrey Mann traces the close connection between the Buddhist way of compassion and the way of the warrior. This zen book serves as a basic introduction to the history, philosophy, and current practice of Zen as it relates to the Japanese martial arts. It examines the elements of Zen that have found a place in budo--the martial way--such as zazen, mushin, zanshin and fudoshin, then goes on to discuss the ethics and practice of budo as a modern sport. Offering insights into how qualities integral to the true martial artist are interwoven with this ancient religious philosophy, this Buddhism book will help practitioners reconnect to an authentic spiritual discipline of the martial arts. Film, television and popular fiction have long exploited the image of the serene Buddhist monk who is master of the deadly craft of hand-to-hand combat. While these media overly romanticize the relationship between a philosophy of non-violence and the art of fighting, When Buddhists Attack: The Curious Relationship Between Zen and the Martial Arts shows this link to be nevertheless real, even natural.

Zen monk Jikisai Minami takes the things we are supposed to strive for and turns them on their head. The 35 short, thought-provoking essays in this book are divided into four chapters about our sense of self, our hopes and dreams, our personal relationships and how to face death. Each essay begins with a deliberately controversial point of view to help us look at life's problems through fresh eyes. Each chapter features a number of short, thought-provoking essays providing fresh perspectives on familiar problems that can change your life.

Ian Prattis' new publication, Sacred Ceremony and Desert Legacy is another riveting medley of poetry and prose, autobiographical essays and a memoir of his mystical journey as a shaman and a Zen teacher. His gentle but powerful activism to save the Earth is the sacred glue fusing together all of the genres featured in this book. Prattis uses the power of the word to remind us to open our hearts and our senses to the natural world, to hear the symphony in the whale song, and marvel at the flight of geese, or to "see spring blossoms cast a rainbow in summer rain." Prattis' reflections on impermanence remind us that "our only possessions are the consequences of our actions", and that we should awaken from our apathy and slumber and show a renewed reverence toward nature becoming both leaders and followers of radical change. His social commentary on wars and the destruction of our home Earth is couched in stirringly beautiful poetic language, which acts as a guiding light to beckon us toward a shift of consciousness. - Jana Begovic, author, Poisonous Whispers and Dragonfly Slayer

"After flipping her raft days away from help on a trip down the remote Salmon River, Katie Arnold's shattered leg tests both her spirit and her marriage for years to come. It also reignites her meditation practice and motivates her to dive into Zen in search of healing. Before the accident, Katie was an elite ultrarunner with a simmering but adequate marriage who avoided being indoors whenever possible. But who is she afterwards? In the midst of hardship, Katie turns for support to the Zen practice she had long dabbled in. This is a Zen study wrapped in a memoir that tells the story of a search for stillness by a woman born for wildness. Spanning roughly two years, from shortly before the accident through the long, uncertain healing of both leg and marriage, it is a personal narrative of that tumultuous time nested inside meditations on Zen."--

Discover the tranquil wisdom of Chomei's 13th-century masterpiece, Hojoki, as it unveils the beauty of imperfection and the serenity of a simple life amidst the chaos of existence.

Making 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.

The authors of this book are all first or second generation dharma descendants of Sanshin's founder, Shohaku Okumura, and our chapters all respond in some way to his opening teachings about the four embracing actions: giving, loving speech, beneficial action and identity action. Some of us live the lives of householders and are holding down jobs and raising families in addition to carrying out our dharma teaching. Others are engaged in some form of residential practice, living in a temple and spending all day every day facilitating the practice of our sanghas and ourselves. We come from South America, North America, Europe and Japan and speak a variety of languages...In this volume we offer our various perspectives on the teachings found in the Bodaisatta Shishobo (Four Embracing Actions of the Bodhisattva) fascicle of D¿gen Zenji's Shobogenzo....Our writing comes from our day-to-day experiences of practice and speaks to readers as they also navigate this one unified reality moment by moment.Hoko Karnegis - from the preface

"The bestselling masterpiece about one man's search for meaning on a motorcycle trip through the American West-- an enduring examination of how we live and how to live better."--Provided by publisher.

Zen Path of Paradox Poetry is a collection of over 100 poems with 45 colour illustrations by Treshan on charting the course of life using Zen.Written for the modern day, this book comes with QR codes giving the reader the option to listen to the spoken word audio and grant access to exclusive NFT artworks.

Zen was uniquely suited to the Samurai of Japan. The high moral principles of Buddhism, when adopted and adapted by the Japanese warriors who became the Samurai, created an austere philosophy of singular beauty and depth. Its characteristic requirements of strict control over body and mind was exemplified by ancient warrior monks whose serene countenance, even in the face of certain death, made them much admired even by their foes. Zen may be the most misunderstood of the world's moral philosophies. While it is often classified as a Religion, it is frequently considered by its adherents to be a utilitarian philosophy, a collection of rational moral precepts or, even more simply, as a state of being. The aim of the practice of Zen is to become Enlightened and achieve the beatitude of Nirvana. To reach Nirvana means to achieve the state of extinction of pain and the annihilation of sin. Zen never looks for the realization of its beatitude in a place like heaven, nor believes in the realm of Reality transcendental of the phenomenal universe, nor gives countenance to the superstition of Immortality, nor does it hold the world is the best of all possible worlds, nor conceives life simply as blessing. It is in this life, full of shortcomings, misery, and sufferings, that Zen hopes to realize its beatitude. It is in this world, imperfect, changing, and moving, that Zen finds the Divine Light it worships. It is in this phenomenal universe of limitation and relativity that Zen aims to attain to highest Nirvana.

"Highly recommended" - The Center for Asian Studies Anyone who examines the Zen arts is immediately struck by how modern they seem. The ceramics of 16th-century Zen artists could be interchanged with the rugged pots of our own contemporary crafts movement. Ancient calligraphies suggest the monochromes of Franz Kline or Willem de Kooning. The apparent nonsense and illogic of Zen parables (and No theater and Haiku poetry) established the limitations of language long before the theater of the absurd. 400-year-old Zen architecture seems to be a copy of modern design ideas such as modular space and a California marriage of house and garden. Zen values experiencing things over analyzing them. Perhaps if we can take the power of direct perception, sharpened by the devices of Zen art, back to everyday activities, we will find a beauty in common objects that we previously ignored.

"Real talk on living joyfully and truly coming home to ourselves-with reflective self-care practices to help us on our interconnected journeys of liberation Join three friends, three Black women, all teachers in the Plum Village tradition founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, sharing their experience of how mindfulness nourishes their sense of belonging and connection with ancestors. Listen to three voices in intimate conversation, touching on the pain and beauty of their families of origin, relationships and loneliness, intimacy and sexuality, politics, popular culture, race, self-care and healing-no subject is out of bounds in this free-flowing, wide-ranging offering of mindful wisdom. Authors Valerie Brown, Marisela Gomez, MD, and Kaira Jewel Lingo share how the Dharma's timeless teachings support their work for social and racial equity and justice in their work and personal lives. The book offers insights in embodied mindfulness practice to support us in healing white supremacy, internalized racial oppression, and social and cultural conditioning, leading to a firm sense of belonging and abiding joy"--

"Although it is framed as a commentary on The Song of Zazen and certainly is that, this book is also idiosyncratic, even weird, in ways that I find enticing and that certainly form a contrast to the sometimes bland or redundant quality of much American Buddhist writing. In his effort to represent Zen in postwar Japan, one can feel both Mumon Roshi's roots in an earlier era and his curiosity about how Zen could retain its purpose and power in modern Japanese life and culture. As you can see in the photo above, this English translation was published already, but it was a private printing of 1,000 copies in Japan by the Asia South Pacific Friendship Association, and I don't think many of those copies will have made it outside of Japan. Those who sponsored the project always hoped to find an American publisher for it as well, and that's why Norman reached out to us"--

The author demystifies the spiritual path of Eastern Spiritual practices by removing dogma and culture and mystical stories by re-framing concepts to fit the modern, scientifically trained western mind. If you've ever had trouble understanding spirituality, seem stuck or just can't seem to "get" it or are just beginning your spiritual journey then this book was designed for you. While the demystification is simple and straight forward enough for just about anyone, the concepts are robust enough to challenge intellectuals.The author runs the Chop Wood. Carry Water. Practical Spirituality Facebook group and Youtube Channel and is involved in helping people end their suffering and move deeper into their experience in this life.

Zen and Western Philosophy takes a novel approach to philosophy. The book's goal is to capture the body of thought called "Western philosophy" with an Eastern net-Zen as embodied in haiku. The book offers profiles of 139 Western philosophers by using a traditional three-line haiku format of 5-7-5 syllables in order to capture each philosopher's ideas in a manner that is both concise and playful. Simply put, the book's purpose, design, and structure is A parallax viewof Western philosophythrough an Eastern lens. It's a difficult task to capture a philosopher's ideas in a mere 17 syllables. While the 139 haikus will reinforce, for the reader, the ideas of famous philosophers, perhaps also readers will be inspired create their own creative, philosophical haiku.

" La Vie du Bouddha qüon va lire n¿est pas une ¿uvre de fantaisie, et je crois bon d¿indiquer les principaux parmi les livres, anciens ou modernes, que j¿ai consultés.J¿ai, le plus souvent, suivi le Lalita-Vistara. Il y a du fatras dans ce livre où se mêlent aux récits légendaires les dissertations scolastiques. Là pourtant nous ont été gardées de précieuses traditions sur les origines du héros, sur son enfance, sur sa jeunesse ; on nous apprend comment il fut élevé, on nous raconte quelles furent ses premières actions.J¿ai fait grand usage aussi d¿un poème excellent, le Bouddhacarita d¿Açvaghosha. Dans quelques chapitres j¿en ai reproduit les termes presque littéralement. Le texte du Bouddhacarita a été édité par E.-B. Cowell.J¿ai introduit dans le livre plusieurs jâtakas. Ce sont des contes où le Bouddha rappelle ses vies antérieures. On en trouvera un certain nombre dans un vaste recueil, l¿Avadânaçataka.Deux ouvrages modernes : Le Bouddha, de M. H. Oldenberg, traduit par M. A. Foucher, et l¿Histoire du Bouddhisme dans l¿Inde, de M. H. Kern, traduite par M. Gédéon Huet, m¿ont aussi beaucoup servi ; de même différents travaux, imprimés dans des revues scientifiques. Ainsi, pour l¿émouvante histoire de Viçvantara, j¿ai mis à profit une version sogdienne, publiée dans le Journal asiatique, par R. Gauthiot."

What distinguishes human beings from other animals and creatures, and what does religion-in particular, Zen Buddhism-have to do with human nature ?In this book, Richard DeMartino (1922-2013), the pre-eminent Western Zen thinker of the 20th century presents the Zen understanding of man and his problematic nature ("human beings do not know who they are"); of awakening to his true nature (True Self); and of the Zen path leading to this Self-awakening. DeMartino's analysis in this book of the resolution to man's fundamental problem, and of the basic features of Zen methodology to achieve this goal, constitute his fullest discussion of these topics.Though teaching at Temple University in Philadelphia for some twenty years until his retirement in 1986, DeMartino was a reclusive thinker who shunned the limelight and was known to few outside the circle of his colleagues and students in Philadelphia. The present volume contains Richard DeMartino's hitherto unpublished Ph. D. dissertation of 1969. While other writings of his (published in 2021 and 2022) discuss some topics in greater detail, DeMartino's doctoral dissertation contains his unequalled comprehensive discussion of Zen. With this book, UniversityMedia's trilogy of Richard DeMartino's main writings is complete:Human Nature and Zen (2021). ISBN 978-3-906000-17-6Zen Encounters (2022). ISBN 978-3-906000-22-0The Zen Understanding of Man (2023). ISBN 978-3-906000-32-9

This book initiates a paradigm shift away from Zen/Chan as quintessentially Buddhist and examines what makes Chan thought and practice unique and original through an interdisciplinary investigation of the nature and rationale of Chan and its enlightenment.

From the author and illustrator of the international bestseller Big Panda and Tiny Dragon comes a beautifully illustrated exploration of life and Zen, an adult fable of an old cat's journey to find infinite wisdom and the lessons he shares with others along the way.

Divine decoder is exactly what the name implies, this novel is a collection of breakdowns. My goal is to help you the reader decode the metaphors and spiritual implications hidden in the book of life which is the modern day bible. This novel isn't just written to target the Christian audience but also to all who are curious enough to seek divine knowledge over common knowledge. Everything to do with God is deep and revelation is required to digest the deep things of God . That is exactly what this book has set out to do, to iron the rough ends within the faith of Christianity. God has revealed these glories to us, because there is no other way in which we could acquire a knowledge of them but by revelation. So as you read this, keep an open mind and take it bit by bit so you can digest this set of information properly without overwhelming yourself. Shalom Stacy Amewoyi is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur, author and a philanthropist. She is based the United States of America. She grew up as an orphan, but through her perseverance and deep faith in God, she established herself as a change agent in her community.

Interviews with:Hadrian Abbot / Chris Amirault / Hogen Bays / Sarah Bender / Roger Brennan / Joshin Byrnes / Gyokuko Carlson / Seiso Paul Cooper / James Córdova / Erin Joen Dempsey / Jean-Luc Foisy / James Ford / Valerie Forstman / Zenshin Michael Haederle / Kate Hartland / Kokyo Henkel / Cynthia Kear / Karin Kempe / Donna Kowal / Michael Leizerman / Debra Seido Martin / Rafe Martin / Winifred Shokai Martin / Sally Metcalf / Meido Moore / Julie Nelson / Dosho Port / Jissai Prince-Cherry / John Pulleyn / Lila Dené Redding / Judy Roitman / Peggy Sheehan / Jeff Shore / Scott Thornton / David WeinsteinOn the scope, practice, and future of North American Zen

In this highly readable book, Master Gou Jun brings Chan’s powerful and profound teachings to the page in a way that is accessible and warm. This is a book for those new to Chan, and for seasoned practitioners.Essential Chan Buddhism is the rare unearthing of an ancient and remarkable Chinese spiritual tradition. Master Guo Jun speaks through hard-won wisdom on Chan's spiritual themes familiar to Western readers, such as mindfulness and relaxation in meditation, as well as profound, simply expressed teachings and insightful explorations of religious commitment. Essential Chan Buddhism filters formal spiritual practices through the lens of mundane and everyday life activities. The work captures the lyrical beauty and incantatory style of Guo Jun’s spoken English from the talks he gave at a fourteen-day retreat near Jakarta in 2010 and in subsequent conversations with his editor Kenneth Wapner.

32 mindfulness practitioners around the world reflect on encountering the extraordinary teachings of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who passed away in January 2022, exploring themes of coming home to ourselves, healing from grief and loss, facing fear, and building community and belonging

"Everything disappears into nothing at all, but out of that same nothing at all come all the new things, forever and ever." --Alan Watts When Jack Kerouac wrote his novel Dharma Bums, his views on Zen Buddhism echoed the sentiments of the Beat Generation, who found in Zen a way of life unencumbered by the limits of "square" society. And it was the philosopher Alan Watts who first wrote and spoke about Zen and Eastern culture in terms accessible to mainstream Western audiences. Watts was an engaging speaker and an icon of America's Beat and Counterculture movements who named among his friends Aldous Huxley, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, John Cage, and Joseph Campbell. Through his popular radio series Way Beyond the West, Alan Watts presented the practical side of Zen, which he described as "a cure for education and culture." By the early sixties, his radio programs were renowned for their synthesis of Eastern wisdom and everyday life. Watts' teachings during an era of turmoil and political strife are as timely today as they were over 50 years ago. The fascinating essays in this collection include: "The Beat Way of Life" How the Beats lived an uncomplicated Zen life and despite being denigrated as worthless slackers, like Eastern thinkers, they actively pursued "an arduous course of spiritual and psychological discipline""Return to the Forest" How the popular works of the writer Joseph Campbell influenced the earliest Beat traditions by advocating the internal search for individual truth over learned schools of thought "The Democratization of Buddhism" How Buddhism is actually a "religion of no-religion," that conveys the spiritual through the everyday and the ordinary and recognizes no division between the twoThis book is an engaging introduction to Watts' fascinating and enduring Zen teachings.