The sword has played an important role in the Japanese consciousness since ancient times. The earliest swords, made of bronze or stone, were clearly, by their design and form, used for ritualistic purposes rather than as weapons. Later, swords were associated only with the warrior class, and lack of physical strength and battle experience was compensated for by handling the sword in a way that was technically expert. Besides this sacred and artistic status, swordsmanship also acquired a philosophical reinforcement, which ultimately made it one of the Zen 'ways'. Zen Buddhism related the correct practice of swordsmanship to exercises for attaining enlightenment and selfishness, while Confucianism, emphasizing the ethical meaning, equated it to service to the state. This classic text, first published in English in 1978, includes a history of the development and an interpretation of Japanese swordsmanship, now esteemed as an art and honoured as a national heritage. It describes in detail the long, intensive and specialized training and etiquette involved, emphasizing and explaining the importance of both Zen and Confucian ideas and beliefs.

This book, first published in 1994, is a compendium of new translations of certain works regarded as fundamental texts in the Serene Reflection Buddhist Tradition (Soto Zen). All the texts were in Chinese, either as original works or as translations from Sanskrit. Several of them are central to the ceremonial not only of the Soto Zen Tradition but also of other Mahayana Buddhist traditions as well.

This book analyses the transplantation, development and adaptation of the two largest Tibetan and Zen Buddhist organizations currently active on the British religious landscape: the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) and the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives (OBC). The key contributions of recent scholarship are evaluated and organised thematically to provide a framework for analysis, and the history and current landscape of contemporary Tibetan and Zen Buddhist practice in Britain are also mapped out. A number of patterns and processes identified elsewhere are exemplified, although certain assumptions made about the nature of 'British Buddhism' are subjected to critical scrutiny and challenged.

If I'm So Zen, Why is My Hair Falling Out? helps those struggling with hair loss take back their confidence and regrow their hair for good by guiding them through the healing and regrowth process. After spending a year meeting with doctors, naturopaths, dermatologists, and trying every fad hair growth product on the market only to have another patch of hair fall out, Amanda Lera knew there had to be another way. The tools Amanda implements in If I'm So Zen, Why is My Hair Falling Out? teaches those struggling with hair loss how to: Regrow their hair fast without expensive, smelly treatments, or harmful medications Identify the true cause of their hair loss Prevent hair loss from happening again Grow fuller, longer, and healthier hair than before Relieve anxiety and rebuild their confidence Break up with WebMD for good

Charlotte Joko Beck offers a warm, engaging, uniquely American approach to using Zen to deal with the problems of daily living--love, relationships, work, fear, ambition, and suffering. "Everyday Zen" shows us how to live each moment to the fullest. This Plus edition includes an interview with the author.

"When something is bothering you--a person is bugging you, a situation is irritating you, or physical pain is troubling you--you must work with your mind, and that is done through meditation. Working with our mind is the only means through which we'll actually begin to feel happy and contented with the world that we live in." --Pema Choedroen Pema Choedroen is treasured around the world for her unique ability to transmit teachings and practices that bring peace, understanding, and compassion into our lives. With How to Meditate, the American-born Tibetan Buddhist nun presents her first book exploring in depth what she considers the essentials for a lifelong practice. More and more people are beginning to recognize a profound inner longing for authenticity, connection, and aliveness. Meditation, Pema explains, gives us a golden key to address this yearning. This step-by-step guide shows readers how to honestly meet and openly relate with the mind, embrace the fullness of our experience, and live in a wholehearted way as we discover: - The basics of meditation, from getting settled and the six points of posture to working with your breath and cultivating an attitude of unconditional friendliness - The Seven Delights--how moments of difficulty can become doorways to awakening and love - Shamatha (or calm abiding), the art of stabilizing the mind to remain present with whatever arises - Thoughts and emotions as "sheer delight"--instead of obstacles--in meditation "I think ultimately why we practice is so that we can become completely loving people, and this is what the world needs," writes Pema Choedroen. How to Meditate is an essential book from this wise teacher to assist each one of us in this virtuous goal.

The word "mu" is one ancient Zen teacher's response to the earnest question of whether even a dog has "buddha nature." Discovering for ourselves the meaning of the master's response is the urgent work of each of us who yearns to be free and at peace. "Practicing Mu" is synonymous with practicing Zen, "sitting with Mu" is an apt description for all Zen meditation, and it is said that all the thousands and thousands of koans in the Zen tradition are just further elaborations of Mu.
This watershed volume brings together over forty teachers, ancient and modern masters from across centuries and schools, to illuminate and clarify the essential matter: the question of how to be most truly ourselves.
Includes writings from: Dogen, Hakuin, Dahui, Thich Thien-An Zenkei Shibayama, Seung Sahn, Taizan Maezumi, Sheng Yen Philip Kapleau, Robert Aitken, Jan Chozen Bays, Shodo Harada Grace Schireson, John Daido Loori, John Tarrant Barry Magid, Joan Sutherland, and many more

Turning our conventional understanding of power on its head, world-renowned Zen master, spiritual leader, and national bestselling author Thich Nhat Hanh reveals how true power comes from within. What we seek, we already have. Whether we want it or not, power remains one of the central issues in all of our lives. Every day, each of us exercises power in many ways, and our every act subtly affects the world we live in. This struggle for control and authority permeates every aspect of our private and public lives, preventing us from attaining true happiness. The me-first mentality in our culture seeps unnoticed into our decisions and choices. Our bottom-line approach to getting ahead may be most visible in the business world, but the stress, fear, and anxiety it causes are being felt by people in all walks of life. Thich Nhat Hanh illustrates how the current understanding of power leads us on a never-ending search for external markers like job title or salary. "The Art of Power" boldly challenges our assumptions and teaches each of us how to access the true power that is within our grasp.

Zen Buddhist priest Shunmyo Masuno understands that today's busy world leaves little time or space for self-reflection, but that a garden--even in the most urban of spaces--can provide some respite. In his words, "The garden is a special spiritual place where the mind dwells." With this in mind, Masuno has designed scores of spectacular Japanese gardens and landscapes with the aim of helping people achieve a balanced life in the 21st century. This book explores Masuno's design process and ideas, which are integral to his daily Zen training and teachings. It features 15 unique gardens and contemplative landscapes completed in six countries over as many years--all thoughtfully described and documented in full-color photos and drawings. Readers will also find insights on Masuno's philosophy of garden design and a conversation between the designer and famed architect Terunobu Fujimori. Zen Garden Design provides an in-depth examination of Masuno's gardens and landscapes--not just as beautiful spaces, but as places for meditation and contemplation.

This book is about how Western social psychology interfaces with an Eastern Zen Buddhist perspective. It is neither a purely Zen Buddhist critique of the former, nor is it merely a social psychological interpretation of Zen. Rather, it is an attempt to create common ground between each through the systematic comparison of certain shared fundamental concepts and ideas. Anglo-American social psychology is not much more than a century old despite having its roots in a broad philosophical tradition. Alternately, the Zen version of Buddhism can trace its historical origins to roughly 1,500 years ago in China. Even though the two arose at different times and at first glance appear stridently antithetical, the authors show that they share considerable areas of overlap.

The logic of Zen contemplates the consequences of the taken-for-granted tyranny created by personal memories and culture. These traits, common to every culture, include hubris, greed, self-centeredness, distrust, prejudice, hatred, fear, anxiety, and violence. Social psychology leans more toward a "nurture" rather than "nature" explanation for behavior. Both areas of research are firmly rooted within the domain of sociological social psychology; the processes are also sometimes referred to as learning or conditioning.

Zen challenges in radical terms key assumptions of both sociology and psychology concerning individual identity, human nature, and human motivation. This stimulating volume will provoke new thoughts about an old tradition and a newer area of scholarly work.

'I have relinquished all that ties me to the world, but the one thing that still haunts me is the beauty of the sky' These simple, inspiring writings by three medieval Buddhist monks offer peace and wisdom amid the world's uncertainties, and are an invitation to relinquish earthly desires and instead taste life in the moment. One of twenty new books in the bestselling Penguin Great Ideas series. This new selection showcases a diverse list of thinkers who have helped shape our world today, from anarchists to stoics, feminists to prophets, satirists to Zen Buddhists.

The Zen Way is an invaluable introduction to Zen practice. It is divided into three parts: in the first, Ven. Myokyo-ni provides an overview of Buddhist belief in general, from the perspective of Zen. In her second part, she describes the daily rituals in a Rinzai Zen training monastery; while in the third, Ven. Myokyo-ni assesses Zen practice from a modern and European perspective.

What kind of person should I strive to be? What ideals should I pursue in my life? What would it mean for all of us to wake up to the realities and possibilities for human life? These questions, or versions of them, are commonly thought of as the essential building blocks of the human condition, and often serve as running motifs throughout our lives. Dale S. Wright argues that the question at the heart of them all is one most commonly associated with Buddhism: what is enlightenment? Any serious practitioner of human life, Buddhist or not, confronts the challenge of how to reach a different, improved-or enlightened-state of being, and fundamental to that quest is grappling with what enlightenment actually means. Why then, Wright asks, is this question not only avoided, but discouraged among Buddhists? There are many reasons for this unspoken prohibition. The simplest and perhaps most important is that pondering a distant goal is a waste of energy that would be much better applied to practice: quiet the flow of obsessive thinking, put yourself in a mindful state of presence, and let enlightenment take care of itself. However, the point of Buddhist practice is that it might eventuate in some form of awakening; in some groundbreaking transformation; in enlightenment. Wright contends that understanding the nature of the enlightenment that one seeks is the most important task of all, and that it can and should be in line with practice. Once practice is underway, he says, there should be an ongoing meditation on the ideal that is being strived for. Wright here offers a wide-ranging exploration of issues that have a bearing on the contemporary meaning of enlightenment. While taking as his point of departure an examination of what enlightenment has been in past Buddhist traditions, his historical considerations are subordinate to the question that our lives press upon us-what kinds of lives should we aspire to live here, now, and into the future?

'Reason and imagination and all mental chatter died down... I forgot my name, my humanness, my thingness, all that could be called me or mine. Past and future dropped away... Lighter than air, clearer than glass, altogether released from myself, I was nowhere around.' Thus Douglas Harding describes his first experience of headlessness, or no self. First published in 1961, this is a classic work which conveys the experience that mystics of all times have tried to put words to.

A comprehensive guide to Shaolin Lohan Kung Fu from both ancient and contemporary masters. With a new foreword by historian and martial artist Alexander Bennett, Shaolin Kung Fu details the oldest form of this ancient Chinese martial art. Shaolin Kung Fu is prized for its elegant style, effectiveness as a fighting system and as an exercise that benefits both body and mind. Authors Donn F. Draeger and P'ng Chye Khim, both master martial artists and Shaolin experts, focus on the Lohan technique--believed to have developed from a form devised at the legendary Shaolin Temple some 1,500 years ago. This comprehensive book offers a practical introduction, including: The history and fundamentals of Shaolin Kung Fu The fundamentals of Shaolin A complete description of the Lohan technique and how to master it Detailed Shaolin training methods, including the use of weapons Weapons used in Shaolin This book is intended as a supplement to a dedicated training program and includes detailed instructions explaining both the solo and partner practice forms. Accompanied by over 400 photos and sketches, this excellent introduction to the Lohan form is a must-have for every serious student of Shaolin and Kung Fu. Shaolin Kung Fu was intended to provide Buddhist monks in ancient China with an art that would not only act as an intense conditioning tool, but also arm them with a formidable system of self defense. Though the context for these skills has changed, modern readers can benefit from this method in much the same way as its original students.

Best known for his Buddhist teachings, Thich Nhat Hanh has lived in exile from his native Vietnam since 1966. These remarkable early journals reveal not only an exquisite portrait of the Zen master as a young man, but the emergence of a great poet and literary voice of Vietnam. From his years as a student and teaching assistant at Princeton and Columbia, to his efforts to negotiate peace and a better life for the Vietnamese, Fragrant Palm Leaves offers an elegant and profound glimpse into the heart and mind of one of the world's most beloved spiritual teachers.

This commentary on a selection of daily chants offers an important perspective upon some of the core tenets of Buddhist thought and teaching. The Venerable Myoko-ni surveys some of the key chants, including The Repentance Sutra, The Heart Sutra, and The Four Great Vows, assessing their origins, and the meaning that lies behind their creation and interpretation. An invaluable guide to all engaged in Buddhism and some of its key daily practices.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author, an extraordinary story of redemption in the darkest of places. Jarvis Jay Masters's early life was a horror story whose outline we know too well. Born in Long Beach, California, his house was filled with crack, alcohol, physical abuse, and men who paid his mother for sex. He and his siblings were split up and sent to foster care when he was five, and he progressed quickly to juvenile detention, car theft, armed robbery, and ultimately San Quentin. While in prison, he was set up for the murder of a guard - a conviction which landed him on death row, where he's been since 1990. At the time of his murder trial, he was held in solitary confinement, torn by rage and anxiety, felled by headaches, seizures, and panic attacks. A criminal investigator repeatedly offered to teach him breathing exercises which he repeatedly refused, until desperation moved him. With uncanny clarity, David Sheff describes Masters's gradual but profound transformation from a man dedicated to hurting others to one who has prevented violence on the prison yard, counselled high school kids by mail, and helped prisoners -and even guards - find meaning in their lives. Along the way, Masters becomes drawn to the Buddhist principles - compassion, sacrifice, and living in the moment -and gains the admiration of Buddhists worldwide. And while he is still in San Quentin and still on death row, he shows us all how to ease our everyday suffering, relish the light that surrounds us, and endure the tragedies that befall us all.

This study of Japanese Shin Buddhism offers a combination of historical development, carefully selected readings with commentaries, and a full list of illustrations linked to the text. It aims to reform the general view in the West that Zen is the principal Buddhist expression in Japan when it is effectively a minority, esoteric sect.

'The perfect guide for a course correction in life' Deepak Chopra If we open our eyes and see clearly it becomes obvious that there is no other time than this instant An insightful exploration into the origins and history of Zen Buddhism from pioneering Zen scholar Alan Watts. With a rare combination of freshness and lucidity, Watts explores the principles of Zen and how it can revolutionize our daily life.

"Zen enriches no one," Thomas Merton provocatively writes in his opening statement to Zen and the Birds of Appetite--one of the last books to be published before his death in 1968. "There is no body to be found. The birds may come and circle for a while... but they soon go elsewhere. When they are gone, the 'nothing, ' the 'no-body' that was there, suddenly appears. That is Zen. It was there all the time but the scavengers missed it, because it was not their kind of prey." This gets at the humor, paradox, and joy that one feels in Merton's discoveries of Zen during the last years of his life, a joy very much present in this collection of essays. Exploring the relationship between Christianity and Zen, especially through his dialogue with the great Zen teacher D.T. Suzuki, the book makes an excellent introduction to a comparative study of these two traditions, as well as giving the reader a strong taste of the mature Merton. Never does one feel him losing his own faith in these pages; rather one feels that faith getting deeply clarified and affirmed. Just as the body of "Zen" cannot be found by the scavengers, so too, Merton suggests, with the eternal truth of Christ