Best known as the man who brought Zen classics to the West, Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki sheds light on all phases of a monk's experience, from being initially refused admittance at the Zendo's door to the definitive understanding the meaning of one's koan as the final act of ordinance into Zen priesthood. The Training of the Zen Buddhist Monk invites us inside the mysterious world of the Zendo, where monks live their lives in monastic simplicity. Suzuki reveals the subtle intricacies of the initiation ceremony, a monk's duty to beg among the laity, and he explains the spiritual remuneration of prayer & meditation as well as a life of service to others.Initially published in 1934, this exceptional hardcover edition contains handsome illustrations of diverse scenes from the life training of a Zen monk.DAISETZ TEITARO SUZUKI (1870-1966) was Japanese author who wrote essays and books on topics such as Buddhism, Zen, and Shin. His books played a role in making the west more knowledgeable with Far Eastern philosophy. He taught at western schools as well as Japanese schools. He was also a translator of Chinese, Japanese, and Sanskrit.

The two great streams of Zen Buddhism are the Soto sect, known as the School of Silent Illumination, and the Rinzai school of rigorous koan study. Dogen established Soto Zen in Japan, and his work is widely known in the West with many of his books translated into English. Hakuin is credited with the modern revival of the Rinzai sect and is its most important teacher. His life has been a great inspiration to the students and practitioners of Zen in the West, and his writings offer great authority and practical application.Norman Waddell has devoted a large part of his life to translating and publishing work by and about Hakuin. This collection of six diverse and independent works contains five pieces never before translated into English, some of which have been until quite recently unknown, even in Japan. A rich and various gathering, the offerings here will be important to seasoned practitioners as well as attractive to newcomers to Zen and spiritual seekers of all faiths.

At the heart of Zen Buddhism is the practice of meditation. The Little Book of Zen Meditation is as one-pointed as the mind of the meditative Buddhist. It directs the reader in a exacting manner in the techniques of Zen Meditation in order that the practitioner may focus their mind and walk the path towards Nirvana.

Dwight Goddard's collection of translations of a cross-section of Buddhist traditions was a fundamental part of the importation of Buddhism into the USA and then, through the work of the Beat Poets that the book influenced, throughout the West as a whole. Goddard had originally been an engineer but after his wife's death, when he was twenty-nine years old, he entered the Hartford Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1894 and was sent to China as a Congregational missionary. He was interested in non-Christian religions and as a result of this curiosity began to study various denominations of Buddhism. In 1928, at the age of sixty-seven, Goddard encountered Japanese Zen Buddhism for the first time while in New York City. He was so impressed with it that he moved to Japan where he met D. T. Suzuki and studied for eight months with him at the Yamazaki Taiko Roshi of Shokoku Monastery in Kyoto. His time spent in China and Japan made him feel that lay religious practice was not enough and would lead to worldly distractions and he decided to establish a male-only monastic movement named, 'the Followers of Buddha'. It was situated on forty acres in southern California adjacent to the Santa Barbara National Forest and also on rural land in Thetford, Vermont. The religious 'followers' who participated in the fellowship commuted between the centers in a van, spending winters in California and summers in Vermont. The venture was short lived and closed due to lack of followers. His book, A Buddhist Bible, was published in 1932. Translated from writings Goddard found of worth in the traditions of Theravada, Mahayana, Zen, Tibetan and other Buddhists schools of thought, the book soon became popular and it contributed to the spread of Buddhism in the USA in the 1930's and 1940's. But it was in the 1950's that A Buddhist Bible was to make its most lasting impact. By the end of 1953 the famous writer Jack Kerouac had been living with fellow 'Beat Poets' Neal and Carolyn Cassady in a menage a trois situation and the relationship had become untenable for all of those concerned. It had become obvious that it was time for Jack to move on and Neal recommended that Jack read A Buddhist Bible as a way of finding some much-needed spiritual inspiration. Legend has it that Kerouac headed down to the San Jose library and stole a copy before heading back 'out on the road'! It was natural that Kerouac, who had always battled with his Catholic ideologies and his lifestyle of heavy drinking and womanizing, would find some peace through the principles of Buddhism and this came out in his seminal The Dharma Bums which detailed Kerouac and fellow Beat Gary Snyder's differing takes on the Buddhist way of life. Although at first dismissive of his fellow Beats new found outlook, Allen Ginsberg soon followed suit and A Buddhist Bible, together with the collective writings of the Beat Generation on Buddhism, had a big influence on the American generations that followed. Dwight Goddard was unaware of his new-found fame as he died on his seventy-eighth birthday in 1939.

This is a complete explanation of Zen practice written by one of the most eminent masters of pre-modern Japan. The author, Torei Enji (1721-1792), was best known as one of two "genius assistants" to Hakuin Ekaku, who was himself a towering figure in Zen Buddhism who revitalized the Rinzai school. Torei was responsible for much of the advanced work of Hakuin's later disciples and also helped systemize Hakuin's teachings. "The Undying Lamp of Zen" includes a range of principles and practices, from the most elementary to the most advanced. It is an indispensable aid to the practice of Rinzai Zen, and provides an accessible entree to the Zen experience in general. Torei is a compelling guide; his tone is energetic, no-nonsense, and full of personality.
Premier translator Thomas Cleary provides a thorough introduction and illuminating footnotes throughout, and his masterful translation allows Torei's distinctive voice to shine through.

On a beautiful spring day in 2002, Lee Carlson's life was transformed forever when he was hit by a careless, speeding driver. Father, husband, writer, son all that was about to change. Several days later he woke up in a hospital with a new identity: Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor. Unfortunately he knew all about Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI. Just months before, his mother had fallen down a flight of basement stairs, crushing her brain and leaving her unable to walk, speak or feed herself. Passage to Nirvana tells the story of one person's descent into the hell of losing everything: family, home, health, even the ability to think and the slow climb back to a normal life. Told in a unique creative style brought on by the author's brain injury, combining short poems and essays in an interwoven, exuberant narrative, Passage to Nirvana recounts one person s struggle and ultimate joy at building a new life. The story takes the reader through Intensive Care Units, doctors offices and a profusion of therapy centers, eventually winding its way to sunlit oceans, quiet Zen meditation halls, white beaches, azure skies and a sailboat named Nirvana. Passage to Nirvana is a memoir, a treasury of Zen teachings and a sailor s yarn all rolled into one. Passage to Nirvana is an illustrative tale about finding a path to happiness after a traumatic life event, a book that will teach you about the Poetry of Living.

In February 2004, when her American husband, a recently ordained Zen monk, leaves home to train for a year at a centuries-old Buddhist monastery, Tracy Franz embarks on her own year of Zen. An Alaskan alone—and lonely—in Japan, she begins to pay attention.

My Year of Dirt and Water is a record of that journey. Allowed only occasional and formal visits to see her cloistered husband, Tracy teaches English, studies Japanese, and devotes herself to making pottery. Her teacher instructs her to turn cup after cup—creating one failure after another. Past and present, East and West intertwine as Tracy is twice compelled to return home to Alaska to confront her mother’s newly diagnosed cancer and the ghosts of a devastating childhood.

Revolving through the days, My Year of Dirt and Water circles hard questions: What is love? What is art? What is practice? What do we do with the burden of suffering? The answers are formed and then unformed—a ceramic bowl born on the wheel and then returned again and again to dirt and water.

The Zen Follies, by Fil Lewitt, with plenty of B & W photos and drawings of zenbos, oddballs, and unusual locations, takes a close, sometimes ironic and often funny look at the business and pleasures of Zen Buddhism, and tells through stories, essays, autobiography, and some poetry the path one person took to find the Way, and what happened along the way. The book is aimed at the general reader with no special knowledge of Zen. Lewitt has been practicing Zen Buddhist meditation for more than forty years, and now in his 70th year, was ready to write about it. He spent 1972 as a student/monk at Tassajara Monastery deep in the coastal range of central California, and founded and helped direct a small Zen Buddhist community, Big River Farm Sangha, in Mendocino, California, during the 70s and 80s.

THE ZEN OF SELLING The Way to Profit from Life's Everyday Lessons For professional salespeople on the go, wading through a '500-steps-to-success' manual or trying to memorize sales rules are poor ways to learn. Salespeople know that nothing beats the impact of a real-life story. Now every important sales secret has been clarified and crystallized in this short, lively, and compelling collection of 17 stories. From handling harsh rejection to closing a tough sale, the stories use real-life contexts and fully fleshed out characters to illustrate fundamental selling rules. The truths that emerge in The Zen of Selling are universal, cutting across the sales spectrum of products, industries, experiences, and styles. Both enlightening and entertaining, the book is ideal for experienced salespeople who want a quick, fun to read refresher and for newcomers seeking an innovative primer on the essentials of selling.

Zen koans are stories of exchanges between Zen masters and their disciples at the moment of enlightenment or near-enlightenment. These stories have long fascinated Western readers because of their wisdom, humor, and enigmatic quality. Drawing on over 30 years of practice and teaching, Richard Shrobe (himself a recognized Zen Master) has selected 22 cases from "The Blue Cliff Record" and "Wu-men-kuan" that he finds deeply meaningful and helpful for meditation practice. In "Elegant Failure, " he provides a wealth of background information and personal anecdotes for each koan that help to illuminate its meaning without detracting from its paradoxical nature. As Shrobe reminds us, "The main core of Zen teaching is the bare bones of what is there. In a certain sense, embellishing a story takes away from the central teaching: Don't embellish anything, just be with it as it is."

"while the poems in this volume certainly stand alone, experienced as a sequence, they transport you on a spirited, worthwhile journey: a journey in which, you will recognize yourself-encouraged, empowered, enlightened, and smiling inside and out, a journey where the greatest human mysteries just seem matter of fact-transparent. the thinking here is all so clear and true, it sounds simple. this is poetry so straightforward, prose lovers will enjoy it, and poetry lovers will discover craftsmanship so solid and steady that it feels effortless. one simply cannot imagine a better way to say what these words do. truth told in such an understandable and fresh voice, this is poetry that will be remembered." kathy hirshon, artist

Extending their successful series of collections on Zen Buddhism, Heine and Wright present a fifth volume, on what may be the most important topic of all - Zen Masters. Following two volumes on Zen literature (Zen Classics and The Zen Canon) and two volumes on Zen practice (The Koan and Zen Ritual) they now propose a volume on the most significant product of the Zen tradition - the Zen masters who have made this kind of Buddhism the most renowned in the world by emphasizing the role of eminent spiritual leaders and their function in establishing centers, forging lineages, and creating literature and art. Zen masters in China, and later in Korea and Japan, were among the cultural leaders of their times. Stories about their comportment and powers circulated widely throughout East Asia. In this volume ten leading Zen scholars focus on the image of the Zen master as it has been projected over the last millennium by the classic literature of this tradition. Each chapter looks at a single prominent master. Authors assess the master's personality and charisma, his reported behavior and comportment, his relationships with teachers, rivals and disciplines, lines of transmission, primary teachings, the practices he emphasized, sayings and catch-phrases associated with him, his historical and social context, representations and icons, and enduring influences.

2010 Facsimile of the 1932 Edition. Goddard compiled a collection of favorite texts of the Zen Sect of Buddhism. Includes a History of Zen Buddhism, Self-Realization of Noble Wisdom, The Diamond Sutra, The Prajna Paramita Sutra, the Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. Edited and interpreted by Dwight Goddard.

Powerfully inventive poems of love in contemporary life by Chong Hyon-jong, one of the most respected poets writing in Korea. The novelty of his poetic language with its narrative lyricism and provacative philosophy makes it impossible to classify Chong's poetry, and yet it is a holder of tradition which embodies the laws of life as seen by gifted poets in the zen poetic tradition of Korea. Chong Hyon-jong exposes contemporary reality, like a prophet, with profound insight.

So striking were the replies of Joshu (778-897 CE) to students' questions, that it was said that his "lips emitted light." His saysing were extremely influential throughout the Zen tradition and are included in many koan anthologies. Now here is the first full English translation of his sayings, lectures, dialogues, poems, and records from his pilgimages. The translation aims for readability rather than literalness; helpful notes illustrate features from the Chinese that might not be evident in English. A historical introudction by the translator a short biography of Joshu, and a useful glossary make The Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Joshu an invaluable text for any student of Zen Buddhism.

Zen and the Art of Sleep offers a surprising discovery for insomniacs. The problem isn't sleep. The problem is trying to capture and control sleep. Readers new to Zen Buddhism are gently guided down this reflective path. Along the way, emotional baggage and misguided endeavors that feed insomnia fade away. Each chapter builds upon previous insights and ends with Zen Practice exercises that reveal awake and asleep to be part of the same moving stream. Unblocking that flow allows the inevitable bedtime moment of drowsiness, a moment not so different from any other, to proceed naturally and without effort. Illustrated by Zen artist Andy Lee.

Telementation is a variation of what is often called "The Law of Attraction," where telementation focuses more on feeling reality into existence rather than believing or visualizing reality into existence. Telementation is an ancient meditative art form, and it is the true nature of our real deep inner self. It is virtually unknown to contemporary, modernized humans, but it is has been recognized by shamans, mystics, and philosophers as the ultimate power in the universe, which is possessed by all humans. Telementation is true consciousness (and true consciousness is the deepest, innermost part of mental reality, not the surface emanations), and therefore telementation is what humans actually are. This book is a short instruction manual on how to carry out the law of attraction with great ease. Telementation creates a revolution in a person's life that ends nearly all personal problems, and it brings a person back to their innate, inalienable greatness and poetical inner peace. Telementation is particularly productive for those who want a very simple guidebook on how to carry out Eastern meditation or Christian mysticism, for those who have had trouble attaining religious experience despite putting forth great efforts at meditation, and for those having trouble overcoming depression by conventional methods.

Most Billiard instructional guides focus solely on the physical aspects of the game - the techniques, the shots, and the rules. Zen Pool teaches you all of these practical insights and skills, then goes one step further - showing you how to improve your total game by increasing your physical, mental, and spiritual awareness in the present moment. Many readers have described remarkable improvements after reading the lessons taught in this book - and many professional players have reported winning more tournaments. Zen Pool is your own private success coach: It will guide you to new levels of play and give you the knowledge you need to vastly improve your game. The wisdom and secrets herein have been distilled from a lifelong and fruit bearing quest, including study with, and of, many pool masters. So open Zen Pool, begin your journey, and let three-time national billiards champion Max Eberle awaken the master within you.

For more than four decades, Robert Aitken Roshi has taught thousands of people the Buddhist practice of Zen meditation, and has led hundreds through their practice of the study of traditional koans. He has authored more than a dozen books, including a celebrated appreciation of Basho's haiku; volumes of commentary on sacred texts; works on ethics, daily life, and social action; and one of the best-loved introductions to Zen Buddhism, Taking the Path of Zen. A founder of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, he has spent his life as a political activist, work he continues to this day. After a long and remarkable life--he will be 91 years old when this collection is published--Aitken Roshi offers a collection of 266 short texts. Some are clearly parables; others are simple stories, quotations, memories, and commentaries. Resembling Benjamin Franklin's Almanac or the epigrams of Chamfort as much as it does work from ancient sages, this collection of "miniatures" distills a life devoted to teaching and awareness, of being present, showing up, and making a difference. Any person living a considered life, whether secular humanist or religious seeker, will find this a book of rich inspiration, a lasting companion, sharing a journey of deep realization and profound hope.

Buddhist masters of the past have explained the relationship between Buddhist theory and the Truth by way of a simple metaphor. The Truth, they say, is like the distant moon. Ideas, theories, and explanations are merely fingers pointing at that far-away goal. They are not, and can never be, the moon itself. So this book is one such finger, a finger pointing at the moon, but the moon itself can be touched by you alone... The Buddhism which emerges from To Meet the Real Dragon is Buddhism for real people: ordinary human beings with ordinary human problems. It is humanistic Zen--Zen for human beings. Here are a few of the topics covered by this very readable book: What is Religion, Meeting a True Master, Master Dogen, Science and Buddhism, Idealism and Materialism, Gautama Buddha, The Four Noble Truths, The Transmission of the Truth, Cause and Effect, Not Doing Wrong, Action: The Center of Buddhism, Zazen, The Four Philosophies.

This book is a collection of ten shorts talks on Buddhism by Japanese Zen Master Gudo Nishijima. In the first part, Master Nishijima talks about his theory of three philosophies and one reality - his interpretation of Gautama Buddha's Four Noble Truths. Each talk is followed by a lively discussion and questions and answers. The second part contains translations of three talks given by Master Nishijima on NHK Radio in Japan in 1994. The talks are titled: Buddhism & Action, Action & Daily Life, and Buddhism & Zazen. ..".If we look at the many Sutras written about the Buddha's realization we can conclude that he reached that viewpoint or state because he revered action. Action cannot exist at any other time or place than the present moment here and now. Another way of looking at this is in terms of past, present and future: no matter what mistakes we have made in the past, although we may regret them, we can never return to the past to put things right. At the same time, although we want to attain our dream or reach some aim in the future, we can never go into the future to reach our dream or aim. But if we look at life as centered on acting, we see that we can only really exist in the present. We can never return to the past, and we cannot go into the future. This is the essence of what Gautama Buddha taught-real existence is the present moment..."