Who are you? When are you? What were you conscious of a moment ago? This groundbreaking book sees acclaimed psychologist Susan Blackmore combining the latest scientific theories about mind, self, and consciousness with a lifetime s practice of Zen. Framed by ten critical questions derived from Zen teachings and designed to expand your understanding and experience of consciousness, Zen and the Art of Consciousness doesn t offer final - or easy - answers, but instead provides an inspiring exploration of how intellectual enquiry and meditation can tackle some of today s greatest scientific mysteries.

Explores how Soto monks between the 13th and 16th centuries developed new forms of monastic organization and Zen instructions and new applications for Zen rituals within lay life; how these innovations helped shape rural society; and how remnants of them remain in the modern Soto school, now the largest Buddhist organization in modern Japan.

Zen rituals--such as chanting, bowing, lighting incense before the Buddha statue--are ways of recognizing the sacredness in all of life. A ritual is simply a deliberate and focused moment that symbolizes the care with which we should be approaching all of life, and practicing the Zen liturgy is a way of cultivating this quality of attention in order to bring it to everything we do. Here, John Daido Loori demystifies the details of the Zen rituals and highlights their deeper meaning and purpose. We humans are all creatures of ritual, he teaches, whether we recognize it or not. Even if we don't make ritual part of some religious observance, we still fall into ritual behavior, whether it be our daily grooming sequence or the way we have our morning coffee and paper. We run through our personal rituals unconsciously most of the time, but there is great value to introducing meaningful symbolic rituals into our lives and to performing them deliberately and mindfully--because the way we do ritual affects the way we live the rest of our lives. The book includes instructions for a simple Zen home liturgy, as it is practiced by students of the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen.

Sharing thirty years' experience as a Zen practitioner and teacher, Hamilton offers a variety of practical tools for Zen training to a wide audience. By practising to "untrain our inner parrot", we learn to quiet down - and not take so seriously - ongoing habitual mental chatter. In addition to helpful techniques for learning Zen practice, the author also presents what's at the heart of Zen - waking up to one's daily experience - in a clear, accessible, lighthearted, and humorous style. It's a usable manual for exploring and establishing a beginning sitting practice and includes simple instructions to clarify and elucidate the basics such as: how to develop physical, mental, and emotional awareness of one's mind and actions; how to experience "open" awareness - the objectivity of observing oneself in practice while allowing for a sense of spaciously accommodating whatever occurs; and how to understand and experience the esoteric Zen concept of full-empty awareness - a full appreciation of the primordial nature of all, which is the result of meditation.

"The sacred radiance of our original nature never darkens.
It has shined forth since beginningless time.
Do you wish to enter the gate that leads to this?
Simply do not give rise to conceptual thinking."
Zen Master So Sahn (1520-1604) is a towering figure in the history of Korean Zen. In this treasure-text, he presents in simple yet beautiful language the core principles and teachings of Zen. Each section opens with a quotation--drawn from classical scriptures, teachings, and anecdotes--followed by the author's commentary and verse. Originally written in Chinese, the text was translated into Korean in the mid-twentieth century by the celebrated Korean monk Boep Joeng. An American Zen monk, Hyon Gak, has translated it into English.

Offering an insight into the beauty and mystery of Zen, this collection of conversations includes many beautiful stories that highlight important points with absorbing clarity. Full of absurdities and humor, this book deals with sudden enlightenment--that supreme moment when people cease struggling to understand with their minds and jump wholeheartedly into the abyss--learning to love themselves as the first step toward loving the universe as a whole. Ofrece una perspectiva profunda del Zen, incluyendo historias que personifican los puntos mas importantes de manera interesante. Lleno de humor absurdo, este libro se trata de la ilustracion repentina--ese momento supremo donde dejamos de luchar con nuestras propias mentes y nos adentramos enteramente a lo desconocido, aprendiendo a amarnos a nosotros mismos.

"Wanting Enlightenment Is a Big Mistake" presents never-before published teaching stories by one of the most important Zen masters of our time. Born in Korea, Seung Sahn came to the United States in 1972 and soon established the Kwan Um School of Zen, with centres in Providence, Cambridge, New Haven, New York, Los Angeles and Berkeley. Today there are more than fifty centres of the Kwan Um School throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. In his teaching, Zen Master Seung Sahn emphasized sitting meditation, koan study and compassionate action. He was known for his powerful teaching style, which was direct, surprising and often humorous. For example, Seung Sahn proclaimed to his students, "Enlightenment is a big mistake," meaning that in order to wake up they had to let go of all their preconceptions and ideas - including and especially those about enlightenment. He taught that Zen is not about achieving a goal, but about dwelling in the realm "before thought" and helping others. Zen Master Seung Sahn passed away in 2004, but one of his closest American students has assembled a new collection of teachings stories, dialogues and excerpts from the master's talks.;"Enlightenment Is a Big Mistake" will be cherished by students of the Kwan Um School and by the many Zen students of other schools who enjoyed his popular earlier collection of teaching stories, "Dropping Ashes on the Buddha" (Grove, 1976), and his book on Zen philosophy and practice, "Compass of Zen" (Shambhala, 1997).

Dennis Genpo Merzel Roshi, one of the most highly regarded American Zen teachers, demystifies the experience of enlightenment, teaching that it is none other than the awakening to our true nature, which is ever present and inherent in all of us. Through the practice of meditation, one is able to turn the light of inquiry inward and discover this for oneself. Genpo Roshi lays out this journey of discovery for us-from the first tentative glimpses of Buddha Mind to the full flowering of realized life.
Always practical and down-to-earth, Genpo Roshi shows that following the Buddha Way does not require us to leave behind our ordinary lives. Instead it is a process of integration, learning to flow freely between the many dimensions of our lives so that our existence becomes more meaningful and joyous, and so that we are able to carry the wisdom and compassion we have realized into daily life.

Jizo is an important bodhisattva or "saint" of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Most prominent today in Japanese Zen, Jizo is understood to be the protector of those journeying through the physical and spiritual realms. This bodhisattva is closely associated with children, believed to be their guardian before birth, throughout childhood, and after death.
Here, an American Zen master offers an engaging and informative overview of the history of this important figure and conveys the practices and rituals connected with him, including a simple ceremony for remembering children who have died. Inspired by her own personal experience with Jizo practice, Bays explains how the Buddhist teachings on Jizo can bring peace to those confronted with suffering and loss.

"The""Blue Cliff Record "is a classic text of Zen Buddhism, designed to assist in the activation of dormant human potential. The core of this extraordinary work is a collection of one hundred traditional citations and stories, selected for their ability to bring about insight and enlightenment. These vignettes are known as "gongan" in Chinese and "koan" in Japanese.
"Secrets of the Blue Cliff Record "is a fresh translation featuring newly translated commentary from two of the greatest Zen masters of early modern Japan, Hakuin Ekaku (1685-1768) of the Rinzai sect of Zen and Tenkei Denson (1648-1735) of the Soto sect of Zen. This translation and commentary on "The Blue Cliff Record " sheds new light on the meaning of this central Zen text.

Here is the first major collection of the teachings of Taizan Maezumi Roshi (1931-1995), one of the first Japanese Zen masters to bring Zen to the West and founding abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles and Zen Mountain Center in Idyllwild, California. These short, inspiring readings illuminate Zen practice in simple, eloquent language. Topics include zazen and Zen koans, how to appreciate your life as the life of the Buddha, and the essential matter of life and death.
"Appreciate Your Life " conveys Maezumi Roshi's unique spirit and teaching style, as well as his timeless insights into the practice of Zen. Never satisfied with merely conveying ideas, his "teisho, " the Zen talks he gave weekly and during retreats, evoked personal questions from his students. Maezumi Roshi insisted that his students address these questions in their own lives. As he often said, "Be intimate with your life."
The readings are not teachings or instructions in the traditional sense. They are transcriptions of the master's teisho, living presentations of his direct experience of Zen realization. These teisho are crystalline offerings of Zen insight intended to reach beyond the student's intellect to her or his deepest essence.

Drawn from the records of Chinese Zen masters of the Tang and Song dynasties, this collection may surprise some readers. In contrast to the popular image of Zen as an authoritarian, monastic tradition deeply rooted in Asian culture, these passages portray Zen as remarkably flexible, adaptive to contemporary and individual needs, and transcending cultural boundaries.
The readings contained in Zen Essence emphasize that the practice of Zen requires consciousness alone and does not depend on a background in Zen Buddhism and Asian culture. The true essence of Zen resides in the relationship between mind and culture, whatever that culture might be. This unique collection of writings creates a picture of Zen not as a religion or philosophy, but as a practical science of freedom.

Here is a comprehensive introduction to Zen Buddhism for those who don't know how or where to begin, nor what to expect once they have started practicing. It includes the fundamentals of meditation practice (posture, technique, clothing), descriptions of the basic teachings and major texts, the teacher-student relationship, and what you will find when you visit a zendo, plus a history of Zen from the founding of Buddhism to its major schools in the West. In addition to answering the most frequently asked questions, it offers a listing of American Zen centers and resources, an annotated bibliography, and a glossary.

Jean Smith's enormously practical approach ensures that The Beginner's Guide to Zen Buddhism will become the book teachers and students alike will recommend.

Zen Buddhism emerged in China some fifteen centuries ago and remained the most dynamic and influential spiritual movement in Asia for more than a millennium. This anthology presents talks, sayings, and records of heart-to-heart encounters to show the essence of Zen teaching through the words of the Zen masters themselves. The selections have been made from the voluminous Zen canon for their accessibility, their clarity, and above all their practical effectiveness in fostering insight.

Hakuin Zenji (1689-1769) was one of the most important of all Japanese Zen masters. His commentary on the "Heart Sutra " is a Zen classic that reflects his dynamic teaching style, with its balance of scathing wit and poetic illumination of the text. Hakuin's sarcasm, irony, and invective are ultimately guided by a compassion that seeks to dislodge students' false assumptions and free them to realize the profound meaning of the "Heart Sutra " for themselves. The text is illustrated with Hakuin's own calligraphy and brush drawings.

In this guide, Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the most renowned Zen meditation masters, explains the essence of Buddhist practice and demonstrates how mindfulness can transform lives by awakening individuals' spirits, healing their emotional wounds, and improving their relationships with others--in short, helping individuals break the chains that tie them to the circle of birth and death. The book also serves as a guided meditation, as the author describes practices for cultivating mindfulness, including awareness of walking and breathing, deep listening, and skillful speech. "En esta guia, Thich Nhat Hanh, uno de los maestros de meditacion Zen mas conocidos, explica la esencia de la practica budista y demuestra como la atencion plena puede transformar vidas al despertar los espiritus de los individuos, curar sus heridas emocionales y mejorar sus relaciones con los demas--en suma, al ayudar a las personas a romper las cadenas que las atan a la rueda del nacimiento y la muerte. El libro sirve tambien como una meditacion guiada, mientras el autor describe practicas para cultivar la atencion plena, incluyendo el caminar y respirar conscientemente, escuchar a profundidad y hablar diestramente."

Kensho is the transformative glimpse of the true nature of all things. It is an experience so crucial in Zen practice that it is sometimes compared to finding an inexhaustible treasure because it reveals the potential that exists in each moment for pure awareness free from the projections of the ego. Among the traditional Zen works are a number of important texts focusing on the profound subtleties of this essential Zen awakening and the methods used in its realization. The selections here are taken from: Straightforward Explanation of the True Mind, by Korean Zen teacher Chinul (1158-210), which provides the contextual balance needed to understand kensho by relating it to the broader teachings of the Buddhist scriptures and treatises; several works by Japanese Zen master Hakuin (1786-1769), whose teachings emphasize the techniques used in the cultivation and application of kensho and the importance of going beyond the experience itself to apply Zen insight to the full range of human endeavors; and The Book of Ease, a Chinese koan collection from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, with commentary showing the practical dimension of classical koan practice. The translator provides extensive introductory notes and detailed commentary on each of the selections to help the reader understand the inner meaning of this essential experience of Zen.

This book provides a wide-ranging examination of the Hongzhou school of Chan Buddhism--"the precursor to Zen Buddhism--"under Mazu Daoyi (709-788) and his successors in eighth- through tenth-century China, which was credited with creating a Golden Age or classical tradition. Jinhua Jia uses stele inscriptions and other previously ignored texts to explore the school's teachings and history. Defending the school as a full-fledged, significant lineage, Jia reconstructs Mazu's biography and resolves controversies about his disciples. In contrast to the many scholars who either accept or reject the traditional Chan histories and discourse records, she thoroughly examines the Hongzhou literature to differentiate the original, authentic portions from later layers of modification and recreation. The book describes the emergence and maturity of encounter dialogue and analyzes the new doctrines and practices of the school to revise the traditional notion of Mazu and his followers as iconoclasts. It also depicts the strivings of Mazu's disciples for orthodoxy and how the criticisms of and reflections on Hongzhou doctrine led to the schism of this line and the rise of the Shitou line and various houses during the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods. Jia refutes the traditional Chan genealogy of two lines and five houses and calls for new frameworks in the study of Chan history. An annotated translation of datable discourses of Mazu is also included.

Across the icy plains of the Arctic and through the glacial wastelands of the Antarctic, Neville Shulman embarks on two exciting journeys to achieve his dream of reaching both the North and South Poles.
Traveling through the Arctic as part of a small Tate Gallery team, Shulman first traces the footsteps of the international artist Andy Goldsworthy, eventually meeting him at the North Pole to witness his unique polar sculpture. Ten years later he sets out again, this time on an arduous expedition to the Antarctic and the South Pole, with the primary goal of raising money for the Red Cross. While on this journey he meets friend Robert Swan, the first explorer to walk both Poles.
Throughout, as in all Shulman's adventures, Zen philosophy enhances his encounters with the polar wilderness and with nature and provides a unique perspective on what it means to travel in these remote, frozen territories.
Some Like It Cold is full of humor and reflection and provides fascinating, in-depth information on the animal and human inhabitants of both regions as well as telling the stories of some of the greatest polar explorers past and present.