The Buddhist field of knowledge is now so vast that few can master all of it, and the study and application of its principles must be a matter of choice. One may choose the magnificent moral philosophy of Theravada, the oldest school, or the Zen training of Japan; or special themes such as the doctrine of No-self, the Mahayana emphasis on compassion or the universal law of Karma and Rebirth. But the intense self-discipline needed for true spiritual experience calls for specialization of subject and technique. In this reissue, first published in 1974, Christmas Humphreys takes us on a personal journey through Buddhism, offering insights into the many different paths, doctrines and approaches to Buddhism. This collection of twenty essays ranges from history to doctrine, and from the rise of Buddhism in the West through to the finer points of its everyday practice. It is a truly valuable piece of Western Buddhist literature and its reissue will be welcomed be scholars of Buddhism and interested laypeople alike.

First published in 1978, Christmas Humphrey's autobiography presents the fascinating history of a life rich and varied in both private and in public. Spanning seven decades it touches on many events of historical interest in which he was personally involved. Among them the abdication of Edward VIII, the Japanese War Trials and his time with the Dalai Lama after his flight from Tibet. The author gives a graphic portrait of life behind the Bar and on the Bench - of what it is like to prosecute and to defend, and of the immense difficulties which face a judge when passing sentence. Here too are recollections of many famous cases of the twentieth century, and of the many murder trials in which he appeared as prosecuting counsel or judge. Of equal interest is his fifty years' of work in the field of English Buddhism. In 1924 he and his wife founded the Buddhist Society, which would become hugely influential in the spread of Buddhism throughout the West. Both Sides of the Circle is rich in humour and humanity. There is the joyful account of the author's Edwardian Boyhood followed by the tragedy of his brother's death in World War 1, which lead to the awakening of his interest in Buddhism and Theosophy. He speaks freely of his encounters with the Dalai Lama, with D.T. Suzuki, with Jung and with the Royal families of Thailand, Sikkim and Nepal, as well as his travels throughout the Europe and in the Orient. Both sides of the Circle is more than autobiography - it is also a spiritual odyssey whose reissue will be of great interest to those who've enjoyed Christmas Humphreys' other work and wish to know more about his brilliant career. It will also be very welcome to those wanted to learn about Buddhism in general, and the origins of English Buddhism in particular.

A balanced selection from Buddhist writings, including scriptures used by the Zen School, with chapters on the Buddha, Tibetan Buddhism, Concentration and Meditation, the Buddhist Order, and Nirvana. With sources, glossary and index.

First published in 1978, Christmas Humphrey's autobiography presents the fascinating history of a life rich and varied in both private and in public. Spanning seven decades it touches on many events of historical interest in which he was personally involved. Among them the abdication of Edward VIII, the Japanese War Trials and his time with the Dalai Lama after his flight from Tibet. The author gives a graphic portrait of life behind the Bar and on the Bench - of what it is like to prosecute and to defend, and of the immense difficulties which face a judge when passing sentence. Here too are recollections of many famous cases of the twentieth century, and of the many murder trials in which he appeared as prosecuting counsel or judge. Of equal interest is his fifty years' of work in the field of English Buddhism. In 1924 he and his wife founded the Buddhist Society, which would become hugely influential in the spread of Buddhism throughout the West. Both Sides of the Circle is rich in humour and humanity. There is the joyful account of the author's Edwardian Boyhood followed by the tragedy of his brother's death in World War 1, which lead to the awakening of his interest in Buddhism and Theosophy. He speaks freely of his encounters with the Dalai Lama, with D.T. Suzuki, with Jung and with the Royal families of Thailand, Sikkim and Nepal, as well as his travels throughout the Europe and in the Orient. Both sides of the Circle is more than autobiography - it is also a spiritual odyssey whose reissue will be of great interest to those who've enjoyed Christmas Humphreys' other work and wish to know more about his brilliant career. It will also be very welcome to those wanted to learn about Buddhism in general, and the origins of English Buddhism in particular.

Emphasizes the inner life as a constant moving on and the mover as a pilgrim travelling along an ancient Way. This Way to ultimate Reality was called by Gautama the Buddha the Middle Way, the path between the introverted life of contemplation and the extrovert life of action in the world of men.

Karma, the law of cause and effect, of nature's retribution for lost harmony, and Rebirth, from which it is inseperable, have been described as the oldest doctrine in the world. In today's turmoil, an understanding of Karma is one of the foundations on which we can build a more reasonable world.

Zen Buddhism was founded in China in the 6th century, and its direct path to Enlightenment first came west in 1927 with D. T. Suzuki's first Essays. This work guides the reader towards Zen teaching in practice and theory, and to provide material for further explorations into its meditative experience.

Emphasizes the inner life as a constant moving on and the mover as a pilgrim travelling along an ancient Way. This Way to ultimate Reality was called by Gautama the Buddha the Middle Way, the path between the introverted life of contemplation and the extrovert life of action in the world of men.

Karma, the law of cause and effect, of nature's retribution for lost harmony, and Rebirth, from which it is inseperable, have been described as the oldest doctrine in the world. In today's turmoil, an understanding of Karma is one of the foundations on which we can build a more reasonable world.

The wisdom of Buddhism is to be found in its Scriptures, and this book attempts to compile a selection from Buddhist writings. The Scriptures used by the Zen School of China and Japan are well represented, and chapters discuss such topics as the Buddha, Tibetan Buddhism, concentration and meditation, the Buddhist order, and Nirvana. In this anthology, the source of each item is given, whilst a glossary and index have been added.

Zen Buddhism was founded in China in the 6th century A.D. and in due course this direct path to Enlightenment passed to Japan, where it is flourishing today. It first came West in 1927 with the publication of Dr D.T. Suzuki's first series of Essays in Zen Buddhism, to be followed by other works dealing with this school of spiritual endeavour. Since then, there has been a great expansion of interest in Buddhism, and particularly in Zen training. In this work an attempt is made to guide the reader towards Zen teaching in practice, as well as theory, and to provide the material for further explorations into this significant area of meditative experience.

The Buddhist field of knowledge is now so vast that few can master all of it, and the study and application of its principles must be a matter of choice. One may choose the magnificent moral philosophy of Theravada, the oldest school, or the Zen training of Japan; or special themes such as the doctrine of No-self, the Mahayana emphasis on compassion or the universal law of Karma and Rebirth. But the intense self-discipline needed for true spiritual experience calls for specialization of subject and technique. In this reissue, first published in 1974, Christmas Humphreys takes us on a personal journey through Buddhism, offering insights into the many different paths, doctrines and approaches to Buddhism. This collection of twenty essays ranges from history to doctrine, and from the rise of Buddhism in the West through to the finer points of its everyday practice. It is a truly valuable piece of Western Buddhist literature and its reissue will be welcomed be scholars of Buddhism and interested laypeople alike.

Karma and Rebirth by CHRISTMAS HUMPHREYS John Murray, Albemarle Street, W. London First Edition, . . February 1943 Reprinted .... February 1944 Reprinted .... March 1948 Made and PnntcJ in Great Britain by Butler Tanner Ltd., Frome and London CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 7 I THE LAW OP KARMA n II KARMA IN ACTION ........ 21 III WHAT KARMA is NOT 33 IV WHAT KARMA EXPLAINS 39 V SOME DIFFICULTIES CONSIDERED 46 VI REBIRTH 52 VII WHO BELIEVES IN KARMA AND REBIRTH ... 62 VIII KARMA AND REBIRTH APPLIED 67 IX THE ENDING OF KARMA AND REBIRTH .... 76 EDITORIAL NOTE, T r object of the editor of this series is a very definite one. He desires above all things that in their humble way, these books shall be the ambassadors of good-will and understanding between East and West, the old world, of Thought, and the new of Action. He is confident that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals and lofty philosophy of Oriental thought may help to a revival of that true spirit of Charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour. J. L. CRANMER-BYNG. 50, ALBEMARLE STREET, LONDON, W. i INTRODUCTION THERE are many books on the twin doctrines of Karma and Rebirth, but the tendency of each new publication is to present the subject as more and more mechanical, until so nearly does this timeless, universal Law approximate to a soulless Fate that what is in fact a reign of law becomes a reign of terror, and compassion, described in The Voice of the Silence as the Law of Laws, eternal Harmony, is utterly ignored. The cause of this degradation is probably twofold first, the general tendency of Western thought to materialize whatever spiritual principles swim into its ken, and secondly, theincreasing departure from the available sources of our knowledge of the doctrine, with the corresponding reliance of each writer on previous text books and his own ideas. In the result, most Western writers on the subject confine themselves to the lower knowledge described by the Vedanta philosophers, which is sufficient for those too lazy to awaken in themselves the higher centres from which alone the higher knowledge may be seen. But though the law of Karma must, on its own plane, remain to us unknowable, a thoughtful study of the sources from which our knowledge is derived will give the genuine student a vision of essential principles which, if not yet of the higher knowledge reserved for the few, may serve to awaken the higher centres through which, as windows on to the Absolute, the Truth may finally be known. The present volume is therefore a humble attempt to recon sider the subject in the light of such authorities as are available and from a more spiritual and therefore less mechanical point of view. The doctrine is too old and too widely held to be regarded as the property of any one religion, but the Scriptures of the Hindus and Buddhists provide the oldest available sources, 7 INTRODUCTION When to these arc added, by way of commentary, the writings of H. P. Blavatsky, who was herself trained in Tibetan monas teries, there is available a triple authority which, taken as a whole, provides the basis for an all-embracing Law which guides and governs the evolution of mankind. Yet the ultimate authority for any doctrine is not in the written nor in the spoken word, but rather in its own sweet reasonableness, and in the fact that it is ratified by the intuition and seems to work outin the days experience. Neither God nor man may prove to another that a principle is true. As the Buddha said to the Kalamas Do not go by hearsay, nor by what is handed down by others, nor by what people say, nor by what is stated on the authority of your traditional teachings . . . But Kalamas, when you know of yourselves These teachings are good these teachings, when followed out and put into practice conduce to the ending of suffering, to peace of mind, to Nirvana then accept them...

"If in every mind burns a flame of the Buddha's Enlightenment," Christmas Humphreys writes in his foreword to The Wisdom of the Zen Masters, "there is nothing to seek and nothing to acquire. We are enlightened, and all the words in the world will not give us what we already have. The man of Zen, therefore, is concerned with one thing only, to become aware of what he already is..." The task of the Japanese Zen master has been to guide his pupils in their awakening. The means used vary--from severe physical discipline to the proposition of enigmatic riddles, or koans--but always to the same end, Enlightenment: experiencing the Great Death of the worldly "I."