An essential guide to what it's like to spend a week inside a Zen Buddhist monastery. The notion of spending days at a time in silence and meditation amid the serene beauty of a Zen monastery may be appealing—but how do you do it, and what can you really expect from the experience? Waking Up provides the answers for everyone who's just curious, as well as for all those who have dreamed of actually giving it a try and now want to know where to begin. Jack Maguire take us inside the monastery walls to present details of what it's like: the physical work, common meals, conversations with the monks and other residents, meditation, and other activities that fill an ordinary week. We learn: What kind of person resides in a Zen monastery? Why do people stay there/ And for how long? Must you be a Buddhist to spend time there? What do the people there do? What is a typical day like? How does the experience affect people's spiritual life once they're back home? How can I try it out? A detailed "Guide to Zen and Buddhist Places" and a glossary of terms make Waking Up not only a handbook for the curious seeker, but an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know more about the Buddhist way.

This unprecedented and unparalleled volume offers essential guidance--from the most influential Buddhist masters, and from many of modern Zen's preeminent teachers--on one of Zen's two most central practices. The second edition contains three new translations by renowned scholar-practitioners. This is essential for readers interested in meditation or Eastern religion. There is no other book devoted solely to the very important Zen practice of Shikantaza (literally, "just sitting").

A collection of three hundred koans compiled by Eihei Dogen, the thirteenth-century founder of Soto Zen in Japan, this book presents readers with a uniquely contemporary perspective on his profound teachings and their relevance for modern Western practitioners of Zen. Following the traditional format for koan collections, John Daido Loori Roshi, an American Zen master, has added his own commentary and accompanying verse for each of Dogen's koans. Zen students and scholars will find "The True Dharma Eye "to be a source of deep insight into the mind of one of the world's greatest religious thinkers, as well as the practice of koan study itself.

Through Zen meditation it is possible to find stillness of mind, even amidst our everyday activities--and this practical book-and-CD set reveals how. John Daido Loori, one of America's leading Zen teachers, offers everything needed to begin a meditation practice. He covers the basics of where to sit (on a cushion, bench, or chair), how to posture the body (complete with instructional photographs), and how to practice Zen meditation to discover the freedom of a peaceful mind.
The accompanying CD is a meditation companion. It has ten- and thirty-minute timed practice sessions, along with guided instructions from Daido Loori and an encouraging talk on the benefits of meditation.

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