Gleaned from the author's experiences over many years of yoga and Zen training, as well as from conversations with teachers, folk stories and temple magazines, this is a fascinating and enlightening compendium of tales from the yoga and Zen traditions. Stories such as these are used in many spiritual schools' teaching - they're the flint or steel that makes the spark which, when nurtured daily, fires the imagination, heralding enlightenment and insight.
Zen, plain and simple, with no BS. This is not your typical Zen book. Brad Warner, a young punk who grew up to be a Zen master, spares no one. This bold new approach to the "Why?" of Zen Buddhism is as strongly grounded in the tradition of Zen as it is utterly revolutionary. Warner's voice is hilarious, and he calls on the wisdom of everyone from punk and pop culture icons to the Buddha himself to make sure his points come through loud and clear. As it prods readers to question everything, Hardcore Zen is both an approach and a departure, leaving behind the soft and lyrical for the gritty and stark perspective of a new generation. This new edition will feature an afterword from the author.
The basis of this book is a manuscript in Sanskrit which he obtained from India and its value lies in the depth and detail with which this new material has been studied and presented. The author is to be congratulated, not for his skilful translation from Sanskrit but also for the clarity with which he has applied this to western needs and western minds. Much has been written in the past regarding the psychosomatic effects of Pranayama and Asanas but in his text, Dr Saher explains clearly the mechanism by which brain and mind operate in conjunction with bodily functions, emotions and psychic experience and also how these may be controlled and applied for our betterment. He also shows how specific areas of the brain control similar areas of mind, how these can be applied to Selfanalysis and using exercises also given in the text, so control both mind and body, that Self-Realisation is possible in the highest sense and that even before this stage is reached, Health, Harmony and Serenity will be attained, surely to be prized for themselves alone. This fascinating and profound book of ancient, Eastern esoteric wisdom backed by the latest discoveries and experiments of modern science treats the health of the soul by showing the relationship between soul and brain. Here is a practical guide to Zen-Yoga which can help to master suffering and harness latent powers. At a time when science is exploring outer space, Zen-Yoga helps us to explore the inner space of the human psyche, to recognize within ourselves new freedom – freedom to work out our destiny with integral consciousness or the divine supra – Self as the light within. This book is a cybernetic exploration of the mind’s inner space leading to expanded cosmo-electronic consciousness. Having shown the differences between Eastern and Western thought – processes, Saher explains how the sages of the East have acquired that source of wisdom and bliss which our misguided youth seeks vainly in hallucinogenic drugs.
Although psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism derive from theoretical and philosophical assumptions worlds apart, both experientially-based traditions share at their heart a desire for the understanding, development, and growth of the human experience. Paul Cooper utilizes detailed clinical vignettes to contextualize the implications of Zen Buddhism in the therapeutic setting to demonstrate how its practices and beliefs inform, relate to, and enhance transformative psychoanalytic practice. The basic concepts of Zen, such as the identity of the relative and the absolute and the foundational principles of emptiness and dependent-arising, are given special attention as they relate to the psychoanalytic concepts of the unconscious and its processes, transference and countertransference, formulations of self, and more. In addition, through an analysis of apophasis, a unique style of discourse that serves as a basic structure for mystical languages, he provides insight into the structure of the seemingly irrational Zen koan in order to demonstrate its function as a pedagogical and psychological tool. Though mindful of their differences, Cooper’s intent throughout is to illustrate how the practices of both Zen and psychoanalysis become internalized by the individual who engages in them and can, in turn, inform one another in mutually beneficial ways in an effort to comprehend the ramifications of an individual or collective expanding vision.
A critical history of the study of Buddhism in the West, incorporating insights of colonial and post-colonial cultural studies. Social, political and cultural conditions that have shaped the course of Buddhist studies are discussed.
Sadhguru presents a rare glimpse of undiluted truth from discourses given to seekers at the Isha Yoga Center and around the world. A tool of tremendous value in an age imprisoned by materialism and dogma, these dialogues are an essential key to inner exploration of the profound questions of humanity: Who am I? Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? The master speaks with undeniable logic and wisdom that penetrates the deepest realms of our heart and soul
What Is Zen? examines Zen's religious roots, its influence on Eastern and Western culture, its transcendent moments, and the methods of Zen meditation that are currently practiced.
For over thirty years, Opening the Hand of Thought has offered an introduction to Zen Buddhism and meditation unmatched in clarity and power. This is the revised edition of Kosho Uchiyama's singularly incisive classic. This new edition contains even more useful material: new prefaces, an index, and extended endnotes, in addition to a revised glossary. As Jisho Warner writes in her preface, Opening the Hand of Thought "goes directly to the heart of Zen practice... showing how Zen Buddhism can be a deep and life-sustaining activity." She goes on to say, "Uchiyama looks at what a person is, what a self is, how to develop a true self not separate from all things, one that can settle in peace in the midst of life." By turns humorous, philosophical, and personal, Opening the Hand of Thought is above all a great book for the Buddhist practitioner. It's a perfect follow-up for the reader who has read Zen Meditation in Plain English and is especially useful for those who have not yet encountered a Zen teacher.
A prominent Zen teacher offers a “direct, penetrating, and powerful” perspective on a popular mind training practice of Tibetan Buddhism (Rick Hanson, author of Buddha’s Brain) Lojong is the Tibetan Buddhist practice of working with short phrases (called "slogans") to generate bodhichitta, the heart and mind of enlightened compassion. With roots tracing back to the 900 A.D., the practice has gained more Western adherents over the past two decades, partly due to the influence of American Buddhist teachers like Pema Chödrön. Its effectiveness and accessibility have moved the practice out of its Buddhist context and into the lives of non-Buddhists across the world. It's in this spirit that Norman Fischer offers his unique, Zen-based commentary on the Lojong. Though traditionally a practice of Tibetan Buddhism, the power of the Lojong extends to other Buddhist traditions—and even to other spiritual traditions as well. As Fischer explores the 59 slogans through a Zen lens, he shows how people from a range of faiths and backgrounds can use Lojong to generate the insight, resilience, and compassion they seek.
