This book is unique in its explanation of the relationship between the multifaceted symbolism of Tibetan Buddhist deity images and meditative practice.
Dale Wright offers a wide-ranging exploration of issues that have a bearing on the contemporary meaning of enlightenment. He considers the historical meanings of enlightenment within various Buddhist traditions, but does so in order to expand on the larger question that our lives press upon us--what kinds of lives should we aspire to live here, now, and into the future?
"When a Zen master puts brush to paper, the resulting image is an expression of the quality of his or her mind. It is thus a teaching, intended to compassionately stop us in our tracks and to compel us to consider ultimate truth. Here, forty masterpieces of painting and calligraphy by renowned masters such as Hakuin Ekaku (1685–1768) and Gibon Sengai (1750–1837) are reproduced along with commentary that illuminates both the art and its teaching. The authors’ essays provide an excellent introduction to both the aesthetic and didactic aspects of this art that can be profound, perplexing, serious, humorous, and breathtakingly beautiful—often all within the same simple piece."--Publisher description.
A favorite with early Zen practitioners in China and Japan, The Ten Oxherding Pictures uses the ox as a symbol for Buddha nature the original possession of all human beings and the taming of the ox as a symbol for the practice of realizing that nature. This volume contains lectures on the text given by Yamada Mumon Roshi (1900 1988) to his monks while master of Shofuku-ji Monastery. It is the first authentic explication of a Zen text by a traditional Japanese Zen master. A seeker of the way, Yamada Mumon spent many years sharing a life of practice with young monks at the monastery in addition to serving as president of Hanazono College and director of the Research Institute for Zen Studies. Later he assumed the post of chief abbot of the Myoshin-ji temples. Followers of Zen have long been waiting for this book. According to Mumon Roshi, the path of the seeker is not only for the committed specialist. Even the average reader, drawn along by Mumon Roshi s straightforward explanations, will move forward on the journey of the self (symbolized by the taming of the ox) and come to see humanity with new eyes.
Poet, scholar, philosopher, and master of Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche led a life of profound dedication to spiritual enlightenment and teaching. During the final fourteen years of his life his personal assistant was Matthieu Ricard. Together they traveled throughout Tibet, Bhutan, India, and Nepal, returning to the places of Khyentse Rinpoche's youth: his birthplace in Eastern Tibet; the monastery of Shechen which he had entered at the age of eleven; and the retreats where he spent years in meditation and study. At every stop on his journey, Khyentse Rinpoche was welcomed with elaborate ceremonies and outpourings of devotion. Ricard's deeply personal photographs of this journey are enhanced by a biographical narrative that is interspersed with extensive passages from the writings and teachings of Khyentse Rinpoche. Together, these images and texts form an inspiring portrait of one of the great spiritual leaders and teachers of our time. Many masters of Tibetan Buddhism studied with Khyentse Rinpoche, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who regarded him as his principal instructor in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
"Though I didn't know it at the time, I heard the Siren's song within my mother's womb. Even before I was born, I was being drawn to my death."Thus begins the true story of a gifted photographer's quest for inner peace. Beautifully illustrated with over 75 fine-art, B/W images, "Fading Toward Enlightenment" takes the reader on a modern-day hero's journey. From the anguish of self-loathing, through the confusion of the search, past the traps of the mind - photographer and author, Wayne Wirs leads the reader on an epic tale of his personal quest for tranquility in the midst of today's fast-paced world.Following no particular school of thought or religious practice, the author recounts his journey from a typical, normal, solid life to one that is dynamic, flowing and at times filled with the Divine. Students of meditation, eastern philosophy, and the esoteric - as well as fans of "The Celestine Prophecy", "The Power of Now", and "The Tao Te Ching" - will find a voice that resonates True in the author's poetic words and inspiring images."Fading Toward Enlightenment" is one of the most honest and beautifully illustrated accounts of the modern spiritual search to date. Its powerful images, inspiring quotes and compelling text harmonize subtly to immerse the reader in this heart-felt and moving narrative.
The Refuge Tree is a symbol of the highest ideals of Buddhism, a traditional image in the Tibetan tradition that takes different forms in different schools. On the refuge tree are formal teachers from Buddhism's history. The Refuge Tree of the Triratna Buddhist Order founded by Sangharakshita includes figures from India, Tibet, China and Japan as well as archetypal Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the teachers whose guidance helped to shape Sangharakshita's understanding of Buddhism.
"In this book, the Enlightenment derives its special appeal as the historical staging ground for an intellectual ferment across Europe and America. Dorinda Outram places ideas in their widest possible context, expounding upon their social, political, and cultural implications and how they condition society's conduct in a variety of ways. She looks at what "Enlightenment" meant to contemporaries, how it affected day-to-day life - for instance, by the spread of reading, the open discussion of religion and the relationship between the sexes, self-knowledge and introspection, scientific research, and advances in medicine."--BOOK JACKET.