Journey to Mindfulness
Journey to Mindfulness

Author: Henepola Gunaratana

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2017-11-28

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 1614294429

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"The inspiring life-story of from the bestselling author of Mindfulness in Plain English--updated and expanded in honor of his 90th birthday. Bhante Gunaratana--Bhante G., as he is affectionately called--has long been among the most beloved Buddhist teachers in the West. Ordained at twelve, he would eventually become the first Buddhist chaplain at an American university, the founder of a retreat center and monastery, and a bestselling author. Here, Bhante G. lays bare the often-surprising ups and downs of his more than ninety years, from his boyhood in Sri Lanka to his decades of sharing the insights of the Buddha, telling his story with the "plain-English" good-humored approach for which he is so renowned. This expanded anniversary edition includes four new chapters in which Bhante reflects on the impact of the tsumani that struck his homeland in 2004 and his subsequent appearance on Larry King Live, his brief experiment in ordaining nuns at his monastery, as well intimate reflections on the loss of family members, and his own aging and infirmity--providing a model an inspiring model to us all of gracious equanimity"--

Venerable Ācariya Mun Bhūridatta Thera
Venerable Ācariya Mun Bhūridatta Thera

Author: Ajaan Mahā Boowa Ñāṇasampanno

Publisher: Forest Dhamma Publications

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 529

ISBN-13: 9749200748

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Ajaan Mun is a towering figure in contemporary Thai Buddhism. He was widely revered during his lifetime for the extraordinary courage and determination he displayed in practicing the ascetic way of life and for his uncompromising strictness in teaching his many disciples. The epitome of a wandering monk intent on renunciation and solitude, he assumed an exalted status in Buddhist circles, his life and teachings becoming synonymous with the Buddha’s noble quest for self-transcendence.

The Life of Nyanatiloka Thera
The Life of Nyanatiloka Thera

Author: Nyanatiloka Thera & Hellmuth Hecker & Bhikkhu Nyanatusita

Publisher: Buddhist Publication Society

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 9552403189

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Ven. Nyanatiloka was one of the pioneers of Buddhism in the modern world and the first European Buddhist monk. As the world’s senior Western bhikkhu, ordained in 1903, Nyanatiloka attracted many disciples, through whose work his influence continues to be felt today, more than fifty years after his death. Nyanatiloka was also a renowned scholar and translator of Pali scriptures. His classic The Word of the Buddha, written more than a century ago, is still widely read. The core of this volume consists of a translation of Nyanatiloka’s autobiography, written in German when he was forty-eight. The remaining thirty-one years of his life, from 1926 until 1957, are presented as a biographical postscript, drawn from other sources. The story of Nyanatiloka’s life provides an inspiring example of one man’s ability to put aside his cultural doubts and hesitations and embrace wholeheartedly a non-Western system of values, ideas and practices. The greatest hardships do not seem to deter him any more than his achievements appear to go to his head. For those who have not experienced the turmoil and uncertainty of war and are accustomed to instant access of information through the internet, Nyanatiloka’s accomplishments are all the more remarkable. The Life of Nyanatiloka Thera offers a fascinating insight into the formative period of Europe’s encounter with the Dhamma.

Mediocre Monk
Mediocre Monk

Author: Grant Lindsley

Publisher:

Published: 2023-04-11

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781954854987

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Funny, perceptive, and deeply personal, Mediocre Monk follows Grant Lindsley's rocky journey toward spiritual growth--one that ultimately leads him to places he never expected. After the sudden death of a friend, Grant Lindsley abandons his corporate job to train as a monk in one of the strictest Buddhist traditions on earth. Lost and bereft, he believes he can find answers in the mountains of Thailand. He shaves his head and eyebrows, eats one bowl of food a day, and lives in a cave, his solitude punctuated by brushes with snakes, scorpions, and drug smugglers. But Lindsley can't transform himself into the profound guru he envisions--he's hungry, restless, and lacking in the humility that monkhood requires. Eventually, he exhausts himself into moments of genuine growth, but in the opposite way from what he expects. Rather than transcending grief and becoming entirely self-reliant, he is surprised to find solace in allowing pain and reopening himself to community. For anyone who has nurtured a fantasy of dropping out in search of answers, Mediocre Monk suggests a reality that is far more complicated--and rewarding.

Forest Recollections
Forest Recollections

Author: Tiyavanich Kamala

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 1997-03-01

Total Pages: 434

ISBN-13: 0824862562

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"I stayed [in the forest] for two nights. The first night, nothing happened. The second night, at about one or two in the morning, a tiger came--which meant that I didn't get any sleep the whole night. I sat in meditation, scared stiff, while the tiger walked around and around my umbrella tent (klot). My body felt all frozen and numb. I started chanting, and the words came out like running water. All the old chants I had forgotten now came back to me, thanks both to my fear and to my ability to keep my mind under control. I sat like this from 2 until 5 a.m., when the tiger finally left." --A forest monk During the first half of this century the forests of Thailand were home to wandering ascetic monks. They were Buddhists, but their brand of Buddhism did not copy the practices described in ancient doctrinal texts. Their Buddhism found expression in living day-to-day in the forest and in contending with the mental and physical challenges of hunger, pain, fear, and desire. Combining interviews and biographies with an exhaustive knowledge of archival materials and a wide reading of ephemeral popular literature, Kamala Tiyavanich documents the monastic lives of three generations of forest-dwelling ascetics and challenges the stereotype of state-centric Thai Buddhism. Although the tradition of wandering forest ascetics has disappeared, a victim of Thailand's relentless modernization and rampant deforestation, the lives of the monks presented here are a testament to the rich diversity of regional Buddhist traditions. The study of these monastic lineages and practices enriches our understanding of Buddhism in Thailand and elsewhere.