In Love with the World

In Love with the World

Author: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks

Published: 2021-03-30

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0525512543

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A rare, intimate account of a world-renowned Buddhist monk’s near-death experience and the life-changing wisdom he gained from it “One of the most inspiring books I have ever read.”—Pema Chödrön, author of When Things Fall Apart “This book has the potential to change the reader’s life forever.”—George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo At thirty-six years old, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche was a rising star within his generation of Tibetan masters and the respected abbot of three monasteries. Then one night, telling no one, he slipped out of his monastery in India with the intention of spending the next four years on a wandering retreat, following the ancient practice of holy mendicants. His goal was to throw off his titles and roles in order to explore the deepest aspects of his being. He immediately discovered that a lifetime of Buddhist education and practice had not prepared him to deal with dirty fellow travelers or the screeching of a railway car. He found he was too attached to his identity as a monk to remove his robes right away or to sleep on the Varanasi station floor, and instead paid for a bed in a cheap hostel. But when he ran out of money, he began his life as an itinerant beggar in earnest. Soon he became deathly ill from food poisoning—and his journey took a startling turn. His meditation practice had prepared him to face death, and now he had the opportunity to test the strength of his training. In this powerful and unusually candid account of the inner life of a Buddhist master, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche offers us the invaluable lessons he learned from his near-death experience. By sharing with readers the meditation practices that sustain him, he shows us how we can transform our fear of dying into joyful living. Praise for In Love with the World “Vivid, compelling . . . This book is a rarity in spiritual literature: Reading the intimate story of this wise and devoted Buddhist monk directly infuses our own transformational journey with fresh meaning, luminosity, and life.”—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge “In Love with the World is a magnificent story—moving and inspiring, profound and utterly human. It will certainly be a dharma classic.”—Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart “This book makes me think enlightenment is possible.”—Russell Brand


A Monk's Guide to Happiness

A Monk's Guide to Happiness

Author: Gelong Thubten

Publisher: Macmillan + ORM

Published: 2020-08-11

Total Pages: 159

ISBN-13: 1250266831

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“Thubten is able to explain meditation using clear language and an approach which really speaks to our modern tech-infused lives.” —Rami Jawhar, Program Manager at Google Arts & Culture In our never-ending search for happiness we often find ourselves looking to external things for fulfillment, thinking that happiness can be unlocked by buying a bigger house, getting the next promotion, or building a perfect family. In this profound and inspiring book, Gelong Thubten shares a practical and sustainable approach to happiness. Thubten, a Buddhist monk and meditation expert who has worked with everyone from school kids to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and Benedict Cumberbatch, explains how meditation and mindfulness can create a direct path to happiness. A Monk’s Guide to Happiness explores the nature of happiness and helps bust the myth that our lives and minds are too busy for meditation. The book can show you how to: Learn practical methods to help you choose happiness Develop greater compassion for yourself and others Learn to meditate in micro-moments during a busy day Discover that you are naturally ‘hard-wired’ for happiness Reading A Monk’s Guide to Happiness could revolutionize your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, and help you create a life of true happiness and contentment. “His writing is full of inspiration but also the pragmatism needed to form a sustainable practice. His book clearly illustrates why we all need meditation and mindfulness in our lives.” —Benedict Cumberbatch “[A] powerful debut . . . a highly accessible and jargon-free introduction to meditation.” —Publishers Weekly


The Shaolin Monastery

The Shaolin Monastery

Author: Meir Shahar

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2008-01-10

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 0824831101

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This meticulously researched and eminently readable study considers the economic, political, and religious factors that led Shaolin monks to disregard the Buddhist prohibition against violence and instead create fighting techniques that by the 21st century have spread throughout the world.


Cold War Monks

Cold War Monks

Author: Eugene Ford

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2017-01-01

Total Pages: 390

ISBN-13: 0300218567

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Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- One: The Buddhist World and the United States at the Onset of the Cold War, 1941-1954 -- Two: Washington Formulates a Buddhist Policy, 1954-1957 -- Three: Thailand and the International Buddhist Arena, 1956-1962 -- Four: Reforming the Monks: The Cold War and Clerical Education in Thailand and Laos, 1954-1961 -- Five: Thailand and the International Response to the 1963 Buddhist Crisis in South Vietnam -- Six: Enforcing the Code: South Vietnam's "Struggle Movement" and the Limits of Thai Buddhist Conservatism -- Seven: Thailand's Buddhist Hierarchy Confronts Its Challengers, 1967-1975 -- Eight: The Rage of Thai Buddhism, 1975-1980 -- Conclusion: From Byoto to Kittivudho -- Notes -- Selected Bibliography -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X -- Y -- Z


Earth, Our Original Monastery

Earth, Our Original Monastery

Author: Christine Valters Paintner

Publisher: Ave Maria Press

Published: 2020-04-03

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1932057218

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How can we meet God in our everyday lives? In Earth, Our Original Monastery, Christine Valters Paintner, bestselling author and online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, shares how living contemplatively with an appreciation for the natural world can make you more aware of the presence of God in every aspect of your life. She explores monks, mystics, and saints who have experienced the goodness of the Divine in nature and invites you to find solace and spiritual revelation in the wonder of God’s creation. The purpose of contemplative living, Christine Valters Paintner suggests, is to allow you to integrate the pieces of your life within yourself, in your community, and in the world around you. When you pay attention to each moment, you nurture your ability to see God’s actions in those moments. In Earth, Our Original Monastery, Paintner invites you to begin the journey of contemplative living by focusing on the image of the earth as your original monastery—the place where you learn your most fundamental prayers, participate in each day’s liturgy of praise, and experience the wisdom of the seasons. Paintner provides seven ways of seeing the earth in light of faith and pairs each one with a practical invitation to a practice. These include: the earth as original cathedral—where you first learn to worship and feel God’s presence around us, paired with the practice of stability the earth as original saints—plants and animals live their calling without trying to be something they’re not and inspire you to do the same, paired with the practice of gratitude the earth as original icon—nature can serve as a window to the holy in the same way that icons do, paired with the practice of lament As you explore what these connections between the earth and faith mean for how to see God in the world around you, you can also look at saints and mystics who experienced nature and the flow of the divine in similar ways.


Medieval Monks and Their World: Ideas and Realities

Medieval Monks and Their World: Ideas and Realities

Author: David Blanks

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2019-01-28

Total Pages: 219

ISBN-13: 9047411366

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This volume examines the world of the medieval monk. The first section of the volume is organized around the theme of monks and the world and explores the intersections between the secular and sacred. The second section is concerned with the ideological or intellectual lives of medieval monks. These essays examine the ideas that were important to monks and that shaped the intellectual discourse of the Middle Ages. Contributors include: David R. Blanks, Constance B. Bouchard, Darlene L. Brooks Hedstrom, Daniel F. Callahan, M.A. Claussen, John J. Contreni, Edith Wilks Dolnikowski, Michael Frassetto, Amy Livingstone, Kathleen Mitchell, and Steven A. Stofferahn.


At Home in the World

At Home in the World

Author: Thich Nhat Hanh

Publisher: Parallax Press

Published: 2016-11-01

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 1941529437

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Thich Nhat Hanh shares 81 personal life stories with his signature simplicity and humor—illustrating his most essential teachings on mindfulness, peace, and social engagement. Collected here for the first time, these personal, autobiographical stories from peace activist and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh perfectly illustrate his most essential teachings. The beauty of these simple lessons is that readers do not need to be versed in meditation or Buddhist practices to find peace, sanctuary, and sustenance here. Told with his signature clarity and humor, these stories are drawn from the long span of Thich Nhat Hanh's life, from his childhood in rural Vietnam to his years as a teenaged novice, and as a young teacher and writer in his war-torn home country. Readers will also join Nhat Hanh on his later travels around the world teaching mindfulness, making pilgrimages to sacred sites, and meeting with world leaders. This inspiring read follows in the tradition of Zen teaching stories—dharma—that goes back at least to the time of the Buddha. Thich Nhat Hanh uses storytelling to share important teachings, insights, and life lessons.


Wandering Monks, Virgins, and Pilgrims

Wandering Monks, Virgins, and Pilgrims

Author: Maribel Dietz

Publisher: Penn State Press

Published: 2010-11-01

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 9780271047782

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Dietz finds that this period of Christianity witnessed an explosion of travel, as men and women took to the roads, seeking spiritual meaning in a life of itinerancy. This book is essential reading for those who study the history of monasticism, for it was a monastic context that religious travel first claimed an essential place within Christianity.


Ocean of Milk, Ocean of Blood

Ocean of Milk, Ocean of Blood

Author: Matthew W. King

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2019-04-02

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 0231549229

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After the fall of the Qing empire, amid nationalist and socialist upheaval, Buddhist monks in the Mongolian frontiers of the Soviet Union and Republican China faced a chaotic and increasingly uncertain world. In this book, Matthew W. King tells the story of one Mongolian monk’s efforts to defend Buddhist monasticism in revolutionary times, revealing an unexplored landscape of countermodern Buddhisms beyond old imperial formations and the newly invented national subject. Ocean of Milk, Ocean of Blood takes up the perspective of the polymath Zava Damdin (1867–1937): a historian, mystic, logician, and pilgrim whose life and works straddled the Qing and its socialist aftermath, between the monastery and the party scientific academy. Drawing on contacts with figures as diverse as the Dalai Lama, mystic monks in China, European scholars inventing the field of Buddhist studies, and a member of the Bakhtin Circle, Zava Damdin labored for thirty years to protect Buddhist tradition against what he called the “bloody tides” of science, social mobility, and socialist party antagonism. Through a rich reading of his works, King reveals that modernity in Asia was not always shaped by epochal contact with Europe and that new models of Buddhist life, neither imperial nor national, unfolded in the post-Qing ruins. The first book to explore countermodern Buddhist monastic thought and practice along the Inner Asian frontiers during these tumultuous years, Ocean of Milk, Ocean of Blood illuminates previously unknown religious and intellectual legacies of the Qing and offers an unparalleled view of Buddhist life in the revolutionary period.