Zen

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (Teachings of the Buddha)

by Bhikkhu Nanamoli

Average Rating:

"I love Buddhism and I adore reading books about it. Still, when I look at the endless list of books currently in print, old and new, addressed to Buddhist topics, I cannot help but think there may finally be too many of them! Can there really be a market for books devoted to such questions as What if the Buddha Dated? Or to Buddhism and Bears? Goodness.I am particularly puzzled by this mountain of books because I know that, buried deep within it, is the real bedrock of Buddhism, the ancient Sutta Pitaka, of which the Majjhima Nikaya (or Middle Length Discourses) is the second volume. Why doesn't this bedrock generate as much popular enthusiasm as that readily inspired by the less significant edifices merely erected upon it? Derived from orally transmitted texts, the Sutta Pitaka is virtually as old as the Buddha himself, and is presumed by many (though of course not all) to preserve the oldest and most authentic account of his teaching, his personality and his life. Nearly everything else we are familiar with in Buddhism springs from it. Though one might have to detour around rather a lot of unrelated material in it to find the Buddha's ideas specifically regarding dating or bears, I believe it is probably all there, neatly fitted into only a few powerfully poetic volumes.And thanks to the brilliant scholarship and profound comprehension of Buddhism possessed by many modern translators (for the Majjhima they are are Nanamoli and Bodhi), these have become thoroughly readable, easily accessible works. They teem with the sights, sounds and reality of Buddha's everyday world and the issues which concerned him most. The Sutta Pitaka is peopled by his friends and enemies, and enlivened by his ideas, his frustrations and his triumphs.I think this translation of the Majjhima lacks the warmth, charm and wit which Walshe achieved in translating the preceding volume, the Digha Nikaya (or Long Discourses). However this Majjhima is second to none in authority, scholarship and elegance of translation. Nanamoli (British by birth and education) is reputed to be among the most creative and innovative scholars ever to translate Pali literature into English, and this is one of his finest efforts. It also profits from the collaborative effort of Bikkhu Bodhi (originally an American) who has long been at the forefront of making Pali texts accessible to English-speaking readers.Wisdom Publications, which claims to publish works from all major Buddhist tradtions (but which in reality seems totally mesmerized by anything Tibetan or Tantric) deserves much credit for going far enough afield to print both the Digha and Majjhima Nikayas, and for having in press even now a long-awaited new translation by Bodhi of the Samyutta Nikaya, the third volume of the Sutta Pitaka.As much as I admire these books, it is only fair to caution the reader that, though the text is always readable and interesting, there is a quality peculiar to both the Majjhima and the Digha Nikayas which probably results from their having existed for centuries before being committed to paper: some sections are spelled out in elaborate detail, whereas other ideas and concepts are presented in a very condensed, almost shorthand way, as though the reader is expected to have grown up knowing many fundamental and basic ideas ahead of time. However, fear not. The translators of both volumes provide comprehensive, highly informative introductions and thorough, helpful footnotes. The result is to educate the reader as-you-go in many of the most vital Buddhist notions, and with a minimum of inconvenience or confusion.In closing, let me change my mind about something I said earlier. I guess there can't be too many books about Buddhism. Perhaps the problem is simply that many of the people curious about it are being tempted to jump in at the wrong place. They are being deluged with secondary works, without being advised to ground themselves in the real thing -- the Sutta Pitaka -- first. So my suggestion is to buy and read this version of the Majjhima Nikaya (and Walshe's earlier version of the Digha Nikaya) and then go on to the fun stuff. It will feel a lot like mastering a conventional clutch before trying out an automatic transmission for the first time."

Publisher: Wisdom Publications | More reviews: amazon.com

Transformation and Healing: Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness

by Thich Nhat Hanh

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"Thich Nhat Hanh's structure of how he presents and reviews the suttas of the Pali cannon is very easy to follow and broken down into manageable portions. For a novice Buddhist like myself, I find this format very helpful. So many other discussions on the suttas make my head spin!In this text, as in others, the sutta in its entirety is presented in the Therevada translation. He then follows this with a section by section explanation of what the sutta means and how to apply it. The last sections of the book include other translations of the sutta, which are quite interesting because you see how these translations change sometimes the meaning of the sutta.This book is very helpful for beginning meditators as well because it gives you the basics of breathing and how to use your breathing for meditation and contemplation. Once you master one step, the sutta provides you with the next step to take. I am so happy I have found this and the other books by Thich Nhat Hanh. My life is already the better for it."

Publisher: Parallax Press | More reviews: amazon.com

The Parent's Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents

by William Martin

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"The Parent's Tao Te Ching is not about behavior modification and table etiquette. There are plenty of other books for that sort of thing. How many times have you read on of those "How to Raise a Perfect Child" books and tried to apply their practical advice to your unpractical offspring? (note: I have just counted and I have 37 books about practical parenting on the shelves of my living room library that I have collected over the past 19 years of being a mother). I can't count how many times my children have looked at me with smirks on their little faces and said, "What book did you read that in?" when I've tried yet another spin on an old parenting technique.I am so grateful for Mr. Martin's book. It does not tell me I can be Martha Stewart, Mother Goose and the Pink Power Ranger all rolled into one as long as I follow the steps. It simply reminds me of what is real. For example, here is an excerpt from one of my favorite passages:"They look so small and frail but they are great and magnificent. They are born of the same womb that birthed the cosmos and knitted together the galaxies."This book is a simple, elegant reminder of what truly matters. I have two copies. One for my bedside and one for the office. I open the second one when my husband calls with the latest child- related disaster update.I highly recommend Willam Martin's other Tao Te Ching related books: The Couple's Tao Te Ching and The Sage's Tao Te Ching."

Publisher: Da Capo Press | More reviews: amazon.com

The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life

by John Daido Loori

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"This book is a change of pace of artistic method. Precise and evocative, it's more like a cool drink of water on a quiet country afternoon, than the usual, breathless books on creativity that push you to produce, produce, produce. Here the focus is not on squeezing your mind for ideas, but on the quiet observation of oneself and life, and the exact origin of those mysteries we call inspiration, block, connection, as well as exercises to encourage us to trust our inspirations and see through the places we are blocked. It's about trusting yourself rather than about pushing for ideas. All the pushing--it's as if to say that you can be creative and not necessarily have it change the rest of your life. There is the problem of the artist or writer who drinks or uses drugs, perhaps to avoid confronting the need for change. This book is holistic: "...make a choice about what's important, and... let go of all the rest," Loori says (p. 154) in the section about simplicity. When you think about all the pressures that keep us from our creative selves, all the things we think we need that cost time and money, create worries that disturb our minds and block our creative output or influence our work for the worse, when the real problem requires that we go deeper and identify the changes we need to make, even begin to make them with Loori's gentle and persuasive support. You will sense him there, offering himself as guide, and offering his experiences of raising a family, changing career from scientist to photographer to Zen master, founding a monastery where thousands of people have gone for retreats on Zen and Zen arts. A work of art itself, The Zen of Creativity also has beautiful black and white illustrations that are used as examples. If you are willing to slow down and take a close look at your mind and at your artistic process, then I think you will really enjoy this book."

Publisher: Ballantine Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Ending the Pursuit of Happiness: A Zen Guide

by Barry Magid

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"In the 15 or so years that I've been interested in Buddhism, I couldn't begin to tell you how many books I've read on the subject. I've come to believe that they all basically say the same thing, but that doesn't mean that some aren't better than others. Truth be told: there are plenty of books by Buddhist teachers that are a complete mess--not to mention a waste of time. Fortunately, this isn't one of them.

There's something about Charlotte Joko Beck, who is Magid's teacher, that is quite refreshing to me. I have found Joko Beck's two books, and the books of another of her students, Ezra Bayda, very useful. She has a non-sense style and an emphasis on the fact that Zen is not a means of escape (which is all I have ever really wanted from spiritual practice). Barry Magid takes this same theme and runs with it--presenting it with a new clarity and insight.

Magid, a psychoanalyst and Zen teacher, presents a bull****-free version of practice that emphasizes real life experience--not the aspiration to a higher state of consciousness. Much of what we come to spritual practice to find is imaginary, according to Magid---and I think this is something we can't hear enough: coming to practice might ultimately be transformative, but it won't change the "ordinariness" of our lives. I can think of no better book to guide us to this simple, yet quite profound truth.

Ending the Pursuit of Happiness is a fabulous, direct, inspired, articulate, accessible work. For those interested in Buddhism, and Zen in particular, I can't recommend it highly enough."

Publisher: Wisdom Publications | More reviews: amazon.com

Meditation Now or Never

by Steve Hagen

Average Rating:

"Steve Hagen, the author of Buddhism: Plain and Simple,
is the best introduction to Zen and Buddhism you can find.
Written in language we regular folks can understand,
yet carrying the full meaning and experience
of the more ancient/esoteric writings.
Meditation is the bedrock
of fully experiencing the Zen and Buddhist message.
Meditation Now or Never should be a jewel in your personal tools pack.
I can not overly praise this man's works.
And he is a practicing monk as well.

Gene Reynolds
www,personal-recovery-tools.com"

Publisher: HarperOne | More reviews: amazon.com

Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex, Death, and Dogen's Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye

by Brad Warner

Average Rating:

"I like most of what Warner has to say. Lord knows we need more Buddhist authors who don't seem totally clueless about contemporary culture. Warner has a lot of good insights about zen, spirituality, and how to deal with yourself. The only thing that makes his work less than ideal is that he has too many childish asides that come across as unnecessary schtick. He is also a pretty divisive voice in that he keeps talking about all these "fake teachers" and "wannabe Buddhists." He needs to learn how to inspire people to practice, instead of trying to be the one "keeping-it-real" voice in a supposed sea of "posers." I hope his writing matures this way in future pieces. If it does, he will be a rare and beneficial voice in the desert of not-so-relevant, not-so-fun-to-read buddhist writing."

Publisher: New World Library | More reviews: amazon.com

The Method of No-Method: The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination

by Sheng Yen

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Here is a spiritual practice that is simple enough for anyone to learn, yet rich enough to be worked with for a lifetime. The traditional Chan (Chinese Zen) practice called Silent Illumination begins with simply putting aside all thoughts except the awareness of oneself “just sitting.” The practice is so simple in execution that it has sometimes been called the “method of no-method,” yet to master it, the practitioner must first grasp the method in order to learn how to let go of it. When fully penetrated, this radical form of emptying one’s busy mind-stream leads to perception of the vast ocean of pure awareness. Silent Illumination is closely related to the Japanese Zen practice called shikantaza, and Master Sheng Yen’s teachings on it will be of great value to Zen students as well as to Buddhist practitioners of all the traditions.The book, based on talks the author gave during retreats, begins with instruction in Silent Illumination practice with detailed discussion of method, approach, and how to deal with difficulties that arise. Master Sheng Yen then proceeds to provide commentary on a well known Chan text that illuminates the practice and the philosophy behind it.

Publisher: Shambhala | More reviews: amazon.com

True Meditation: Discover the Freedom of Pure Awareness

by Adyashanti

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"True Zen is about Waking Up and discovering the Truth of your Being, the Unborn, your Buddha Nature here and now, but for the most part Zen has become very rigid and institutionalized, often mistaking the finger for the moon it is pointing to.

Adyashanti and his teaching style are a wonderful and refreshing exception to this as Adya's teachings arise spontaneously out of prajna, like the teachings of the ancient Zen masters of China. Wake up now!

Adya's "True Meditation" seems to be based on the Zen practice of shikantaza, or just sitting and allowing everything to be as it is, and koan practice, which once was a spontaneous inquiry into Truth, but has become a formalized and ritualized practice that is not of particular value to the present day Western spiritual seeker. Adya has very appropriately modernized these ancient practices so they are very useful to anyone sincerely wanting to wake up without getting all caught up in some sect, religion or belief system. True meditation and meditative self-inquiry are like the two wings of an airplane. Both are needed if it is going to fly.

The teaching here is so direct, simple and clear that it can be easily overlooked by those who are highly trained in one system of meditation or another, or those with complex belief systems about what it takes to wake up. If your intention is to simply wake up and discover what is true rather than learn a system or gather more information, then these CDs are for you. They are really all you need!

"Our minds are surely gone
when we see everything as God.
Prepare yourself Mother Earth
the inmates are loose
the fools have
broken free of their chains." (Adyashanti)"

Publisher: Sounds True, Incorporated | More reviews: amazon.com

Bring Me the Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life

by John Tarrant

Average Rating:

""Let the teaching flow out from your own breast
to cover the sky and the earth."
- Yantou

"When you unpack all your motives and other people's motives and get to the bottom of things, you find love. I know that this is a shocking thing to say but I will try to show how it is true." - BMtR

The single most satisfying aspect of this book is the sharing of personal experience. The author relates his "Stumbling into Koans" as well as sharing the experiences of others who have encountered koan practice. Many of the traditional koans are themselves dialogues or interchanges.

Each of the fourteen chapters stands alone as the presentation of a koan with commentary. Each chapter is entitled, for example "ON AVOIDING BAD ART" or "LIFE WITH AND WITHOUT YOUR CHERISHED BELIEFS" or "THE HEAVEN THAT'S ALREADY HERE". Each koan has a section "Working with the Koan", with one or more personal stories from the author or another person. The honest sharing of life experience makes the book intriguing.

"Koans might be imagined as vials of ancient light. There is one strange thing about meeting ancestors in this way: when they reach down across night and the years to give you their light, you might find that what you have been given is your own light, something that belongs to you." - BMtR

On the other hand, one can lose one's precious maps that over and over lead one into the familiar den of misery. Tarrant strongly advises to discard the old, familiar roadmap to Misery, AND don't replace it with anything. Not knowing is preferred to being CERTAIN and suffering. Life is allowed to be itself, not scrunched into little ugly molds.

Try it. You'll like it!
"

Publisher: Shambhala | More reviews: amazon.com