If You're Lucky, Your Heart Will Break

If You're Lucky, Your Heart Will Break

Author: James Ishmael Ford

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2012-08-28

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 1614290393

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Using vignettes and anecdotes from his own life - as well as quotations drawn from sources as varied as the Bible, Yiddish aphorisms, and stand-up comedy - Zen teacher and Unitarian Universalist minister James Ishmael Ford shares the gifts won over his lifetime of full-hearted engagement with the Zen path. "I've found myself broken open," Ford says, "and found in that opening my fundamental connection to the whole world." What's more, If You're Lucky, Your Heart Will Break breathes new life into the Buddhist ideas of karma and rebirth - as well as the Buddhist precepts of ethical action - and finds for them kinship in other spiritual endeavors. Even the most cynical of hearts will find resonance in Ford's compassionate presentation of basic human truths.


Book Synopsis If You're Lucky, Your Heart Will Break by : James Ishmael Ford

Download or read book If You're Lucky, Your Heart Will Break written by James Ishmael Ford and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-08-28 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using vignettes and anecdotes from his own life - as well as quotations drawn from sources as varied as the Bible, Yiddish aphorisms, and stand-up comedy - Zen teacher and Unitarian Universalist minister James Ishmael Ford shares the gifts won over his lifetime of full-hearted engagement with the Zen path. "I've found myself broken open," Ford says, "and found in that opening my fundamental connection to the whole world." What's more, If You're Lucky, Your Heart Will Break breathes new life into the Buddhist ideas of karma and rebirth - as well as the Buddhist precepts of ethical action - and finds for them kinship in other spiritual endeavors. Even the most cynical of hearts will find resonance in Ford's compassionate presentation of basic human truths.


Zen Master Who?

Zen Master Who?

Author: James Ishmael Ford

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2006-10-20

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 0861715098

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Surprisingly little has been written about how Zen came to North America. "Zen Master Who?" does that and much more. Author James Ishmael Ford, a renowned Zen master in two lineages, traces the tradition's history in Asia, looking at some of its most important figures -- the Buddha himself, and the handful of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese masters who gave the Zen school its shape. It also outlines the challenges that occurred as Zen became integrated into western consciousness, and the state of Zen in North America today. The author includes profiles of modern Zen teachers and institutions, including D. T. Suzuki and Alan Watts, and such topics as the emergence of liberal Buddhism, and Christians, Jews, and Zen. This engaging, accessible book is aimed at anyone interested in this tradition but who may not know how to start. Most importantly, it clarifies a great and ancient tradition for the contemporary seeker.


Book Synopsis Zen Master Who? by : James Ishmael Ford

Download or read book Zen Master Who? written by James Ishmael Ford and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006-10-20 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Surprisingly little has been written about how Zen came to North America. "Zen Master Who?" does that and much more. Author James Ishmael Ford, a renowned Zen master in two lineages, traces the tradition's history in Asia, looking at some of its most important figures -- the Buddha himself, and the handful of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese masters who gave the Zen school its shape. It also outlines the challenges that occurred as Zen became integrated into western consciousness, and the state of Zen in North America today. The author includes profiles of modern Zen teachers and institutions, including D. T. Suzuki and Alan Watts, and such topics as the emergence of liberal Buddhism, and Christians, Jews, and Zen. This engaging, accessible book is aimed at anyone interested in this tradition but who may not know how to start. Most importantly, it clarifies a great and ancient tradition for the contemporary seeker.


Keep Me in Your Heart a While

Keep Me in Your Heart a While

Author: Dosho Port

Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com

Published: 2010-10

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 1458715566

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One of the great pioneers of Zen in America, Dainin Katagiri had a teaching style that was at once powerful, gentle, and sometimes even casual. For his student, Dosho Mike Port, some of Katagiri's most profound teachings came in the simple moments of everyday interactions. Keep Me in Your Heart a While is built around a series of these vivid, truth-revealing incidents that evoke the feel of ancient Zen koans. Each chapter starts with an encounter with Katagiri and unfolds from there, touching on subjects such as the nature and the purpose of Zen, the dynamic and working of realization, and the evolving relationship between teacher and student. In sharing what it was like to train with one of the first generation of American Zen teachers, Dosho Mike Port preserves and revitalizes this incredible path, making it available to the next generation of seekers.


Book Synopsis Keep Me in Your Heart a While by : Dosho Port

Download or read book Keep Me in Your Heart a While written by Dosho Port and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-10 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the great pioneers of Zen in America, Dainin Katagiri had a teaching style that was at once powerful, gentle, and sometimes even casual. For his student, Dosho Mike Port, some of Katagiri's most profound teachings came in the simple moments of everyday interactions. Keep Me in Your Heart a While is built around a series of these vivid, truth-revealing incidents that evoke the feel of ancient Zen koans. Each chapter starts with an encounter with Katagiri and unfolds from there, touching on subjects such as the nature and the purpose of Zen, the dynamic and working of realization, and the evolving relationship between teacher and student. In sharing what it was like to train with one of the first generation of American Zen teachers, Dosho Mike Port preserves and revitalizes this incredible path, making it available to the next generation of seekers.


The Best Buddhist Writing 2013

The Best Buddhist Writing 2013

Author: Melvin McLeod

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2013-09-24

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0834829142

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A thought-provoking collection of the most notable and insightful Buddhism-inspired writing published in the last year: • Thich Nhat Hanh’s vision for a more enlightened and sustainable society • Ezra Bayda on avoiding the pitfalls that arise on the path of meditation • Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s powerful Dzogchen practices that help you to discover your mind’s inherent awareness and clarity • Lodro Rinzler on what happens when the Buddha walks into a bar • Karen Maezen Miller on the virtues of boredom • Phillip Moffitt on how to transform emotional chaos into confidence and clarity • Joseph Goldstein’s unique nine-minute meditation practice that you can incorporate into your busy day • Elihu Genmyo Smith on being still • Pema Chödrön on how to become a bodhisattva • Sakyong Mipham on how mind, breath, and energy work together in meditation to transform your life • Judy Lief on the fifty-nine ancient slogans that can help you be more skillful and loving in all your relationships • Bonnie Friedman on discovering nonattachment while apartment-hopping in Brooklyn • Jules Shuzen Harris on what anger can teach you • Pico Iyer on travel as contemplative practice • And much more


Book Synopsis The Best Buddhist Writing 2013 by : Melvin McLeod

Download or read book The Best Buddhist Writing 2013 written by Melvin McLeod and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2013-09-24 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thought-provoking collection of the most notable and insightful Buddhism-inspired writing published in the last year: • Thich Nhat Hanh’s vision for a more enlightened and sustainable society • Ezra Bayda on avoiding the pitfalls that arise on the path of meditation • Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s powerful Dzogchen practices that help you to discover your mind’s inherent awareness and clarity • Lodro Rinzler on what happens when the Buddha walks into a bar • Karen Maezen Miller on the virtues of boredom • Phillip Moffitt on how to transform emotional chaos into confidence and clarity • Joseph Goldstein’s unique nine-minute meditation practice that you can incorporate into your busy day • Elihu Genmyo Smith on being still • Pema Chödrön on how to become a bodhisattva • Sakyong Mipham on how mind, breath, and energy work together in meditation to transform your life • Judy Lief on the fifty-nine ancient slogans that can help you be more skillful and loving in all your relationships • Bonnie Friedman on discovering nonattachment while apartment-hopping in Brooklyn • Jules Shuzen Harris on what anger can teach you • Pico Iyer on travel as contemplative practice • And much more


Introduction to Zen Koans

Introduction to Zen Koans

Author: James Ishmael Ford

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2018-06-05

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 1614293155

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An indispensible guide to koans, teaching the reader about the importance of lineage, the practice of “just sitting,” and koan practice as paths to awakening. “This marvelous book opens the treasure house of Zen and yet, happily, does not dispel its mystery. James Ford, an excellent storyteller and longtime Zen practitioner, presents a detailed and beautiful description of the craft of zazen, including “just sitting” and various forms of breath meditation—but focuses primarily on koan introspection. The power of koans, these 'public cases' from China, has never ceased to enrich my own experience of Zen. They are a medium of exploration of the history, culture, and view of Zen, but most importantly are a medium of awakening. James Ford is fundamentally a koan person, and for this, the book is particularly rich, opening the practice of koans in a splendid way. I am grateful for his long experience as a teacher and practitioner of this rare and powerful practice. Since the word koan has found its way into popular English usage, I am grateful too for the more nuanced and fertile view of koans that Ford presents. His definition of the word is telling: “a koan points to something of deep importance, and invites us to stand in that place.” He has also has created a wonderful translation of the Heart Sutra, Zen’s central scripture—and carefully opens up the heart of the Heart Sutra through scholarship and practice. Rich in textual sources and woven throughout with the perspectives of contemporary teachers, Introduction to Zen Koans sheds new light on ancient teachings. Through it, the reader will discover the importance of lineage, the traceless traces of the Zen ancestors, and the places of “just sitting” and koan practice as paths to awakening, as the great doorways into Zen.” —from the foreword by Joan Halifax


Book Synopsis Introduction to Zen Koans by : James Ishmael Ford

Download or read book Introduction to Zen Koans written by James Ishmael Ford and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-06-05 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An indispensible guide to koans, teaching the reader about the importance of lineage, the practice of “just sitting,” and koan practice as paths to awakening. “This marvelous book opens the treasure house of Zen and yet, happily, does not dispel its mystery. James Ford, an excellent storyteller and longtime Zen practitioner, presents a detailed and beautiful description of the craft of zazen, including “just sitting” and various forms of breath meditation—but focuses primarily on koan introspection. The power of koans, these 'public cases' from China, has never ceased to enrich my own experience of Zen. They are a medium of exploration of the history, culture, and view of Zen, but most importantly are a medium of awakening. James Ford is fundamentally a koan person, and for this, the book is particularly rich, opening the practice of koans in a splendid way. I am grateful for his long experience as a teacher and practitioner of this rare and powerful practice. Since the word koan has found its way into popular English usage, I am grateful too for the more nuanced and fertile view of koans that Ford presents. His definition of the word is telling: “a koan points to something of deep importance, and invites us to stand in that place.” He has also has created a wonderful translation of the Heart Sutra, Zen’s central scripture—and carefully opens up the heart of the Heart Sutra through scholarship and practice. Rich in textual sources and woven throughout with the perspectives of contemporary teachers, Introduction to Zen Koans sheds new light on ancient teachings. Through it, the reader will discover the importance of lineage, the traceless traces of the Zen ancestors, and the places of “just sitting” and koan practice as paths to awakening, as the great doorways into Zen.” —from the foreword by Joan Halifax


Zen Living

Zen Living

Author: Domyo Sater Burk

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2014-01-07

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 1615644326

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In today's fast-paced, technology-laden society, it's easy to become overwhelmed. People seek calm and simplicity, but have a hard time realizing a "Zen" life. Monk and sensei Domyo Sater Burk illustrates how to get started on the path to peace and enlightenment, regardless of cultural or religious affiliation. You'll learn the foundation and essential teachings of Zen practice, how to engage in meditation and mindfulness, and how to live daily within a Zen moral code.


Book Synopsis Zen Living by : Domyo Sater Burk

Download or read book Zen Living written by Domyo Sater Burk and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-01-07 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In today's fast-paced, technology-laden society, it's easy to become overwhelmed. People seek calm and simplicity, but have a hard time realizing a "Zen" life. Monk and sensei Domyo Sater Burk illustrates how to get started on the path to peace and enlightenment, regardless of cultural or religious affiliation. You'll learn the foundation and essential teachings of Zen practice, how to engage in meditation and mindfulness, and how to live daily within a Zen moral code.


A Buddhist Grief Observed

A Buddhist Grief Observed

Author: Guy Newland

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2016-08-09

Total Pages: 129

ISBN-13: 1614293015

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Amid the world-shattering pain of loss, what helps? In the tradition of C.S. Lewis's A Grief Observed, Guy Newland offers this brave record of falling to pieces and then learning to make sense of his pain and grief within his spiritual tradition. Drawing inspiration from all corners of the Buddhist world--from Zen stories and the Dalai Lama, to Pema Chödrön and ancient Pali texts--this book reverberates with honesty, kindness, and deep humanity. Newland shows us the power of responding fully and authentically to the death of a loved one.


Book Synopsis A Buddhist Grief Observed by : Guy Newland

Download or read book A Buddhist Grief Observed written by Guy Newland and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-08-09 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amid the world-shattering pain of loss, what helps? In the tradition of C.S. Lewis's A Grief Observed, Guy Newland offers this brave record of falling to pieces and then learning to make sense of his pain and grief within his spiritual tradition. Drawing inspiration from all corners of the Buddhist world--from Zen stories and the Dalai Lama, to Pema Chödrön and ancient Pali texts--this book reverberates with honesty, kindness, and deep humanity. Newland shows us the power of responding fully and authentically to the death of a loved one.


Opening the Hand of Thought

Opening the Hand of Thought

Author: Kosho Uchiyama

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2004-06-15

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0861713575

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This book offers with infused and wise humor, an eminently practial presentation of meditation, and with clarity shows how Zen Buddhism can be an ever-unfolding path of inquiry.


Book Synopsis Opening the Hand of Thought by : Kosho Uchiyama

Download or read book Opening the Hand of Thought written by Kosho Uchiyama and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2004-06-15 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers with infused and wise humor, an eminently practial presentation of meditation, and with clarity shows how Zen Buddhism can be an ever-unfolding path of inquiry.


Buddhism of the Heart

Buddhism of the Heart

Author: Jeff Wilson

Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com

Published: 2010-10-08

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1458783553

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Includes a foreword by Mark Unno and Taitetsu Unno. Jeff Wilson started his walk on the Buddha's Path as a Zen practitioner-taking up a tradition of vigorous self-effort, intensive meditation, and meticulous attention to rectitude in every action. But in Jeff's case, rather than freeing him from his suffering, he found those Zen practices made him nothing short of insufferable. And so he turned to Shin Buddhism-a path that is easily the most popular in Zen's native land of Japan but is largely unknown in the West. Shin emphasizes an ''entrusting heart,'' a heart that is able to receive with gratitude every moment of our mistake-filled and busy lives. Moreover, through walking the Shin path, Jeff comes see that each of us (himself especially included) are truly ''foolish beings,'' people so filled with endlessly arising ''blind passions'' and ingrained habits that we so easily cause harm even with our best intentions. And even so, Shin holds out the tantalizing possibility that, by truly entrusting our foolish selves to the compassionate universe, we can learn to see how this foolish life, just as it is, is nonetheless also a life of grace. Buddhism of the Heart is a wide-ranging book of essays and open-hearted stories, reflections that run the gamut from intensely personal to broadly philosophical, introducing the reader to a remarkable religious tradition of compassionate acceptance.


Book Synopsis Buddhism of the Heart by : Jeff Wilson

Download or read book Buddhism of the Heart written by Jeff Wilson and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-10-08 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes a foreword by Mark Unno and Taitetsu Unno. Jeff Wilson started his walk on the Buddha's Path as a Zen practitioner-taking up a tradition of vigorous self-effort, intensive meditation, and meticulous attention to rectitude in every action. But in Jeff's case, rather than freeing him from his suffering, he found those Zen practices made him nothing short of insufferable. And so he turned to Shin Buddhism-a path that is easily the most popular in Zen's native land of Japan but is largely unknown in the West. Shin emphasizes an ''entrusting heart,'' a heart that is able to receive with gratitude every moment of our mistake-filled and busy lives. Moreover, through walking the Shin path, Jeff comes see that each of us (himself especially included) are truly ''foolish beings,'' people so filled with endlessly arising ''blind passions'' and ingrained habits that we so easily cause harm even with our best intentions. And even so, Shin holds out the tantalizing possibility that, by truly entrusting our foolish selves to the compassionate universe, we can learn to see how this foolish life, just as it is, is nonetheless also a life of grace. Buddhism of the Heart is a wide-ranging book of essays and open-hearted stories, reflections that run the gamut from intensely personal to broadly philosophical, introducing the reader to a remarkable religious tradition of compassionate acceptance.


Boy Nobody

Boy Nobody

Author: Allen Zadoff

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Published: 2013-06-11

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 0316243892

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They needed the perfect assassin. Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die-of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target. But when he's assigned to the mayor of New York City, things change. The daughter is unlike anyone he has encountered before; the mayor reminds him of his father. And when memories and questions surface, his handlers at The Program are watching. Because somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and parents; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's mission. In this action-packed series debut, author Allen Zadoff pens a page-turning thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping, introducing an utterly original and unforgettable antihero.


Book Synopsis Boy Nobody by : Allen Zadoff

Download or read book Boy Nobody written by Allen Zadoff and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2013-06-11 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They needed the perfect assassin. Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die-of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target. But when he's assigned to the mayor of New York City, things change. The daughter is unlike anyone he has encountered before; the mayor reminds him of his father. And when memories and questions surface, his handlers at The Program are watching. Because somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and parents; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's mission. In this action-packed series debut, author Allen Zadoff pens a page-turning thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping, introducing an utterly original and unforgettable antihero.