Author: Taisen Deshimaru
Publisher: SCB Distributors
ISBN: 1935387383
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 162
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Book Description
Based on the translation by Ilsa Fatt and the edition by Reiryu Philippe Coupey “Mushotoku mind” means an attitude of no profit, no gain. It is the core of master Taisen Deshimaru’s Zen. This respected teacher of Japanese Soto Zen moved from Japan in 1967 and brought this work to Paris, from where it was disseminated throughout the West. This book presents his commentary on the most renowned of Buddhist texts, the Heart Sutra, known in Japanese as Hannya Shingyo-a philosophical investigation on the futility of philosophical investigation. Deshimaru’s work fills a great gap in the interpretations of this seminal text in that he emphasizes “mind-emptiness” (ku) as the foundation of Zen practice, in contrast to the usual “mindfulness” focus of many other Zen approaches. This “emptiness” and “purpose of no purpose” is one of the most difficult ideas for Westerners to understand. Yet we know that our most cherished values are based on mushotoku mind when it comes, for example, to love. We value the unselfish love of family or country that is based not on what we can get from the relationship but on what we can give. We know, too, that these virtues are not accomplished directly through our will but indirectly through dropping our expectations. His lectures on this subject have been translated by Ilsa Fatt and edited by Reiryu Philippe Coupey of Deshimaru’s British and French groups; and here completely revised and reedited for an American audience by Reishin Richard Collins. This edition emphasizes Deshimaru’s chorus: Mushotoku mind is the key attitude characterizing the way of the Buddha, the way of the bodhisattva, the way of Zen and zazen, and the way of all sutras (teachings). Taisen Deshimaru (d. 1982) was the founder of the Association Zen Internationale, one of the largest influences on Zen in the West. He is author of: The Ring of the Way and The Zen Way to Martial Arts: A Japanese Master Reveals the Secrets of the Samurai. Richard Collins is a Zen teacher in the lineage of Taisen Deshimaru and Dean of Arts & Humanities at California State University, Bakersfield. A Book for Students of Zen Buddhism; Religion Scholars; Philosophy Students, and Readers of Taisen Deshimaru’s Books.
Author: Richard Collins
Publisher: SCB Distributors
ISBN: 1942493088
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 298
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Book Description
No Fear Zen presents an approach to Zen practice that focuses on concentration and sitting (shikantaza) as a discipline that can be practiced in everyday life with the dedication of the samurai. And in a world that requires bravery and decisive action in addition to generosity and compassion, we can learn much from the now-extinct samurai in creating a new kind of warrior for peace in the twenty-first century. While some practices focus on compassion and mindfulness as the goals of Zen practice, No Fear Zen contends that these are outcomes that occur naturally, spontaneously, and automatically from right practice without any goal or object whatsoever. In this way, No Fear Zen is the sequel to the author’s edition of Deshimaru’s Mushotoku Mind, which encouraged practice for one purpose only, the purpose of no purpose, the gain of no gain, the profit of no profit. The brief Zen talks that constitute the core of the book continue the tradition of spontaneous oral teachings delivered by the teacher (or roshi) during zazen. The collection might remind some of the classic Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, since the talks can serve either as an introduction to those beginning practice or as a manual for those interested in a structured approach to Zen practice. The tone of the talks ranges from humorous and informal to penetrating and philosophical, with references to day-to-day issues we all face as well as to works of literature. For example, several essays instruct in how to sit, how to manage mind and emotions, while others roam into difficult arenas, like the author’s experience in bringing zazen instruction to those incarcerated in a federal penitentiary. As a professor of arts and humanities, Dr. Collins uses great literature, like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, to demonstrate his case for fearless action uncomplicated by over-thinking. The collection ends with a sustained commentary on the twenty-one deathbed teachings of the samurai Miyamoto Musashi to his student Terao Magonojo. This provides a suitable conclusion to the work, which has focused on concentration and discipline for their own sake with the result of dispelling fear of death and fear of life. As the author’s teacher, Robert Livingston, always said, coming to zazen was like climbing into your coffin, but after zazen there was “no fear.”
Author: Frans Stiene
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
ISBN: 1785350560
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 193
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Book Description
The Inner Heart of Reiki is the first Reiki book to look at the inner heart of the spiritual teachings of the system of Reiki. It will take practitioners and teachers to a whole new level of understanding about their practice and about the way they teach.
Author: Sarah A. Mattice
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1498599419
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 267
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Book Description
Exploring the Heart Sutra offers readers an interdisciplinary philosophical approach to this much-loved Buddhist classic, with a new translation and commentary. Situating the Heart Sutra within a Chinese context, Sarah A. Mattice brings together voices past and present, Asian and Western, on topics from Buddhology, translation theory, feminism, religious studies, ethnography, Chinese philosophy, and more, in order to inspire readers to understand the sutra in a new light. Mattice’s argument for the importance of appreciating the Heart Sutra from a Chinese philosophical context includes a new hermeneutic paradigm for approaching composite texts; an argument for translating the text from the Chinese, rather than the Sanskrit; an extended discussion of the figure of Guanyin, bodhisattva of compassion and main speaker of the Heart Sutra, as a distinctively Chinese figure; an inquiry in to the history of women’s practice, with a special focus on China; and a commentary on the text that draws on philosophical resources from Chinese Buddhist, Ruist, and Daoist traditions. Mattice presents the Heart Sutra in its depth and complexity, inviting readers to return to this classic text with fresh perspectives and new insights into its relevance for living well in the contemporary world.
Author: Seiso Paul Cooper
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000838951
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 206
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Book Description
In this book, Cooper brings together psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism by offering a comprehensive and integrated model, described as "The Realizational Model", that is consistent with the core concepts of Soto Zen Buddhism and psychoanalytic practice. Focusing primarily on Soto Zen Buddhism as presented in the original writings of the Japanese scholar monk Eihei Dōgen (1200-1253), and supported and elaborated by relevant contemporary scholarship in relation to the writings of the British psychoanalyst, Wilfred Bion (1897-1979), this book addresses the issue of how can one understand, assimilate, and integrate conceptions of the human mind that originate in the 13th and 20th centuries, as they are visited and inflected by the unconscious preconceptions of a 21st-century perspective. Expressing authentic Buddhist tradition within the frame of psychoanalytic thinking, and supported by online guided audio meditations that accompany the text, this work offers a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective of invaluable clinical significance. Case material garnered from 35 years of psychoanalytic practice as well as examples from daily life support the abstract concepts discussed in the text, rendering it equally relevant for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, as well as students of Zen wishing to explore its practical applications.
Author:
Publisher: SCB Distributors
ISBN: 1935387979
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 114
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Book Description
This book of commentaries given by Zen Master Philippe Coupey covers two 13th-century Japanese texts. In Part I, he’s chosen twelve poems from the Sansho Doei, a collection of poetry composed by Master Dogen Zenji between 1245 and 1253. In Part II, Coupey comments on the complete text of Komyozo Zanmai, written in 1278 by Dogen’s disciple and successor, Master Koun Ejo. The author’s fresh interpretation of these two classic texts rests on an intimate and fundamental experience with this material, beyond space and time. Coupey’s words are addressed to the reader’s heart, shedding light on our own quest and ratifying the discoveries that we may have made along the way. Clearly, then, the message of this book is not intended to come under the heading of scholarship or to add to our intellectual baggage, but to enrich our spiritual life. The twelve poems from Dogen’s Sansho Doei are clear and obvious observations of nature. They comprise a rich facet of Dogen’s poetic sensitivity, set entirely in the immediacy of real life, a direct experience of ordinary consciousness. Dogen’s poems refer to nature; nonetheless, they speak of the experience of awakening at every opportunity. Even if [Dogen’s poems] refer to nature, to landscapes, seashores, the passing of springtime, it is always consciousness that is the subject. Free, natural, ordinary consciousness that is neither for nor against. —Coupey, from the commentary In Part II, Coupey’s commentary on Ejo’s teaching, Komyozo Zanmai, he explains that this timeless teaching is a pure jewel that encapsulates and expresses the purest essence of transmitted Zen. In Coupey’s view, this 13th-century treatise is absolutely not different from all that Zen disciples have received through the ages and are, in turn, transmitting today. “This is how zazen, the Way, should be studied,” Coupey asserts.
Author: Philippe Coupey
Publisher: SCB Distributors
ISBN: 1942493991
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 242
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Book Description
Zen Fragments is a concise, lively presentation of the teachings of Reiryu Philippe Coupey, a Western Zen monk firmly rooted in the modern world. The book is based on 8 years of oral teachings given during zazen at the Paris dojo, Seine Zen, or in various retreats organized in France and Germany from 2003-2010. These teachings are supplemented by a series of essays written directly by the author and touching upon more personal and often poetic subjects, all of which enhance the core of the teaching he so brilliantly represents. Philippe Coupey is American born, but first encountered the practice of Zen Buddhism in France through the Japanese monk Taisen Deshimaru. Since 1972, the practice and transmission of Zen Buddhism has been his priority. Thanks to his dedication, we now have access to a demanding teaching derived from a thousand-year-old tradition, and yet totally adapted to our contemporary lives without the need to refer to psychology, vegetarianism and other newly adapted Zen subjects. This teaching is relevant to humanity today because beyond frontiers, social, ethnic and religious differences, and the gaps we imagine between our inner life and our social duties it urges us to rediscover the essential within ourselves, so that we can approach the world with a continually fresh mind, embracing opposites. And so, beyond the words that make up this book, Philippe Coupey constantly suggests that, as is true within the most ancient traditions, we experience this new spirit for ourselves. The underlying message here is not to cling to the extremes left/right, good/bad, love/hate, etc. which only leads to the separation of one thing from another, and is the origin of many of society’s biggest problems today. Frankness of style distinguishes Philippe Coupey’s (and Deshimaru’s) writing from that of many American Zen writers: for example, those in the Suzuki and Maezumi lineages. Like Deshimaru before him, Coupey has never tried to soften the impact of his words, finding the raw, unreserved approach more in keeping with the ancient masters. Having practiced with his master Taisen Deshimaru until his death in 1982, Philippe has continued to transmit his teaching since that time, in France, Germany and elsewhere in Europe. He is a member and officer of the International Zen Association (AZI), founded by Master Taisen Deshimaru, and is Master in the Sangha sans Demeure, Seine Zen, which together number 400-500 persons.
Author: Mark D. Vickers
Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
ISBN: 1543749380
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 553
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Book Description
About this book: VICTORY – MOTORCYCLE TALES FROM AROUND THE WORLD is much more than just a book about Victory Motorcycles. Whilst these great motorcycles serve as the thread to hold the theme together, this is a collection of stories from motorcycle enthusiasts around the world, from amazing adventures to everyday memories, from thought-provoking reflections to the humorous. Some are written in the form of personal diary entries and include details of visits to friends and relatives, unmissable tourist spots, favourite restaurants, weather and road conditions, thus enabling the reader to lose themselves in the story as if they are present on every twist and turn. Other stories are polished essays to convey the feeling of people met and places visited. From the USA to Argentina, Alaska to New Zealand, Taiwan to Indonesia, and many more places around the world, whilst the various writers in this book share a passion for Victory Motorcycles, there is something for everyone. Anyone with an interest in motorcycling, or indeed more generally in travel, will enjoy this book.
Author: Roshi Taisen Deshimaru
Publisher: SCB Distributors
ISBN: 1942493215
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257
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Book Description
Taisen Deshimaru (1914-1982) was a Japanese Zen Master, and the individual largely responsible for bringing Soto Zen to Europe. A legendary figure, widely acknowledged throughout the Zen world, he stands in the ranks of the great Zen teachers of modern times, including, Suzuki Roshi, Maezumi Roshi, and others. This second edition of his book The Voice of the Valley, first issued in 1979, contains the pure Deshimaru vintage-teaching. Uniquely, it is one of the few Zen books treating the subject of karma, a principle deeply entrenched in Hindu and some Buddhist traditions, but rarely taught within Zen. Karma generally refers to the principle of cause and effect, acknowledging that each individual will “reap what they sow,” whether in this lifetime or some future life. Deshimaru, however, explains that this doctrine really has nothing to do with a simple good or bad balance-chart for the individual person, but rather concerns the activity of humanity as a whole. He highlights the necessity for clearly seeing one’s own thinking, which is creating the hell that we and others endure―an immediate karmic payback. With zazen, a practitioner becomes not only acquainted with the contents of mind, but able to refocus it, allowing the body to “think” in ways that are beneficial to oneself and others. As he compares this doctrine of karma within Mahayana Buddhism with Western philosophy, he points to the need for wise and ethical action in all aspects of life. His dedication, like that of great masters in all traditions, is with the relief of suffering and the clarity needed to pierce to the cause of suffering. Serious sitting practice, in the way he presents it, creates that access. The book is a live record of the Master’s teaching content (kusens) and his style of presentation during a practice sesshin (retreat) of several days. Deshimaru spoke in English, and his words were recorded and compiled from notes taken by the editor (Coupey) and other students. His subjects are as timely today as they were in the late ‘70s. At a time when contemporary Zen practice has been co-opted by the culture of “new and now,” his teachings do not compromise. This is no self-oriented “wellness Zen” cultivated for feeling more relaxed. This is the real deal, a call to a stark, “no-gain” approach to clear perception of reality from one who studied and practiced this tradition fully aligned to its source. As such, this book is a precious vehicle of direct transmission.
Author: Ingrid Yang MD
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1638077673
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 153
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Book Description
Cultivate calm through Zen mindfulness It's all too easy to walk through the world preoccupied by our endless thoughts. But that can get in the way of living in the moment and truly experiencing all that life has to offer. This workbook shows you how to quiet your mind and release worry. It examines mindfulness through the lens of Zen teachings and provides exercises that leave you feeling calm, present, and open to possibility. Learn about Zen—Explore the basic tenets of Zen Buddhism, how they can help you let go, and how they enable you to connect with yourself. Take a deep dive into mindfulness—Understand the Seven Pillars of mindfulness, how to achieve a mindful state, and the positive effects of mindfulness, such as better focus and lower blood pressure. Develop your practice—Create your own Zen-based mindfulness practice with a wide range of guided meditations, practical exercises, and inspiring affirmations. Start living mindfully and alleviate anxiety with this comprehensive Zen mindfulness workbook.
