Philosophy and Religion

Experts in disguise, infiltration, espionage and counterintelligence, the ninja had spiritual values and magical traditions that distinguished them from the soldierlike samurai. Their art of ninjutsu, invisible as well as indispensable, was transmitted in secret schools and relied on only a few books, which were written in code.The SHONINKI, one of the most important of these coded manuals, was wr

An out-of-this-world exploration of Starseeds in this modern tarot deck expands traditional tarot symbolism to include spaceships, lasers, star codes, and extraterrestrial beings. Activate the star magic within you, meet your Galactic Star Guides, and unlock the mysteries of the cosmos! Explore the deeper meanings of tarot with a little help from your Star Guides, an extensive array of Star Being

Sumi Loundon's Blue Jean Buddha was hailed by the New York Times Review of Books as "a bellwether anthology"--mapping the spiritual trails followed by a generation of American Buddhist youths. The Buddha's Apprentices examines that territory in fuller detail, telling twenty-six more stories of this powerful spiritual path, including the stories of many teenagers. The book shows us the common chall

A sweeping field guide to the practice of mindfulness. From Acceptance to Zafu, Mindfulness A to Z offers a wealth of inspirational advice and practical instruction on how to bring mindfulness fully into your life. In each entry, Dr. Kozak combines his personal insights and expert guidance on all aspects of mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness A to Z presents a multifaceted look at living mindfull

Deepen your meditation with advice on Buddhist practice from celebrated masters of Tibet´s nonsectarian rimé tradition. For generations, Buddhist masters in Tibet have composed sheldam, poignant instructions tailored to the needs of their disciples in the form of short works of advice. Often difficult to find in publication, these works cover topics ranging from practicing while ill to sit

Explore two lives—and a relationship—that profoundly shaped American Zen. Ruth Fuller Sasaki and Sokei-an Shigetsu Sasaki: two pioneers of Zen in the West. Ruth was an American with a privileged life, even during the height of the Great Depression, before she went to Japan and met D. T. Suzuki. Sokei-an was one of the first Zen priests to come to America; he brought the gift of the Dh

Remembering the Lotus-Born sheds light on the work of Nyangrel Nyima Öser (1124–92), one of the most influential yet least known figures in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. His pivotal work, the Copper Island, is the story of how the Indian tantric master Padmasambhava brought Buddhism to the region. This work elevated Padmasambhava to central importance in Tibetan history, and made tre

A three-step guide to recovery from addiction to consumerism, self-deception, and life as you thought it had to be. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Josh Korda left his high-powered advertising job—and a life of drug and alcohol addiction—to find a more satisfying way to live. In Unsubscribe, he shares his three-step guide to recovery from addiction to consumerism, self-deception, an

“Ordinary Mind is itself the Way,” said Mazu Daoyi. See what this master has to say—and discover the extraordinary nature of your own “ordinary” life. In Master Ma´s Ordinary Mind, you will learn the true nature of enlightenment from one of Zen´s great teachers. Master Mazu´s teachings help us to see how our own “ordinary mind,” just as it is, also functions as the mind of enlightenment&mda

A singular work of poetic prose exploring otherness and belonging—and what it means to be truly at home. Sanctuary: A Meditation on Home, Homelessness, and Belonging examines the interface between inner and outer sanctuary, and the ways they affect one another. “Sanctuary” is the home we can return to when our lives are under threat, where we can face what's difficult to love, and have

Discover how the mysterious, powerful form of the koan—known for bringing about sudden enlightenment—can disrupt and illuminate your everyday understanding of life. Traditionally, Zen koans—the teaching stories of Zen—are drawn from the words and teachings of ancient masters and primarily address the concerns of (male) monastic practitioners. In The Crow Flies Backward, Ro

Zen and the Gospel of Thomas illuminates sacred, mysterious wisdom from two traditions, revealing how these profound teachings apply to our everyday life and spiritual practice. Imagine that the Buddha asked Jesus to write a text for a Zen audience that would explain his take on the mysteries of his Kingdom. Imagine also that Jesus chose to present it in a set of short koanlike sayings similar to

Explore the three great teachings of the Buddha. • The First Turning of the Wheel: Insight into the nature of suffering—and the way out of it—from the four noble truths and the eightfold path • The Second Turning of the Wheel: Teachings on emptiness from the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra • The Third Turning of the Wheel: Guidance for practitioners and teac

Khenpo Sherab Zangpo draws on Tibetan Buddhist tradition and his own fascinating life story to describe a way forward for contemporary practitioners, offering lucid guidance on daily practice, finding the right teacher, and cultivating a wiser and more compassionate attitude toward others and ourselves. The Path brings us the remarkable teachings of Khenpo Sherab Zangpo, a leading scholar from t

Explore two seminal Sakya texts with an incomparable teacher. His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Sakya Trichen Rinpoche, the noble forty-first head of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, with his trademark clarity and deep wisdom here unpacks two texts by the legendary thirteenth-century Drogön Chögyal Phagpa. The fifth leader of the Sakya school, Chögyal Phagpa became the first imperia

What do you do when everything falls apart? “Instead of trying to discipline your mind with ill will, fault-finding, guilt, punishment, and fear, use something far more powerful: the beautiful kindness, gentleness, and forgiveness of making peace with life.”—Ajahn Brahm “In free fall, nothing is solid and there is nothing to hold on to. There is no way to control the experience. You hav

One of Buddhism´s most respected authors inspires readers with a creative and intriguing journey into the heart of Buddhist meditation practice. Beyond Tranquility is an invitation to inner experience. In these pages, one of Buddhism´s most respected scholar-sages creatively distills decades of practice, reflection, and teaching into essential truths. Touching on the full scope of core Buddhist p

A key Dzogchen text—available together with its Tibetan commentaries, including from the fifteenth Karmapa—from a preeminent translator. The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra, one of the most famous and often-recited Dzogchen texts, is at once an entreaty by the primordial buddha, Samantabhadra, that all sentient beings recognize the nature of their minds and thus become buddhas, and

The most contemporary of the the classic koan collections—representing centuries of practical refinement by Zen masters working with their students. Entangling Vines is a translation of the Shumon Kattoshu, the only major koan text to have been compiled in Japan rather than China. Most of the central koans of the contemporary Rinzai koan curriculum are contained in this work. Indeed, Kajita

A Tibetan Buddhist lama gives advice on the issues facing people in the modern world. In this book, Khenpo Sodargye, a world-famous Tibetan Buddhist lama and scholar, offers guidance on an issue that troubles so many of us in the modern world: What is true happiness, and how do we achieve it? Bombarded with information, endlessly pursuing possessions—we look for happiness in all t