The Path brings us the remarkable teachings of Khenpo Sherab Zangpo, a leading scholar from the famous Larung Buddhist Institute of Five Sciences in Eastern Tibet. As a lineage holder in the tradition of the Great Perfection—the highest teachings of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism—Khenpo Sherab offers insight into the nature of our world and the possibility of transformation through committed engagement with the path. Enriched by many stories from his life in Tibet, Khenpo Sherab enhances our understanding of Buddhism’s foundational teachings on suffering, impermanence, and interconnectedness, and explores answers to questions that all modern practitioners face: How do I decide who is the right teacher for me? What role does faith play in my practice? How can I confront the realities of death? Offering lucid guidance on the nuances of daily practice and the methods for cultivating a wiser and more compassionate attitude toward others and ourselves, Khenpo Sherab helps us chart the Tibetan Buddhist path with exceptional clarity, making this book a tremendous resource for beginners and advanced practitioners alike.

Düdjom Lingpa (1835–1904) was one of the foremost tantric masters of nineteenth-century Tibet, and his powerful voice resonates strongly among Buddhist practitioners today. The Vajra Essence is Düdjom Lingpa’s most extended meditation on the path of Great Perfection, in many senses a commentary on all his other Dzogchen works. Dzogchen, the pinnacle of practice in the Nyingma school, is a radical revelation of the pure nature of consciousness that is delivered from master to disciple and perfected in a meditation that permeates every moment of our experience.

Revealed to Düdjom Lingpa as a visionary “treasure” text in 1862, the Vajra Essence takes the reader through seven stages of progressively deeper practice, from “taking the impure mind as the path” up to the practice of “direct crossing over” (tögal). The longest of Düdjom Lingpa’s five visionary works on Dzogchen, readers will find this a rich and masterful evocation of the enlightened experience. This is the first translation of this seminal work in any Western language, and Lama Alan Wallace, with his forty-five-plus years of extensive learning and deep meditative experience, is one of the most accomplished translators of Tibetan texts into English.

Tibetan Buddhists have long seen art as a powerful meditative practice, but you need not be Buddhist to enjoy coloring the fifty illustrations here. Through deep symbolism, Tibetan imagery of enlightenment depicts the qualities of wisdom and compassion, and the mindful focus evoked by coloring them can not only still agitation, it can connect us to deeper meaning. Images inside include the Buddha, several different bodhisattvas, major symbols, decorative motifs, important figures from Tibetan history, mythical creatures, and scenes from nature. Each illustration is accompanied with a brief description.

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—the very expression of buddhanature.

Master Mazu’s classic sayings, with all their timeless insight, are here presented and unpacked for beginner and advanced practitioners alike. Each chapter offers John Bellando’s crystal-clear translation of one of Mazu’s classic dialogues and then follows it with Dr. Fumio Yamada’s gentle, encouraging commentary. Together, they guide us through the many layers of meaning in these koans, showing us what Mazu can mean for us today.

Includes an appendix on Mazu’s life by Andy Ferguson, author of Zen’s Chinese Heritage.

Step By Step is a practical introduction to the profound meditation methods of Tibetan Buddhism. Based on the teachings of the great Tibetan saint and founder of the Gelug School, Tsongkhapa, the techniques explained here are simple, direct and possess the power to radically alter the way we see the world and ourselves. They present a time-tested means for counteracting depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and countless other forms of mental suffering. This book provides the reader with all of the instruction necessary to embark on the path of transformation that Tibetan Buddhists have refined over the last 1300 years. Geshe Wangchen provides detailed explanations on the six perfections, emptiness, the preciousness of life, and how to develop the genuine altruistic wish to live one’s life in a way that brings only benefit to all living things. Geshe Wangchen provides three life-changing meditations that the reader can immediately integrate into their lives in order to work toward a life experience that is more compassionate, confident, and full of wisdom.

Read Tsongkhapa’s biography at the Treasury of Lives.

2011 Nautilus Book Award — Silver Medal in Religion & Spirituality — Eastern Traditions

In this lovely meditation on ikebana—the Japanese art of flower arranging—Joan Stamm shows us how her twin paths of Buddhist practice and artistic endeavor converge and indeed become thoroughly intertwined.

Stamm’s lush, elegant voice weaves childhood memories of her mother’s joy at a just-bloomed morning glory with meditations on the symbolic importance of bamboo, of pine, of the lily. She takes us with her on her travels to Japan as she learns the essential principles of ikebana, and lets us join her as she teaches flower arranging to women in a nursing home who, though they won’t recall tomorrow the rules of arrangement or even the flowers’ names, nonetheless partake in the joy and love that celebrates all living things, however briefly they endure. And, when Joan shows us the natural symmetry of a blossom, we find that we too have regained our balance.

Includes 16 full-color photographs of the author’s original ikebana.

Mission to Tibet recounts the fascinating eighteenth-century journey of the Jesuit priest ippolito Desideri (1684–1733) to the Tibetan plateau. The italian missionary was most notably the first european to learn about Buddhism directly with Tibetan scholars and monks—and from a profound study of its primary texts. while there, Desideri was an eyewitness to some of the most tumultuous events in Tibet’s history, of which he left us a vivid and dramatic account.

Desideri explores key Buddhist concepts including emptiness and rebirth, together with their philosophical and ethical implications, with startling detail and sophistication. This book also includes an introduction situating the work in the context of Desideri’s life and the intellectual and religious milieu of eighteenth-century Catholicism.

On an otherwise ordinary day, Elliot discovers something extraordinary: the power of mindfulness. When he asks his neighbor Carmen for a snack, he’s at first disappointed when she hands him an apple—he wanted candy! But when encouraged to carefully and attentively look, feel, smell, taste, and even listen to the apple, Elliot discovers that this apple is not ordinary at all.

Lushly and humorously illustrated, No Ordinary Apple makes a traditional technique for training mindfulness a fun and enjoyable way for children to learn to slow down and appreciate even the simplest things.

This updated landmark volume makes available for the first time in decades the teachings that were formative to a whole generation of American Zen teachers and students. Conceived as an overarching primer on the practice of Zen, chapters in this volume address every aspect of practice: beginning practice, shikantaza, chanting, sesshin, working with Mu, and the nature of koans.

In the intervening years since the publication of the earlier edition, countless books have appeared on Zen. Few, if any, have approached the strengths of On Zen Practice as a reference or teaching tool, and the book retains a lively, immediate quality that will appeal to today’s readers.

Jetsun Milarepa, Tibet’s renowned and beloved saint, is known for his penetrating insights, wry sense of humor, and ability to render any lesson into spontaneous song. His songs and poems exhibit the bold, inspirational leader as he guided followers along the Buddhist path.

More than any other collection of his stories and songs, Drinking the Mountain Stream reveals Milarepa’s humor and wisdom. Faithfully translated by Lama Kunga Rinpoche and Brian Cutillo, this rare collection—never before available in any Western language—cuts across the centuries to bring Milarepa’s most inspiring verses, in all their potency, to today’s reader.

Read Milarepa’s biography at the Treasury of Lives.

The Lawudo Lama presents two life stories along with an extended introduction laying out their social and cultural context. It takes place in the Mount Everest region of Nepal, the home of the famous Sherpa guides, where the people practice Tibetan Buddhism and revere the local lamas and yogis. The stories are centered in Lawudo, a small village in the Khumbu region, and the central figure is the renowned Lawudo Lama.

The first Lawudo Lama portrayed, Lama Kunzang Yeshe (1864-1946), was a yogi of the Nyingma lineage who spent much of his life meditating in a cave near Lawudo, and his life is reconstructed through meticulous research of written and oral histories. The second story is of Kunzang Yeshe’s reincarnation, a monk of the Gelug lineage known as Lama Zopa Rinpoche, whose story is given in a first-person narrative. Lama Zopa is well known in the West as the author of several books and as the Spritual Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), which has more than 100 affiliate Buddhist centers worldwide. Lama Zopa Rinpoche travels and teaches extensively to large audiences and has thousands of students.

The Lawudo Lama will appeal to travelers to Nepal, to Buddhist practitioners, and to scholars trying to understand the culture of the region. It is well documented, and is accompanied by more than 125 color and black and white photos, drawings, lineage charts, and maps.

These early, foundational Dzogchen texts—clear, lyrical, and rich in metaphor—were smuggled into Tibet in the eighth century on white silk, written in goat-milk ink that would become visible only when exposed to heat. These five texts are the root of Dzogchen practice, the main practice of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Vairotsana, a master among the first generation of Tibetan Buddhists, reveals here a truth that is at once simple and deeply profound: that all existence—life itself, everyone one of us—is originally perfect, just as is. Keith Dowman’s sparkling translation and commentary provide insight and historical background, walking the reader through the truths encountered in this remarkable book.

In this book, Janet Jiryu Abels traces the life stories of twelve Chinese Zen masters who, together, shaped what was to become known as Zen’s Golden Age. She presents their biographies, describes their teachings, and shows how their lives and teachings can inspire those who practice Zen today. The book is a presentation of ancient Zen insight vividly relevant for the twenty-first century, addressing both the needs of both new and longtime Zen practitioners. Its singular distinction is in bringing Zen history, ancestral teachings, and present-day application of those teachings into one work.

Although the book is based on scholarly sources and historical records, Abels stresses the humanity of these Zen ancestors, showing that they were not formed from a generic mold but were individuals with quirks, senses of humor, heartfelt enlightenment experiences, varied ways of living, and unique ways of expressing Zen. She tells their stories in a lively, accessible manner, shedding light on their paradoxical teachings with clarity and simplicity. She also shows that they all faced the same challenges that Zen practitioners face today.

Interwoven among the stories and teachings are Abels’ own insights into the dharma of Zen, as well as practical applications and encouragements that readers can bring to their individual practice of the Way. These insights are based on her more than ten years as a Zen teacher. She is the founder and co-resident teacher of Still Mind Zendo in New York City.

“Let us guard the mind with all diligence from thoughts that obscure the soul’s mirror; for in that mirror Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God the Father, is luminously reflected. And let us unceasingly seek the Kingdom of Heaven inside our mind. Indeed if we cleanse the eye of the mind, we will find all things hidden within us. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within us, indicating that Divinity dwells in our minds.”—Saint Philotheos of Sinai, circa ninth century.

In this provocative and very human work, Tom Chetwynd tells the story of how his skeptical first encounters with Zen Buddhism led him to discover the rich-but largely forgotten Christian tradition of pure contemplative prayer. Chetwynd explores the surprisingly Zen-like teachings of the Desert Fathers and other Christian meditation masters whose practice stems from the very first Christian communities—and perhaps Jesus Christ himself.

Koans—such as “What is the sound of one hand clapping?”—have penetrated deeply into popular consciousness. Yet, those who encounter koans in the traditional literature or in the context of exploring Zen practice themselves can often find them utterly baffling.

The Flowing Bridge is the first-ever book to address all of the first koans that Zen students encounter in practice—“What is Mu?” ‘What is the sound of the single hand?” and the so-called “miscellaneous” koans—that have historically been closely guarded by master and disciple as esoteric treasures.

Elaine MacIness, a Catholic nun and a Zen teacher in the lineage of the renowned master Koun Yamada (author of Wisdom’s The Gateless Gate), offers exceptionally valuable guidance to beginners on how to work with koans-and reveals an uncommon depth of insight and an easy technical mastery of Zen’s most misunderstood and most powerful tools. This book is sure to become a classic, standing alongside The Gateless Gate and The Blue Cliff Record as a must-read for anyone seeking Zen’s subtlest teachings and deepest power.

Composed while its author was the ruler of Tibet, Mirror of Beryl is a detailed account of the origins and history of medicine in Tibet through the end of the seventeenth century. Its author, Desi Sangyé Gyatso (1653–1705), was the heart disciple and political successor of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama and the author of several highly regarded works on Tibetan medicine, including his Blue Beryl, a commentary on the foundational text of Tibetan medicine, The Four Tantras. In the present historical introduction, Sangyé Gyatso traces the sources of influence on Tibetan medicine to classical India, China, Central Asia, and beyond, providing life stories, extensive references to earlier Tibetan works on medicine, and fascinating details about the Tibetan approach to healing. He also provides a commentary on the pratimoksha, bodhisattva, and tantric Buddhist vows. Desi Sangyé Gyatso’s Mirror of Beryl remains today an essential resource for students of medical science in Tibet.

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Form is emptiness; emptiness is form.

This is the bold and intriguing assertion of the Heart Sutra, a text of seminal importance to the Buddhist tradition made even more fascinating by its deep resonance with the cutting edges of quantum physics and cognitive science. In spare and approachable language, The Heart of the Universe deftly explores this gem of world religious literature from a variety of perspectives—historical, spiritual, linguistic, and scientific—each serving to interdependently illuminate the other.

Thunderous Silence throws light on the Heart Sutra—a pithy encapsulation of the essence of Perfection of Wisdom literature—using stop-by-step analysis and an easy, conversational voice. Dosung Yoo examines the sutra phrase by phrase, using rich explanations and metaphors drawn from Korean folklore, quantum physics, Charles Dickens, and everything in between to clarify subtle concepts for the reader. This book invites us to examine the fundamentals of Buddhism—the Four Noble Truths, emptiness, enlightenment—through the prism of the Heart Sutra. Both those new to Buddhism and longtime practitioners looking to revisit a core text from a fresh perspective will find this work appealing.

Entangling Vines, a translation of the Shumon kattoshu, is one of the few major koan texts to have been compiled in Japan rather than China. Indeed, Kajitani Sonin (1914–95), former chief abbot of Shokoku-ji and author of an annotated, modern-Japanese translation of the Kattoshu, commented that “herein are compiled the basic Dharma materials of the koan system.” Most of the central koans of the contemporary Rinzai koan curriculum are contained in this work.

A distinctive feature of Entangling Vines is that, unlike The Gateless Gate and Blue Cliff Record, it presents the koans “bare,” with no introductions, commentaries, or verses. Its straightforward structure  lends the koans added force and immediacy, emphasizing the Great Matter, the essential point to be interrogated, and providing ample material for the rigors of examining and refining Zen experience.

Containing 272 cases and extensive note material, the collection is indispensable for serious koan training and will also be of interest for anyone drawn to Zen literature. The present translation had its origins in the discussions between three forward-looking modern Japanese Zen masters and Thomas Kirchner, an experienced Zen monk from America. And Kirchner’s careful annotation of each koan makes this a brilliant introduction to Buddhist philosophy.

Featuring an introduction by Ueda Shizuteru.