Sitting Together

Milarepa, Milarepa, Who Are You?

A charming, beautifully illustrated, bilingual book about one of Tibet’s greatest spiritual teachers—sure to inspire awareness, compassion, and wisdom in children and adults alike that includes an online guide for parents and teachers.

Milarepa is celebrated throughout the Himalayas as one of the most inspiring Buddhist figures from Tibetan history. This beautifully illustrated telling of his life and teachings, with Tibetan translation, lets children explore his extraordinary story. Milarepa went through an incredible transformation, overcoming suffering and his own misdeeds with the help of a wise teacher to become a great spiritual teacher in his own right.

Through the story and teachings of Milarepa, we can see that it is always possible to let our inner goodness shine, no matter what we’ve done in the past. Every moment creates a new opportunity to settle the mind and open the heart. Milarepa’s resilience, fearlessness, mental clarity, and compassion have been beacons of inspiration for a thousand years and resonate as deeply today as they have through the centuries.

To honor Milarepa’s spontaneous songs—classically known as dohas in Sanskrit, which communicated his experiences to others—this book is written in poetic form. It explores the wisdom of his teachings in the form of a rhythmic, call-and-response duet.

Click here to receive an online guide for parents and teachers that further expands on the themes of the book by providing lesson ideas, meditation activities, and guidance for learning about language, history, and art.

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The Brave Little Parrot

Winner of the 2023 NYC Big Book Award for Children’s-Inspirational books!

How can you save a burning forest with just sprinkles of water? This timeless Buddhist tale may just have the answer!

In this ancient tale of one of the Buddha’s past lives, the Buddha is born as a little gray parrot who takes it upon herself to save her beloved forest home from a raging fire.

Even though she can only sprinkle drops of water onto the blaze . . .

. . . her perseverance, courage, and compassion change everything, eventually saving the forest in an unexpected way.

Zen teacher and acclaimed storyteller Rafe Martin is joined by the award-winning illustrator Demi to render this centuries-old classic into a beautiful and timeless tale that will inspire all of us to find our own bravery and to act selflessly for the benefit of all.

Discover Rafe Martin’s other books here.

Explore Demi’s other books here.

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The Secret of the Sand Castles

The Secret of the Sand Castles is a timeless Buddhist tale about the things that matter most: truth, generosity, compassion, and love.

When a group of children are having a playful day at the beach, the fun of building sand castles is forgotten when they start arguing about whose castle is best. While fighting over “I,” “me,” and “mine,” they end up destroying and abandoning the castles they so carefully constructed.

The timely arrival of a magical wise man teaches the children that unlike the sand castles, it is the things we can’t see that really matter most.

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Lumi

Lumi is a gorgeously illustrated adventure story and a powerful lesson in the magic of helping others.

Meet Lumi, a tiny radiant being on a mission to spread kindness in the universe. Join her on a heroic journey as she searches for ways to help other beings, and finds that sometimes, she needs help, too!

Endlessly imaginative and lushly illustrated, Lumi is a celebration of the good heart in the littlest ones among us. Come along with Lumi as she shares her light with flower fairies, frozen warriors, a star-stealing monster, and a colony of stranded sea squirts—and discovers that we’re all actually radiant, shining brightly together.

Visit Lumiverse to learn more and to hear Lumi’s very own song!

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A Peaceful Piggy’s Guide to Sickness and Death, Sadness and Love

When someone we love gets sick, we little piggies worry! It can feel scary when a person we care about is sick or in a hospital. Luckily, there is one good thing we peaceful piggies can do: meditate.

This is a story about love. 

Experiencing a loved one’s illness or death is challenging for both children and their grownups. With three distinct sections to choose from—when someone we love is sick, dying, or has died—this guide will help you easily find soothing and practical mindfulness activities focused on what your young one needs in order to guide them through their big emotions and questions. These practices will help calm and empower children—and their grownups—as they discover they can still be with their loved ones through their heart connection, no matter where they are.

Click here for an animated video based on the story.

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Squabbling Squashes

“A gorgeous, colorful picture book…this read is equally light and profound.”
—Bonnie Nadzam, Lion’s Roar

“It’s true that we are all different squashes . . . some are bigger and some are smaller . . . some are rounder and some are longer. But even if we are different, we are all connected. We are all growing together. We don’t have to be such squabbling squashes.”

Squabbling Squashes is a story for children of all ages about interconnection and learning to live in harmony amid differences, from a leading light of contemporary Zen—based on a parable from Kosho Uchiyama’s classic bestseller Opening the Hand of Thought.

“An essential teaching for all children, told with delightful, relatable warmth.”
 —Sumi Loundon Kim, author Sitting Together: A Family-Centered Curriculum on Mindfulness, Meditation, and Buddhist Teachings

“Super enjoyable to hear, read, and savor for people of all ages, Squabbling Squashes helps our future generations to be aware of a universal mutual tie in society and nature.”
—Kazuaki Tanahashi, author of Painting Peace: Art in a Time of Global Crisis

“An ancient tale cultivating mindfulness today.”
—Lauen Alderfer, author of Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda

Listen to a few remarks from Okumura Roshi.

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Thank You, Percival

What happens if you don’t take the time to train your new puppy?

Things can go very badly!

What happens if you don’t take the time to train your own mind?

Things can go even worse!

This is the story of Percival the puppy and his housetraining. Learn alongside Percival how to juggle your emotions and distractions and find inner peace.

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I See You, Buddha

An instant classic, this book will help children (and their parents) learn patience and to see the good in everyone—including themselves! It will also help children meet difficult circumstances, such as being sick, doing chores, and not getting everything they want—and help them overcome low self-esteem and negative self-talk.

I See You, Buddha is based on a chapter in the Lotus Sutra, one of the most influential Buddhist texts worldwide—a classical scripture that has inspired a whole genre of works, especially in Japan, known as Lotus Literature. The Lotus Sutra teaches the way of the bodhisattva—a being engaged in compassionate, enlightened activity in the service of all—by offering examples of what this activity might look like in the world. One such model in the text is Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful (or Never Disparaging), who, despite troubling encounters with and even harsh treatment from others, bows down respectfully to everyone, recognizing their Buddha nature and honoring their own journeys along the bodhisattva path to enlightenment—whether they know they’re future buddhas or not!

Listen to author Josh Bartok as he reads I See You, Buddha in this video reading.

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Peaceful Piggy Bedtime

“It’s time to go to sleep, but some friends are sleepy, and some are not. Some are already nodding off, and some want to bounce around. Now it’s time to go from busy to peaceful. These mindful bedtime exercises will help us have a good night’s sleep.”

Bedtime can be a joy; a quiet time, a nice cuddle—a sleepy angel. Bedtime can also be a challenge; riled energy, hidden anxieties—a restless little monster! This book draws on modern science and time-tested wisdom to provide children with an effective bedtime ritual to relax the body, settle the mind, and drift into a peaceful sleep. Parents may find they sleep better, too!

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The Banyan Deer

An Elephant Journal “Best Reads of 2010” selection.

This inspiring tale reminds us that no one can be truly at peace unless all beings have a chance for peace, freedom, and happiness. The Banyan Deer is a wonderful, heart-warming gift for anyone who loves a great story. This beautiful hardcover edition will delight both adults and children alike.

Click here to listen to a dramatic reading of The Banyan Deer and the author’s October 2024 Zen commentary on it.

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Tara’s Coloring Book

Whether you color for relaxation, stress relief, or part of your devotional practice, enjoy exquisite line drawings of the most important figures in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon—Shakyamuni Buddha, Chenrezig, Tara, Manjushri, and more—by contemporary masters of the ancient art of Tibetan Buddhist religious painting.

Visualizing buddhas and teachers in specific detail is a traditional part of meditation. Therefore, the monks who created the beautiful, rich images that meditators would use in their practice would have to study for years to learn the precise techniques, geometry, and coloration required, handed down to them by old masters. Now, these images are available for you to color—whether for formal meditation or stress relief or just to appreciate their beauty. 

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Ziji and the Very Scary Man

Ziji is a bouncy puppy who lives with the Anderson family: Mom, Dad, Jenny, and Baby Jack. He loves to play and chase balls in the park with Jenny and their friend Nico. Then one day, an angry man shouts at Ziji and scares him so much he never wants to go back to the park again. Can Nico show him how to calm his mind and face his fears?

Renowned meditation master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche shows young children how following our breath can calm us down—and how practicing compassion shows us that even Very Scary Men can be frightened sometimes too.

A detailed appendix gives further guidance for parents.

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See, Hear, Feel

So many books aim to present mindfulness in a way suitable for little kids; this one actually does it. There’s no jargon or tough concepts—just natural-language exploration of the senses and surroundings and breath, just simple, heartfelt wishes for the wellbeing of others. Creative and thoughtful mindfulness exercises will help teachers and parents gently and naturally guide children and will invite families to connect and be fully present with each other.

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The Day the Buddha Woke Up

The Day the Buddha Woke Up is a board book that will captivate children of all ages. It’s the perfect way to introduce young children to the story of the Buddha—the clear, gracefully written story puts the Buddha’s awakening into language children can understand.

The simple arc of the Buddha’s questions, his quest, and his ultimate understanding will provide a meaningful and peaceful story that children—and their parents!—will love returning to again and again.

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Flow, Flow, Flow

Enjoy things with pleasure and do let them go,
And grow into life—let it flow, flow, flow, flow.

Four children set off on a magical voyage of imagination. Along the way, to no destination in particular, they meet walrus ice cream vendors, lemurs and tigers living in harmony, helpful octopi and more. As the scenery changes, our travelers learn to go with the flow, welcoming each new experience for what it is in the moment, and accepting when those experiences drift away, to be replaced with a whole new adventure.

Children (and adults) will get lost in the detailed and whimsical illustrations, discovering something new each time they read this book. As the characters experience constantly changing settings, readers will begin to better understand the impermanence of life, and how wondrous it can be.

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Ziji

Ziji is a noisy, bouncy puppy who lives with the Anderson family: Mom, Dad, Jenny, and Baby Jack. He loves to bark and play and—most of all—chase pigeons in the park. Then one day, Ziji sees a new boy from Jenny’s school, Nico, sitting in the park. What is Nico doing? Why does he look so calm and happy? Ziji can’t wait to find out.

This book, written by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, one of the new generation of Tibetan Buddhist masters, will teach your child the basics of meditation in a fun and engaging way. Included after the story is a guide for parents and teachers with more information on what meditation is and how it can be helpful as well as suggestions on how children can continue to practice meditation on their own.

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No Ordinary Apple

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.

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Prince Siddhartha Coloring Book

A wonderful companion to our Prince Siddhartha story book, this children’s coloring book Includes 31 full-size and 31 miniature line drawings with narrative descriptions.

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