The Best Buddhist Writing 2009


Book Description

A treasury of the most notable, profound, and thought-provoking Buddhism-inspired writing published in the last year. The Best Buddhist Writing 2009 includes: * An interview with novelist Tom Robbins * Guiding principles for a new ecospirituality from Thich Nhat Hanh * Jack Kornfield on basic human goodness * Pico Iyer's portrait of the Dalai Lama * Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle on a couple's journey through Alzheimer's disease * The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche on the true, enlightened nature of mind * Wendy Johnson on bringing the beginner's mind to gardening * A mindfulness practice from Pema Ch�dr�n to help us wake up to the world around us * Joan Halifax on approaching death with fearlessness and compassion * Peggy Rowe-Ward and Larry Ward with stories, meditations, and exercises for experiencing love in a new and deeper way * Natalie Goldberg on the art of writing personal memoir * Dzigar Kongtr�l on our search for happiness * Sharon Salzberg on overcoming passion, aggression, and ignorance in our relationships * Stephanie Kaza on making environmentalism a spiritual path, not just a change in lifestyle * Meshuga-wisdom from Rabbi Rami Shapiro * John Welwood on how we can use our relationships for profound spiritual growth * And much more




The Best Buddhist Writing 2005


Book Description

Wise and witty, heartfelt and profound, this second volume in an annual series brings together the year's most notable prose and verse inspired by the power and insight of Buddhist practice. Compiled by the editors of Shambhala Sun , North America's oldest and most widely read Buddhist magazine, the collection offers a lively array of styles, perspectives, and concerns of contemporary Buddhists. The twenty-five talented contributors include familiar favorites as well as some surprising voices who will delight and enlighten the reader, with pieces ranging from personal memoir, adventure travelogue, prison journal, and poetry, to advice for practitioners and wisdom teachings of the masters. Among this year's outstanding selections are: * Natalie Goldberg looks at the complex and troubled relationship with the two most important men in her life: her father and her Zen teacher. * The Dalai Lama explains Buddhism's signature doctrine of emptiness. * Dharma teacher Gaylon Ferguson writes on issues of self-worth and social justice for people of color. * Journalist Joan Duncan Oliver reflects on her struggle with twin addictions: "a drink and a man." * Thich Nhat Hanh offers personal meditations to help us lead a more wholesome and mindful life. * Cognitive psychologist Eleanor Rosch discourses on mind, meditation, and the creative process. * Peter Matthiessen ponders the longing for adventure as he travels the Antarctic. * Zen teacher John Tarrant tells how he applied a famed koan as his mother was dying. Contributors: Faith Adiele * Geoffrey Shugen Arnold * Rick Bass * Edward Espe Brown * Michael Carroll * Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche * Peter Coyote * John Daido Loori * H. H. the Dalai Lama * Scott Darnell * Gretel Ehrlich * Gaylon Ferguson * Norman Fischer * Gehlek Rimpoche * Natalie Goldberg * Joseph Goldstein * Jeff Greenwald * Erik Hansen * Sam Harris * Joan Duncan Oliver * The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche * Barbara Rhodes * Lewis Richmond * Eleanor Rosch * Andrew Schelling * Gary Snyder * John Tarrant * Thanissaro Bhikkhu * Thich Nhat Hanh * Claude Anshin Thomas * Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche * Francisco J. Varela




The Best Buddhist Writing 2010


Book Description

Here is this year’s installment in the series Publishers Weekly says "does a great service by highlighting views and themes as they modulate with each passing year." The Best Buddhist Writing 2010 is an eclectic, inspiring collection of writings from the Buddhist perspective. Selected by the editors of the Shambhala Sun, North America’s leading Buddhist-inspired magazine, the essays, articles, and interviews in this anthology offer an entertaining mix of writing styles and reflect on a wide range of issues. Included are pieces by Gaylon Ferguson, Norman Fischer, Jaimal Yogis, H. H. the Dalai Lama, Joan Sutherland, Mingyur Rinpoche, Sakyong Mipham, Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chödrön, Diane Ackerman, Huston Smith, Susan Piver, Shozan Jack Haubner, and many others.




Be the Refuge


Book Description

A must-read for modern sanghas--Asian American Buddhists in their own words, on their own terms. Despite the fact that two thirds of U.S. Buddhists identify as Asian American, mainstream perceptions about what it means to be Buddhist in America often whitewash and invisibilize the diverse, inclusive, and intersectional communities that lie at the heart of American Buddhism. Be the Refuge is both critique and celebration, calling out the erasure of Asian American Buddhists while uplifting the complexity and nuance of their authentic stories and vital, thriving communities. Drawn from in-depth interviews with a pan-ethnic, pan-Buddhist group, Be the Refuge is the first book to center young Asian American Buddhists' own voices. With insights from multi-generational, second-generation, convert, and socially engaged Asian American Buddhists, Be the Refuge includes the stories of trailblazers, bridge-builders, integrators, and refuge-makers who hail from a wide range of cultural and religious backgrounds. Championing nuanced representation over stale stereotypes, Han and the 89 interviewees in Be the Refuge push back against false narratives like the Oriental monk, the superstitious immigrant, and the banana Buddhist--typecasting that collapses the multivocality of Asian American Buddhists into tired, essentialized tropes. Encouraging frank conversations about race, representation, and inclusivity among Buddhists of all backgrounds, Be the Refuge embodies the spirit of interconnection that glows at the heart of American Buddhism.




Altered States


Book Description

In the 1960s, Americans combined psychedelics with Buddhist meditation to achieve direct experience through altered states of consciousness. As some practitioners became more committed to Buddhism, they abandoned the use of psychedelics in favor of stricter mental discipline, but others carried on with the experiment, advancing a fascinating alchemy called psychedelic Buddhism. Many think exploration with psychedelics in Buddhism faded with the revolutionary spirit of the sixties, but the underground practice has evolved into a brand of religiosity as eclectic and challenging as the era that created it. Altered States combines interviews with well-known figures in American Buddhism and psychedelic spirituality—including Lama Surya Das, Erik Davis, Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Sensei, Rick Strassman, and Charles Tart—and personal stories of everyday practitioners to define a distinctly American religious phenomenon. The nuanced perspective that emerges, grounded in a detailed history of psychedelic religious experience, adds critical depth to debates over the controlled use of psychedelics and drug-induced mysticism. The book also opens new paths of inquiry into such issues as re-enchantment, the limits of rationality, the biochemical and psychosocial basis of altered states of consciousness, and the nature of subjectivity.




What the Buddha Thought


Book Description

Argues that the Buddha was one of the most brilliant and original thinkers of all time. This book intends to serve as an introduction to the Buddha's thought, and hence even to Buddhism itself. It also argues that we can know far more about the Buddha than it is fashionable among scholars to admit.




The Good Company


Book Description

The Good Company tells the stories of over 30 inspiring companies around the world that are among the ethical leaders in the industry. The broad positive message is encouraging and enervating; each of the companies seeks to live up to the highest standard. The authors tell the steps they have taken and what has motivated them or enabled them to pursue such noble aims. "At last, a book that tackles the topic of sustainability in the global travel industry, but with a real understanding of its economic importance as a better alternative - a must read."--Michael MCloskey, Former Chairman, The Sierra Club ​"This much-needed work is essentially a cookbook, filled with inspiring recipes for sustainable travel. This will be a valuable resource - for everyone from students to industry leaders - for many years to come."--Jeff Greenwald, Executive DIrector, Ethical Traveler




The Best Buddhist Writing 2012


Book Description

A treasury of the most notable, profound, and thought-provoking Buddhist-inspired writing published in the last year. The Best Buddhist Writing 2012 includes: • His Holiness the Dalai Lama on cultivating a universal ethic of kindness • Sharon Salzberg on getting your meditation practice started • Pema Chödrön on how to smile at fear • The Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi on analyzing global problems through the lens of traditional Buddhist teachings • Bruce Rich on the enlightened model of government of the Buddhist monarch King Ashoka • Thich Nhat Hanh on fidelity in loving relationships • Michael A. Stusser’s determined—and hilarious—effort to speak—and tweet—no evil • Norman Fischer on a new and more open understanding of language • Barry Boyce’s fascinating survey of the life and teachings of the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche • Michael Stone and David Loy on the basic questions raised by the Occupy Wall Street movement • Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s explanation of the meditation practice of kusulu, the pinnacle of simplicity and relaxation • Nancy Baker on the powerful and useful energy behind anger • Diane Ackerman on living with her beloved husband’s Alzheimer’s disease • Yangzom Brauen’s moving account of her grandmother and mother’s escape from Tibet following the Chinese invasion • And much more




The Best American Essays 2011


Book Description

The acclaimed author of Breath, Eyes, Memory presents an anthology of personal essays by Hilton Als, Christopher Hitchens, Zadie Smith and others. In her selection process for this sterling volume, Edwidge Danticat considers the inherent vulnerability of the essay form—a vulnerability that seems all the more present in today’s spotlighted public square. As she says in her introduction, “when we insert our ‘I’ (our eye) to search deeper into someone, something, or ourselves, we are always risking a yawn or a slap, indifference or disdain.” Here are intimate personal essays that examine a range of vital topics, from cancer diagnosis to police brutality, and from devastating natural disasters to the dilemmas of modern medicine. All in all, “the brave voices behind these experiences keep the pages turning” (Kirkus Reviews). The Best American Essays 2011 includes entries by Hilton Als, Katy Butler, Toi Derricotte, Christopher Hitchens, Pico Iyer, Charlie LeDuff, Chang-Rae Lee, Lia Purpura, Zadie Smith, Reshma Memon Yaqub, and others.




Handbook of Mindfulness in Education


Book Description

This handbook addresses the educational uses of mindfulness in schools. It summarizes the state of the science and describes current and emerging applications and challenges throughout the field. It explores mindfulness concepts in scientific, theoretical, and practical terms and examines training opportunities both as an aspect of teachers’ professional development and a means to enhance students’ social-emotional and academic skills. Chapters discuss mindfulness and contemplative pedagogy programs that have produced positive student outcomes, including stress relief, self-care, and improved classroom and institutional engagement. Featured topics include: A comprehensive view of mindfulness in the modern era. Contemplative education and the roots of resilience. Mindfulness practice and its effect on students’ social-emotional learning. A cognitive neuroscience perspective on mindfulness in education that addresses students’ academic and social skills development. Mindfulness training for teachers and administrators. Two universal mindfulness education programs for elementary and middle school students. The Handbook of Mindfulness in Education is a must-have resource for researchers, graduate students, clinicians, and practitioners in psychology, psychiatry, education, and medicine, as well as counseling, social work, and rehabilitation therapy.