Dharma Deck


Book Description




Dharma


Book Description

Between 300 BCE and 200 CE, concepts and practices of dharma attained literary prominence throughout India. Both Buddhist and Brahmanical authors sought to clarify and classify their central concerns, and dharma proved a means of thinking through and articulating those concerns. Alf Hiltebeitel shows the different ways in which dharma was interpreted during that formative period: from the grand cosmic chronometries of kalpas and yugas to narratives about divine plans, gendered nuances of genealogical time, royal biography (even autobiography, in the case of the emperor Asoka), and guidelines for daily life, including meditation. He reveals the vital role dharma has played across political, religious, legal, literary, ethical, and philosophical domains and discourses about what holds life together. Through dharma, these traditions have articulated their distinct visions of the good and well-rewarded life. This insightful study explores the diverse and changing significance of dharma in classical India in nine major dharma texts, as well some shorter ones. Dharma proves to be a term by which to make a fresh cut through these texts, and to reconsider their own chronology, their import, and their relation to each other.




Dharma Cards


Book Description

This beautifully designed set offers a simple approach to meditation, as well as an enjoyable way to learn about one of the world's great masters. Based on Gautama Buddha'sDhammapadaorWay of Truth, the kit includes not only 36 illustrated cards inscribed with the Buddha's wisdom, but also an illuminating guidebook; together, they'll help create spiritual harmony in your life. The guide provides an introduction to the Buddha: his birth, search, enlightenment, Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, and much more. It also features information to help you interpret the cards, along with in-depth, individual readings of their text. As you go through the cards, you'll begin to reflect on the questions all meditators askabout awareness, distractions, serenityand find encouragement when you feel disheartened.




Dharma Matters


Book Description

A powerful collection of essays on race and gender in contemporary Buddhist practice by one of the leading thinkers in the area. Jan Willis was among the first Westerners to encounter exiled Tibetan teachers abroad in the late sixties, instantly finding her spiritual and academic home. TIME Magazine named her one of six “spiritual innovators for the new millennium,” both for her considerable academic accomplishments and for her cultural relevance. Her writing engages head-on with issues current to Buddhist practitioners in America, including dual-faith practitioners and those from marginalized groups. This collection of eighteen scholarly and popular essays spans a lifetime of reflection and teaching by Willis. Grouped in four sections—Women and Buddhism, Buddhism and Race, Tantric Buddhism and Saints’ Lives, and Buddhist-Christian Reflections—the essays provide timeless wisdom for all who are interested in contemporary Buddhism and its interface with ancient tradition. “This collection of essays by Jan Willis, penned over thirty years of study, teaching, and practice, is destined to become an authoritative resource in Buddhist scholarship and thought. Willis challenges many of our preconceptions, but asks no more and no less than what the Buddha asked: come, see, and experience for yourselves.” —Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Happiness “From Birmingham to Bodhgaya, Jan bridges worlds like no other. Her essays are treasures of wisdom born from a remarkable life richly lived.” —Matthew T. Kapstein, author of Reason’s Traces: Identity and Interpretation in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist Thought “This book is a blessing for us all—across cultures, across genders, across traditions.” —Larry Yang, author of Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community




The Twins of Demeter


Book Description

Two hundred years from now, the earth is past the point of recovery from exploitation by humankind. Pollution of all kinds, human-induced climate change and overpopulation, have all contributed to the generally held belief that the human species will be nearing the end of days on earth. An international collaboration of scientists convinces governments that investing in the creation and construction of massive spaceships and sending these ships to inhabitable worlds somewhere among other galactic so-called Goldilocks Zone planetary systems is the salvation of the human species. The journey will require a century to reach Antares 987, a planet orbiting a star named Demeter. After years of design and orbital construction, three starships""Andromeda, Aquarius, and Cassiopeia""are completed and ready for launch in the year 2222. Aboard these vessels are three thousand unborn children in stasis chambers, divided between the three ships. Three female cyborg organics, connected to artificial intelligence, are on-board capable of operation of the ships throughout the journey""and one male, brought aboard for the purpose of teaching three ideas central to the creation of community: empathy, compassion, and sacrifice. Without this teaching, it is deemed community will fail when new generations are born, based upon the example of earth's human history. The story, a saga of a kind, is divided into three parts. The first covers the journey and the establishment of community. The second part posits the idea that humankind is God's ultimate evangelist and that faith is abundant throughout the universe among all living things""including unknown inhabitants of the planet. The third part confronts humankind with the necessity of continued vigilance and a failing planet. The only alternative is an exodus to another world, a world with many dangers and challenges. It also establishes the continuance of evangelism through calling and confronts the children of the stars with the additional presence of other beings. The Twins of Demeter was written with the intention of creating a science fiction that emphasizes positive opportunities if the human species chooses to seek refuge somewhere else in God's universe. The book is devoid of the "little green men" concept of extraterrestrial life-forms. The text builds upon the premise that humankind is God's ultimate creation who flourishes when faith is part of everyday life and community is the sustaining foundation of survival and progress as a species.




Cruising World


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The Dharma of Modern Mindfulness


Book Description

Deeply embedded in the practice of contemporary mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) are concepts drawn from the ancient wisdom of meditative traditions. The Dharma of Modern Mindfulness uncovers the essential Buddhist teachings at the heart of this powerful anti-stress program, enabling you to deepen your historical and spiritual understanding of MBSR and nourish your practice. Meditation and mindfulness are everywhere: in hospitals, clinics, and schools; in major medical, psychological, and scientific journals; on TV; and in popular publications—even on the cover of Time magazine. And thankfully so—since Jon Kabat-Zinn developed MBSR, a treatment blending meditation and yoga, it has been proven effective in treating conditions like chronic pain, stress, anxiety, and depression for sufferers around the world. Lesser known, however, are the deep philosophical roots of MBSR known as the Buddhist dharma, translated as “the teachings of the Buddha.” Although they form the very foundation underlying MBSR and other mindfulness-based interventions, they often remain hidden within modern mindfulness practices. The Dharma of Modern Mindfulness illuminates these cornerstones, communicating previously esoteric teachings with language that makes them easily accessible and applicable to your complex daily life. The book follows the structure of an eight-week MBSR class, paralleling the participant’s journey with that of the Buddha for the alleviation of suffering. With real-life examples, guided reflections, and practices throughout, this book will show you the connections between the ancient wisdom of Buddhism and contemporary MBSR. Regardless of your background, status, or education, and whether you’re a practitioner, teacher, or trainer, this invitation to explore the essential Buddhist teachings at the heart of modern mindfulness—such as the four noble truths, the noble eightfold path, and the four brahmaviharas: loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity—will expand your understanding and enhance your practice, and, in doing so, connect you with your inner wisdom and deepest humanity.




Radical Dharma


Book Description

Igniting a long-overdue dialogue about how the legacy of racial injustice and white supremacy plays out in society at large and Buddhist communities in particular, this urgent call to action outlines a new dharma that takes into account the ways that racism and privilege prevent our collective awakening. The authors traveled around the country to spark an open conversation that brings together the Black prophetic tradition and the wisdom of the Dharma. Bridging the world of spirit and activism, they urge a compassionate response to the systemic, state-sanctioned violence and oppression that has persisted against black people since the slave era. With national attention focused on the recent killings of unarmed black citizens and the response of the Black-centered liberation groups such as Black Lives Matter, Radical Dharma demonstrates how social transformation and personal, spiritual liberation must be articulated and inextricably linked. Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens, and Jasmine Syedullah represent a new voice in American Buddhism. Offering their own histories and experiences as illustrations of the types of challenges facing dharma practitioners and teachers who are different from those of the past five decades, they ask how teachings that transcend color, class, and caste are hindered by discrimination and the dynamics of power, shame, and ignorance. Their illuminating argument goes beyond a demand for the equality and inclusion of diverse populations to advancing a new dharma that deconstructs rather than amplifies systems of suffering and prepares us to weigh the shortcomings not only of our own minds but also of our communities. They forge a path toward reconciliation and self-liberation that rests on radical honesty, a common ground where we can drop our need for perfection and propriety and speak as souls. In a society where profit rules, people's value is determined by the color of their skin, and many voices—including queer voices—are silenced, Radical Dharma recasts the concepts of engaged spirituality, social transformation, inclusiveness, and healing.




Yogi's Joy


Book Description

Milarepa was a much-loved Tibetan yogi, poet, and teacher. His 'hundred thousand songs' have inspired and guided Buddhist practitioners for centuries, yet examinations of them are few. The Yogi's Joy explores some of these songs to help show how their lessons are relevant to us today. In these songs we find such themes as fear, honesty, self-respect, practising with others, the student-teacher relationship, and how we can make teachings our own..




Discover Your Dharma


Book Description

Your soul is calling you to step fully into your purpose, your truth, the reason why you're here: your dharma. This book will guide you through the journey and lead you to a life of happiness, abundance, joyful service and fulfilment. Sahara Rose shares her unique approach to discovering your dharma through the Doshas (the Ayurvedic mind-body types) and the chakras (energy centres of the body). Take the 'What's Your Dharma Archetype?' quiz and use your Dharma Blueprint to unlock the code of what you're meant to do next, in your relationships, business and every facet of your life. Discovering your dharma is the most important work you can do. This is the perfect introduction to living in alignment for all spiritual seekers and anyone looking to become more self-aware. EditBuild