The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning


Book Description

*The basis for the wonderfully funny and moving TV series developed by Amy Poehler and Scout Productions* A charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life. In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming. Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.




D.i.y. Zen and The Art of Gentle Emotional Transformation


Book Description

Are you or a loved one suffering in silence following emotional or physical trauma? Have you felt awkward or embarrassed when telling someone who might help with what happened? Are there any past traumas, embarrassments or hurts without the aid of immediate self-help tools? Do you currently have stress or past hurts that you have not healed? If yes, d.i.y. zen and The Art of Gentle Emotional Transformation may be just what you have been looking for! You are holding simple yet powerful 'do-it-yourself' (d.i.y.) tools to help clear out these feelings and to bring in a positive transformation for you and your loved ones! Gary Niki has used the simple tools and techniques in this book on himself, then shared them with thousands of individuals over the past two decades. Many of these happily share in this book the amazing and positive outcomes they have experienced! Gary cares. "I know, as these processes have helped us, it's possible for you and your loved ones to benefit and enjoy the positive difference in your life, just as we have! d.i.y. zen and The Art of Gentle Emotional Transformation and its workbook will make a positive difference in your life and in the lives of everyone you care about! Let's Go For It!"




Zen and the Art of Sleep


Book Description

Zen and the Art of Sleep offers a surprising discovery for insomniacs. The problem isn't sleep. The problem is trying to capture and control sleep. Readers new to Zen Buddhism are gently guided down this reflective path. Along the way, emotional baggage and misguided endeavors that feed insomnia fade away. Each chapter builds upon previous insights and ends with Zen Practice exercises that reveal awake and asleep to be part of the same moving stream. Unblocking that flow allows the inevitable bedtime moment of drowsiness, a moment not so different from any other, to proceed naturally and without effort. Illustrated by Zen artist Andy Lee.




Zen Poems


Book Description

The appreciation of Zen philosophy and art has become universal, and Zen poetry, with its simple expression of direct, intuitive insight and sudden enlightenment, appeals to lovers of poetry, spirituality, and beauty everywhere. This collection of translations of the classical Zen poets of China, Japan, and Korea includes the work of Zen practitioners and monks as well as scholars, artists, travelers, and recluses, ranging from Wang Wei, Hanshan, and Yang Wanli, to Shinkei, Basho, and Ryokan.




Being Zen


Book Description

A “straightforward, simple, and wise” guide to living an awakened life through mindfulness and meditation (Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart) We can use whatever life presents to strengthen our spiritual practice—including the turmoil of daily life. What we need is the willingness to just be with our experiences—whether they are painful or pleasing—and open ourselves to the reality of our lives without trying to fix or change anything. But doing this requires that we confront our most deeply rooted fears and assumptions in order to gradually become free of the constrictions and suffering they create. Then we can awaken to the loving-kindness that is at the heart of our being. While many books aspire to bring meditation into everyday experience, Ezra Bayda's Being Zen gives us practical ways to actually do it, introducing techniques that enable the reader to foster qualities essential to continued spiritual awakening. Topics include how to cultivate: • Perseverance: staying with anger, fear, and other distressing emotions. • Stillness: abiding with chaotic experiences without becoming overwhelmed. • Clarity: seeing through the conditioned beliefs and fears that "run" us. • Direct experience: encountering the physical reality of the present moment—even when that moment is exactly where we don't want to be. Like Pema Chödrön, the best-selling author of When Things Fall Apart, Ezra Bayda writes with clear, heartfelt simplicity, using his own life stories to illustrate the teachings in an immediate and accessible way that will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers.




Zen Lessons


Book Description

Gathers the political, social, and psychological teachings of Chinese Zen masters from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries.




Zen and the Fine Arts


Book Description

For other editions see Author Catalog.




Zen Training


Book Description

This pioneering guide to zazen—Zen-style seated meditation—provides practical instructions on how to begin or elevate your practice and progress along the Zen path Zen Training is a comprehensive handbook for zazen, seated meditation practice, and an authoritative presentation of the Zen path. The book marked a turning point in Zen literature in its critical reevaluation of the enlightenment experience, which the author believes has often been emphasized at the expense of other important aspects of Zen training. In addition, Zen Training goes beyond the first flashes of enlightenment to explore how one lives as well as trains in Zen. The author also draws many significant parallels between Zen and Western philosophy and psychology, comparing traditional Zen concepts with the theories of being and cognition of such thinkers as Heidegger and Husserl.




101 Zen Stories


Book Description

101 Zen Stories is a captivating collection of ancient tales and koans that offer profound insights into the essence of Zen Buddhism. Compiled by Nyogen Senzaki, these short stories and dialogues between masters and disciples illuminate the core principles of Zen, inviting readers to challenge their preconceived notions and awaken to the true nature of reality. Through paradoxical and often humorous narratives, this book guides readers on a journey of self-discovery, encouraging them to embrace the present moment and find enlightenment in the ordinary.




Lila


Book Description

In this bestselling new book, his first in seventeen years, Robert M. Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, takes us on a poignant and passionate journey as mysterious and compelling as his first life-changing work. Instead of a motorcycle, a sailboat carries his philosopher-narrator Phaedrus down the Hudson River as winter closes in. Along the way he picks up a most unlikely traveling companion: a woman named Lila who in her desperate sexuality, hostility, and oncoming madness threatens to disrupt his life. In Lila Robert M. Pirsig has crafted a unique work of adventure and ideas that examines the essential issues of the nineties as his previous classic did the seventies.