"The Wheel of Life " is the spiritual autobiography of John Blofeld (1913-1987), a world-renowned British scholar and writer who devoted his life to the study of Eastern traditions, especially Buddhism and Taoism. With wit, honesty, and humility, Blofeld portrays his search for wisdom and his discovery of a genuine spiritual path. He describes in vivid detail his life in Peking and his travels in Tibet, Mongolia, China, India, and Burma: the worlds of remote mountain monasteries, the sacred inner chambers of sages and yogis, and the inspired lives of simple, ordinary people. The book is...

For centuries the "I Ching "has been used as a basic map of conscious development, containing the underlying principles of all religions, and highly prized by followers of Buddhism. Chih-hsu Ou-i uses the concepts of Tianti Buddhism to elucidate the "I Ching "--concentration and insight, calmness and wisdom, and various levels of realization. Skillfully translated by Thomas Cleary, this work presents the complete text of the "I Ching " plus the only Buddhist interpretation of the oracle.

For twenty-five hundred years Buddhism has taught that everyone is Buddha--already enlightened, lacking nothing. But still there is the question of how we can experience that truth in our lives. In this book, Dainin Katagiri points to the manifestation of enlightenment right here, right now, in our everyday routine. Genuineness of practice lies in "just living" our lives wholeheartedly. The Zen practice of sitting meditation (zazen) is this not a means to an end but is the activity of enlightenment itself. That is why Katagiri Roshi says, "Don't expect enlightenment--just sit down "...

Kensho is the transformative glimpse of the true nature of all things. It is an experience so crucial in Zen practice that it is sometimes compared to finding an inexhaustible treasure because it reveals the potential that exists in each moment for pure awareness free from the projections of the ego. Among the selected Zen works are a number of important texts focusing on the profound subtleties of this essential Zen awakening and the methods used in its realization.

For all its emphasis on the direct experience on insight without reliance on the products of the intellect, the Zen tradition has created a huge body of writings. Of this cast literature, the writings associated with the so-called Five Houses of Zen are widely considered to be preeminent. These Five Houses--which arose in China during the ninth and tenth centuries, often referred to as the Golden Age of Zen--were not schools or sects but styles of Zen teaching represented by some of the most outstanding masters in Zen history. The writing of these great Zen teachers are presented here, many...

The Compass of Zen is a simple, exhaustive and often hilarious presentation of the essence of Zen by a modern Zen Master of considerable renown. In his many years of teaching throughout the world, the Korean-born Zen Master Seung Sahn has become known for his ability to cut to the heart of Buddhist teaching in a way that is strikingly clear, yet free of esoteric and academic language. In this book, based largely on his talks, he presents the basic teachings of Buddhism and Zen in a way that is wonderfully accessible for beginners yet so rich with stories, insights, and personal...

The story of the founder of Buddhism is one of the world's great archetypal tales of spiritual awakening. He was born Siddhartha Gautama in the sixth century BCE, the son of a prince who ruled a small kingdom in what is now Nepal. Siddhartha led a sheltered existence until the age of twenty-nine, when he left his life of ease and set out to find a solution to the problem of suffering. For years he wandered as a homeless ascetic, practicing severe austerities that brought him to the brink of death but no nearer to his goal. He then abandoned asceticism for a "middle way." Sitting down under a...

Drawn from the records of Chinese Zen masters of the Tang and Song dynasties, this collection may surprise some readers. In contrast to the popular image of Zen as an authoritarian, monastic tradition deeply rooted in Asian culture, these passages portray Zen as remarkably flexible, adaptive to contemporary and individual needs, and transcending cultural boundaries.

The readings contained in Zen Essence emphasize that the practice of Zen requires consciousness alone and does not depend on a background in Zen Buddhism and Asian culture. The true essence of Zen resides in the relationship...

The inspirational messages collected in this book, selected from the writings and talks of Swami Vivekananda, speak directly to the concerns of contemporary men and women who seek to live a spiritual life in the midst of everyday activities. At the same time, they form a concise introduction to Vedanta, the perennial philosophy of India.

Rational Zen consists of selection from Dogen's two masterworks, Shobogenzo (the famed "Treasury of Eyes of True Teaching, " Japan's most sophisticated philosophical work) and Eihei Koruko ("Universal Book of Eternal Peace"), now in English for the first time. The translator's commentary and a compendium of authentic source materials enhance the reader's insight into Dogen's methods, linking them to the great classical traditions of Buddhism that ultimately flowered in Zen.

Thomas Cleary holds a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and is a former fellow...