The Blue Cliff Record(Chinese Biyanlu, Japanese Hekiganroku) is widely considered one of the most important classics of the Chan (Zen) school of Buddhism. Composed in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1276 C.E.), when Chan literature reached its zenith of development, The Blue Cliff Record soon gained widespread acceptance in Chan circles. It consists of one hundred excerpts from ancient Chan lore and Buddhist scripture, each illustrated in verse by the great Chan poet Xuedou Qiongxhian (980-1052) and elucidated in prose by the noted Chan teacher Yuanwu Kequin (1063-1135).

Widely read, The Bhagavad Gita is a classic of world spirituality while The essential companion to The Bhagavad Gita, The Uddhava Gita has remained overlooked. This new accessible and only English translation in print of The Uddhava Gita offers a previously unexplored path to understanding Hinduism and Krishna s wisdom. Written centuries apart, the ideas of the two dialogues are similar although their approach and contexts differ. The Bhagavad Gita is filled with the urgency of battle while The Uddhava Gita takes place on the eve of Krishna s departure from the world. The Uddhava Gita offers...

The word "yoga" has many meanings, including "meditation," "method," and "union." While the physical exercises of Hindu yoga are familiar to westerners, the subtle metaphysics and refined methods of spiritual development that characterize Buddhist Yoga are not yet well known. This volume presents a landmark translation of a classical sourcebook of Buddhist Yoga, the "Scripture Unlocking the Mysteries," a revered text of the Yogachara school of Buddhism. The study of this text is essential preparation for anyone undertaking meditation exercise. Linking theory and practice, the scripture...

Thomas Cleary's extensive introdution gives specific, systematic guidelines for consulting the I Ching for greatest understanding and best results. Included in the afterword is a profile of the modern Japanese organizational genius Matsushita Konosuke, founder of Panasonic and other multi-national corporations, whose success has been built on the principle of the I Ching.

This extraordinary collection of teachings and commentaries illuminates the many profound mysteries of inner alchemy, one of the most important dimensions of the Taoist tradition. The science of inner alchemy consists of meditation practices that enable the individual to have a more intimate, energizing, and inspiring relationship with life. Although these techniques are described in the sourcebooks of ancient Taoism, they are often couched in cryptic symbolic language, making it difficult for today's seekers t put these teachings into practice. Some classical Taoist writers, however, did...

Insightful lessons from the great traditions of Asian thought on:
- The essentials of wise leadership
- Decision-making without prejudice
- Inspiring loyalty and maintaining authority
- Determining an individual's true character
- Encouraging the best in people
- Achieving success without sacrificing happiness

Dream Conversations is a collection of a renowned Japanese master's written replies to questions about the true nature of Zen. In short, simply worded teachings, Muso Kokushi (1275-1351), also known as Muso Soseki, exposes common misconceptions with unprecedented clarity, offering psychological insights designed to lead the reader into the depths of authentic Zen experience. These incisive teachings will be especially valuable for today's Zen students, as they struggle with their own confusion and misunderstandings about the true path of Zen.

Living and Dying with Grace is a book of aphoristic Sufi teachings on how to make one's way in the world--especially on how to bring spiritual insight to the affairs of daily life. Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, contains a vast body of knowledge concerning the inner development of the complete human being. Among the greatest of Sufi masters, Hadrat 'Ali (598-661 CE), cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, is regarded as a paragon of compassion and virtue and a master of both exoteric and esoteric knowledge. He was not only a great warrior, statesman, and scholar, but...

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.

This collection of eminently practical advice from the likes of Socrates, Plato, Diogenes, Pythagoras, and Aristotle covers subjects as diverse as money, child-raising, politics, philosophy, law, and relationships--all aspects of life and how to live it.
Thomas Cleary has translated these sayings and aphorisms from the Arabic sources that preserved Greek thought throughout the Middle Ages. Many of the texts no longer exist in the original Greek. Included in the book is an appendix that presents resonant sayings and fragments from Buddhist, Taoist, and Muslim sources, demonstrating the...