For many of us, the return of Zen conjures up images of rock gardens and gently flowing waterfalls. We think of mindfulness and meditation, immersion in a state of being where meaning is found through simplicity. Zen lore has been absorbed by Western practitioners and pop culture alike, yet there is a specific area of this ancient tradition that hasn't been fully explored in the West. Now, in TheZen of Creativity, American Zen master John Daido Loori presents a book that taps the principles of the Zen arts and aesthetic as a means to unlock creativity and find freedom in the...
For many of us, the return of Zen conjures up images of rock gardens and gently flowing waterfalls. We think of mindfulness and meditation, immersion ...
There is a common misconception that to practice Zen is to practice meditation and nothing else. In truth, traditionally, the practice of meditation goes hand-in-hand with moral conduct. In "Invoking Reality," John Daido Loori, one of the leading Zen teachers in America today, presents and explains the ethical precepts of Zen as essential aspects of Zen training and development. The Buddhist teachings on morality--the precepts--predate Zen, going all the way back to the Buddha himself. They describe, in essence, how a buddha, or awakened person, lives his or her life in the world....
There is a common misconception that to practice Zen is to practice meditation and nothing else. In truth, traditionally, the practice of meditation g...
Zen rituals--such as chanting, bowing, lighting incense before the Buddha statue--are ways of recognizing the sacredness in all of life. A ritual is simply a deliberate and focused moment that symbolizes the care with which we should be approaching all of life, and practicing the Zen liturgy is a way of cultivating this quality of attention in order to bring it to everything we do. Here, John Daido Loori demystifies the details of the Zen rituals and highlights their deeper meaning and purpose. We humans are all creatures of ritual, he teaches, whether we recognize it or not. Even if we don't...
Zen rituals--such as chanting, bowing, lighting incense before the Buddha statue--are ways of recognizing the sacredness in all of life. A ritual is s...
An essential guide to what it's like to spend a week inside a Zen Buddhist monastery.
The notion of spending days at a time in silence and meditation amid the serene beauty of a Zen monastery may be appealing--but how do you do it, and what can you really expect from the experience?
Waking Up provides the answers for everyone who's just curious, as well as for all those who have dreamed of actually giving it a try and now want to know where to begin.
Jack Maguire take us inside the monastery walls to present details of what it's like: the physical...
An essential guide to what it's like to spend a week inside a Zen Buddhist monastery.
