Informed by almost two decades of dialogue, research, and teaching, this book refutes the mistaken premise that Zen Buddhism is more suited to people who lived long ago, or at least live far away. Pivotal to this work is recognition that Buddhism is a mind culture. To appreciate that one is not in control of one s own mind is alarming indeed, but it is perceptions of real and imagined threats that generate anxieties, not an objective appraisal of the situation. Beginning with the annotated ox path pictures, the gradual development of the wayward mind away from aimless wandering and toward...

Beginning by posing and answering the question "What is Buddhism?," this book touches on issues such as the legacy of India and the life of the Buddha. Additional topics of discussion include the beliefs and practices of the Mahayana and Theravada schools, with particular emphasis on the four main Mahayana schools of Nichiren, Tibetan, Zen, and Pure Land; the Four Noble Truths; the Buddhist councils; rebirth; meditation; festivals; concepts of reality; and yoga. With an undogmatic and open-minded approach that encourages understanding and questioning, this work makes Buddhism a prime source...

This book brings together the studies of Jeaneane Fowler in Taoism, Chinese popular religion, and the broader canvas of Chinese cosmogony, and those of Merv Fowler in Confucianism, Zen Buddhism, and Pure Land Buddhism. "Chinese Religions" requires no previous knowledge and thereby serves as an introduction to the religions of China, and places it in the wider context of Chinese history and philosophy. The facets of Chinese religions are as broad, multilayered, and varied as the geographical vastness of China itself, yet this work shows how many Chinese beliefs have found their way into the...

This book examines the history of Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese movement based on the beliefs and teachings of the 13th-century Buddhist Nichiren Daishonin, as it relates to Welsh membership a group that has grown from a tiny group to hundreds of member through out Wales and the borders in the past 30 years. Drawing on original research gleaned from the members themselves, the research elicits facets of their faith, practices, and study, as well as their testimonies to the success of such beliefs and practices in their daily lives. The book combines the twin goals of academic analysis...