Bücher veröffentlicht von Shambhala Publications Inc

Music is, in one sense, merely a series of fleeting vibrations that arise and subside. How could it be that something so insubstantial fills us, and calms us, and makes us weep? Because, says W. A. Mathieu, music bridges mind and heart, self and other, and affirms our place in the world. Everyone uses the bridge of music, from casual listeners to devoted professionals. Mathieu''s delightful and trenchant prose asks you to question what music is, how it works, and how to understand its value in your life, in the life of your community, and in the evolution of the cosmos.

What Is Meditation? explains the Buddhist worldview and the age-old practice it perfected to unfold our innate qualities of compassion, self-acceptance, and inner peace. Rob Nairn gives step-by-step instructions for beginning your own meditation practice, including three simple exercises-"Bare Attention," "Remaining in the Present," and "Meditation Using Sound"-to help get you started.

The quality of presence a psychotherapist or counselor brings to the therapeutic relationship makes all the difference in effective treatment. With this application of Buddhist practice to psychotherapy, Karen Kissel Wegela offers mental health professionals a new perspective on bringing compassion, patience, generosity, and equanimity to their work with clients. She also shows how counselors can apply this wisdom in their own lives, and how they can help their clients to cultivate these qualities in themselves.

Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible. Despite what you may have been led to believe, most people with anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder are able to completely restore their health and well-being. But how does this happen? Author Aimee Liu has woven together dozens of first-person accounts of recovery to create a break-through roadmap for healing from an eating disorder. Restoring Our Bodies, Reclaiming Our Lives answers key questions including: How does healing begin? What does it feel like? What supports and accelerates it? Will I ever be free of worry about a relapse? Throughout the book are informative sidebars written by leading professionals in the field, addressing essential topics such as finding the right therapist, the use of medications, exploring complementary treatments, and how family members can help. Learn more at the author's website: www.aimeeliu.net.

Distinguishing Phenomena and Pure Being was composed by Maitreya during the golden age of Indian Buddhism. Mipham's commentary supports Maitreya's text in a detailed analysis of how ordinary, confused consciousness can be transformed into wisdom. Easy-to-follow instructions guide the reader through the profound meditation that gradually brings about this transformation. This important and comprehensive work belongs on the bookshelf of any serious Buddhist practitioner-and indeed of anyone interested in realizing their full potential as a human being. Ju Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912) was a great master of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the leading figures in the Rime nonsectarian movement in Tibet. This text, along with Ju Mipham Rinpoche's commentary, is taught extensively throughout the world by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, who considers this text to be of pivotal importance. Jim Scott, a longtime student of Khenpo Tsöltrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, translated this work at his request and under his guidance.

This text is a manual of practical instructions for students who are or would like to practice the path of Mahamudra in meditation. Mahamudra refers to a path to enlightenment taught by the Buddha and transmitted through the spiritual lineage of Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, and Milarepa. Gampopa, a disciple of Milarepa who lived in the eleventh century, brought together these teachings of the Buddha into one five-fold path consisting of an enlightened motivation, deity yoga, guru yoga, mahamudra, and proper dedication, to which his main disciple, Pakmo Druba, gave the name "The Profound Five-Fold Path of Mahamudra." Jigten Sumgon, the successor of Pakmo Druba, founded the Drikung Kagyu order and taught Mahamudra extensively. The fifteenth successor of Jugten Sumgon, Kunga Rinchen, known for the directness and clarity of his teachings, composed the text Clarifying the Jewel Rosary of the Profound Five-Fold Path.

Despite the daunting barriers of geography and language that separate them, Buddhism and contemporary feminism have much to say to each other. Buddhist practices such as mindfulness (in which calm centering and keen awareness of change coexist) and compassion (in which the self is recognized as both powerful in itself and interdependently connected with all others) can be important resources for contemporary women, while feminism can expand the traditional horizons of Buddhist concerns to include social, historical, and psychological issues. The image and ritual of the Great Bliss Queen, an important Buddhist figure of enlightenment, form the unifying theme of the book modeling the practices and theory that can assist each of us in being at one with ourselves and fully engaged with others.

Chi is the invisible energy of life that flows in and around us throughout the universe. Used skillfully, it can have a remarkable effect on health and vitality—to the degree that you’d be tempted to call it magical, if it weren’t so completely natural. Here is a perfect introduction to chi that explains in a direct and simple way what it is and why it is essential to a healthy and vital life. It provides an easy-to-understand explanation of chi, and then helps readers recognize, develop, and strengthen their own chi through specific breathing techniques and basic exercises, all demonstrated by the author. There are many books on chi development through t’ai chi and qigong practice, but this one goes deeper to enable you to understand the fundamental principles as you cultivate it. This book is a reference for alternative health professionals such as acupuncturists and shiatsu therapists and their patients, as well as for anyone who practices t’ai chi, qigong, aikido, and other chi-based martial arts.

The sacred radiance of our original nature never darkens.It has shined forth since beginningless time.Do you wish to enter the gate that leads to this?Simply do not give rise to conceptual thinking. Zen Master So Sahn (1520-1604) is a towering figure in the history of Korean Zen. In this treasure-text, he presents in simple yet beautiful language the core principles and teachings of Zen. Each section opens with a quotation-drawn from classical scriptures, teachings, and anecdotes-followed by the author's commentary and verse. Originally written in Chinese, the text was translated into Korean in the mid-twentieth century by the celebrated Korean monk Boep Joeng. An American Zen monk, Hyon Gak, has translated it into English.

Here is an accessible introduction to the life and wisdom of the famous twelfth-century philosopher-physician Moses Maimonides, whose prolific writings on medical and religious issues, commentaries on Jewish texts, and writings on Jewish ethics and law profoundly influenced Judaism. The Wisdom of Maimonides includes a biography; a section of selected teachings drawn from Maimonides'' major works The Guide for the Perplexed and the Mishneh Torah, as well as his other writings; and tales about Maimonides'' colorful life as a court physician and rabbinic leader.

A Zen poem is nothing other than an expression of the enlightened mind, a handful of simple words that disappear beneath the moment of insight to which it bears witness. Poetry has been an essential aid to Zen Buddhist practice from the dawn of Zen—and Zen has also had a profound influence on the secular poetry of the countries in which it has flourished. Here, two of America's most renowned poets and translators provide an overview of Zen poetry from China and Japan in all its rich variety, from the earliest days to the twentieth century. Included are works by Lao Tzu, Han Shan, Li Po, Dogen Kigen, Saigyo, Basho, Chiao Jan, Yuan Mei, Ryokan, and many others. Hamill and Seaton provide illuminating introductions to the Chinese and Japanese sections that set the poets and their work in historical and philosophical context. Short biographies of the poets are also included.

Here is the inimitable Master Sheng Yen at his best, illuminating the ancient texts of the Chinese Zen tradition to show how wonderfully practical they really are, even for us today. The texts, written by two of the founders of the Ts'ao-tung sect of Chan Buddhism, are poems entitled Inquiry into Matching Halves and Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi. Both emphasize the Chan view that wisdom is not separate from vexation, and both speak of the levels of awareness through which one must pass on the way to realization. Both are also works of Buddhist philosophy that can serve as guides to spiritual practice for anyone.

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.

A Namgyal Monastery Institute Textbook & Studies in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism Series The persistent problem of Buddhist philosophy has been to find the middle way-an ontology sturdy enough to support a coherent ethical system that does not betray Buddha's original vision of no-self or emptiness (sunyata). Buddhist perspectives on ethics and emptiness center on the distinction between two truths-the conventional and the ultimate. Newland's work lays out the Madhyamika philosophy of two truths as seen through the eyes of Tibetan scholar-yogis of the Gelugpa order. Linking the classical Buddhist philosophy of Nagarjuna with the living tradition of monastic courtyard debate, the authors explain the two truths without resort to mysterious trans-rational paradoxes. Newland exposes their extraordinary efforts to clear away the sense of contradiction between emptiness and conventional reality and thus to build a Madhyamika system that is both ethically salutary and rationally coherent.

Indian sage Patanjali wrote his famous Yoga Sutras sometime around 250 B.C. and they are still widely regarded as the ultimate text on yoga practice. However, many modern practitioners find his aphorisms too inaccessible, and analysis has tended to obscure rather than reveal their meaning. Vimala Thakar cuts through the mystique by returning to the root meaning of the Sutras' Sanskrit words and reveals, at last, their basic concepts. Glimpses of Raja Yoga provides an in-depth look into the ancient Indian culture that gave rise to the Upanishads and the Yoga Sutras, the dimension of Silence that lies beyond meditation, the yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances) that form the basis of ethics in yoga, and much more. By demonstrating the direct relevance of the Sutras to modern yoga practice, Glimpses of Raja Yoga opens the spiritual horizons of yoga practitioners everywhere.

To live life fully and die serenely-surely we all share these goals, so inextricably entwined. Yet a spiritual dimension is too often lacking in the attitudes, circumstances, and rites of death in modern society. Kapleau explores the subject of death and dying on a deeply personal level, interweaving the writings of Western religions with insights from his own Zen practice, and offers practical advice for the dying and their families.