The Eight Gates of Zen

The Eight Gates of Zen PDF Author: John Daido Loori
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 083482390X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
This accessible introduction to the philosophy and practice of Zen Buddhism includes a program of study that encompasses practically every aspect of life. The American Zen teacher John Daido Loori shows us that Zen practice should include not only meditation, the study of Zen literature and liturgy, and moral and ethical action, but should also manifest in work, artistic, and everyday activities. The Eight Gates are: 1. Zazen, a type of meditation described as "sitting Zen" 2. Face-to-face meetings between teacher and student 3. Academic study of the sutras related to Zen training, other schools of Buddhism, Buddhist history, psychology, and philosophy 4. Zen rites and rituals and their meaning 5. The moral and ethical requirements set in the Buddhist Precepts 6. Art practice as an extension of Zen practice 7. Body practice as an extension of Zen practice 8. Work as an active function of zazen Beautifully illustrated with Loori's own photographs, this edition also includes a new introduction and an updated reading list.

The Eight Gates of Zen

The Eight Gates of Zen PDF Author: John Daido Loori
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 083482390X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Get Book

Book Description
This accessible introduction to the philosophy and practice of Zen Buddhism includes a program of study that encompasses practically every aspect of life. The American Zen teacher John Daido Loori shows us that Zen practice should include not only meditation, the study of Zen literature and liturgy, and moral and ethical action, but should also manifest in work, artistic, and everyday activities. The Eight Gates are: 1. Zazen, a type of meditation described as "sitting Zen" 2. Face-to-face meetings between teacher and student 3. Academic study of the sutras related to Zen training, other schools of Buddhism, Buddhist history, psychology, and philosophy 4. Zen rites and rituals and their meaning 5. The moral and ethical requirements set in the Buddhist Precepts 6. Art practice as an extension of Zen practice 7. Body practice as an extension of Zen practice 8. Work as an active function of zazen Beautifully illustrated with Loori's own photographs, this edition also includes a new introduction and an updated reading list.

The Eight Gates of Zen

The Eight Gates of Zen PDF Author: John Daido Loori
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description


Mountain Record of Zen Talks

Mountain Record of Zen Talks PDF Author: John Daido Loori
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834826437
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
In this treasury of Zen wisdom based on his talks, the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, New York, explores the eight areas of study that are the focus for training in his community: meditation, study with the teacher, liturgy, art practice, body practice, the study of scriptures, work practice, and the moral and ethical teachings. John Daido Loori also covers such topics as koans, the martial arts, and illness and healing, and he makes intriguing observations about the spirit and requirements of Zen in America.

Bringing the Sacred to Life

Bringing the Sacred to Life PDF Author: John Daido Loori
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834823500
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
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 make ritual part of some religious observance, we still fall into ritual behavior, whether it be our daily grooming sequence or the way we have our morning coffee and paper. We run through our personal rituals unconsciously most of the time, but there is great value to introducing meaningful symbolic rituals into our lives and to performing them deliberately and mindfully—because the way we do ritual affects the way we live the rest of our lives. The book includes instructions for a simple Zen home liturgy, as it is practiced by students of the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen.

Finding the Still Point

Finding the Still Point PDF Author: John Daido Loori
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 1611808456
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 91

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Book Description
One of the simplest, easiest-to-understand guides to Zen meditation--with audio exercises to serve as meditation companions. Through Zen meditation it is possible to find stillness of mind even amidst our everyday activities--and this book reveals how. With easy-to-understand instructions, practical lessons, and short-but-sweet tid-bits of useful information, beloved Zen master John Daido Loori shares the way of Zen meditation in terms that even those starting from the very beginning can understand. Guided audio instructions--available for download online--supplement the teachings throughout the book, giving beginners the tools they need to take that first step into Zen practice and meditation.

Invoking Reality

Invoking Reality PDF Author: John Daido Loori
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834824507
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Book Description
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. Loori provides a modern interpretation of the precepts and discusses the ethical significance of these vows as guidelines for living. "Zen is a practice that takes place within the world," he says, "based on moral and ethical teachings that have been handed down from generation to generation." In his view, the Buddhist precepts form one of the most vital areas of spiritual practice.

The Zen Reader

The Zen Reader PDF Author: Thomas Cleary
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834822784
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
Founded by Bodhidharma centuries ago in China, Zen and its teachings have since spread widely, exerting a tremendous cultural influence not only across Asia, but also the modern West. To this day, Zen inspires young and old, from all walks of life, to see the world with fresh eyes—beyond our usual assumptions and prejudices. This compendium of a thousand years of Zen teaching presents the essence of the tradition through stories, sayings, talks, and records of heart-to-heart encounters with Zen masters. The great expositors of the tradition, whose voices are recounted here, encourage us to let go of our clinging and intellectual grasping, and to open ourselves to embrace reality exactly as it is.

Subtle Sound

Subtle Sound PDF Author: Sherry Chayat
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834829436
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
Maurine Stuart (1922–1990) was one of a select group of students on the leading edge of Buddhism in America: a woman who became a Zen master. In this book, she draws on down-to-earth Zen stories, her friendships with Japanese Zen teachers, and her experiences as a concert pianist to apply the inner meanings of Buddhism to practicing the basic ethics of daily living—nowness, unselfishness, compassion, and good will toward every living being. She emphasizes that inner growth comes through our own efforts and intuition, especially as we cultivate them through meditation practice. We can then take what we have learned in meditation and use it to respond to our daily lives in a straightforward and creative way, guided not by concepts or dogma, but by direct insight into the reality of the present moment.

The Art of Just Sitting

The Art of Just Sitting PDF Author: John Daido Loori
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0861719492
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 255

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Book Description
Shikantaza--or "just sitting"--is one of the simplest, most subtle forms of meditation, and one of the most easily misunderstood. This peerless volume brings together a wealth of writings, from the Buddha himself to Bodhidharma and Dogen and many of modern Zen Buddhism's most influential masters, all pointing directly to the heart of this powerful practice. Edited by one of America's pre-eminent Zen teachers, this book is a rich resource for wisdom seekers and scholars alike.

The Zen of Creativity

The Zen of Creativity PDF Author: John Daido Loori
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0307417557
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
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 The Zen 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 various dimensions of our existence. Loori dissolves the barriers between art and spirituality, opening up the possibility of meeting life with spontaneity, grace, and peace. Zen Buddhism is steeped in the arts. In spiritual ways, calligraphy, poetry, painting, the tea ceremony, and flower arranging can point us toward our essential, boundless nature. Brilliantly interpreting the teachings of the artless arts, Loori illuminates various elements that awaken our creativity, among them still point, the center of each moment that focuses on the tranquility within; simplicity, in which the creative process is uncluttered and unlimited, like a cloudless sky; spontaneity, a way to navigate through life without preconceptions, with a freshness in which everything becomes new; mystery, a sense of trust in the unknown; creative feedback, the systematic use of an audience to receive noncritical input about our art; art koans, exercises based on paradoxical questions that can be resolved only through artistic expression. Loori shows how these elements interpenetrate and function not only in art, but in all our endeavors. Beautifully illustrated and punctuated with poems and reflections from Loori’s own spiritual journey, The Zen of Creativity presents a multilayered, bottomless source of insight into our creativity. Appealing equally to spiritual seekers, artists, and veteran Buddhist practitioners, this book is perfect for those wishing to discover new means of self-awareness and expression—and to restore equanimity and freedom amid the vicissitudes of our lives.