A modern guide to the teachings of Buddhism Buddhism: An Introduction to the Buddha's Life, Teachings, and Practices is an indispensable guide to a 2,600-year-old wisdom tradition that has transformed the lives of millions across centuries and around the world. Readers will learn how Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha, one of the most influential spiritual leaders of all time, and discover how they too can follow his revolutionary methods to attain...

As the practice of mindfulness permeates mainstream Western culture, more and more people are engaging in a traditional form of Buddhist meditation. However, many of these people have little interest in the religious aspects of Buddhism, and the practice occurs within secular contexts such as hospitals, schools, and the workplace. Is it possible to recover from the Buddhist teachings a vision of human flourishing that is secular rather than religious...

How do you respond to the pressures of life? Haemin Sunim argues that only by accepting yourself-- and the flaws that make you who you are-- can you have compassionate and fulfilling relationships with your partner, your family, and your friends. He believes that, when you care for yourself first, the world begins to find you worthy of care. -- adapted from jacket.

"Finally, a balanced and readable introduction to Buddhism for open minded readers who have no interest in professing faith in a new religion or adopting a new ideology"--

"A remarkable exploration of the therapeutic relationship, Dr. Mark Epstein reflects on one year's worth of therapy sessions during which he brought together his years of experience with Western psychotherapy and his equally long investigation into Buddhism to understand how the practices, in tandem, can lead to even greater awareness - for his patients, and for himself For years, Dr. Mark Epstein was careful not to let his spiritual leanings as a...

"Since Thich Nhat Hanh's exile from his native Vietnam in 1966, this Zen Buddhist monk has gone on to become one of the most influential and beloved spiritual masters of our age. The seeming simplicity of his words belies the power of this teaching to touch the heart and mind and to inspire spiritual practice. These selections, taken from his many published works, together make up a concise introduction to all his major themes and distill his teachings...

At the heart of Buddhism is a simple claim: The reason we suffer -- and the reason we make other people suffer -- is that we don't see the world clearly. At the heart of Buddhist meditative practice is a radical promise: we can learn to see the world, including ourselves, more clearly, and so gain a deep and morally valid happiness. Robert Wright not only shows how taking this promise seriously can change your life -- how it can loosen the grip of...

"Zen koans, beginning some 1500 years ago, refer to stories or questions arising in encounters between monks and old Chinese and Japanese masters, and include commentaries designed to help the Zen practitioner awaken. Koans like Hakuin's What is the sound of one hand clapping? are well-known, and the word koan has even gone mainstream. Thousands of classic koans emerged from the lives of monks living inside a Chinese or Japanese culture, and the commentaries...

"Beloved Buddhist nun and bestselling author Pema Chödrön's wise words on working with the countless changes in our lives to find more freedom and less fear. As much as we might try to resist, endings happen in every moment-the end of a relationship, the end of a day, the end of a breath, and ultimately the end of life. And behind each ending is a beginning-though it may be unclear what the beginning holds. How We Live is How We'll Die shares Pema...

"In the real world, exploitation exists. In the real world, there is a huge and unjust gap between rich and poor. The question, from a Buddhist perspective, is how should we deal with inequality and social injustice? His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches that it is wrong for a spiritual person to remain indifferent; we must struggle to solve these problems. These problems are brought to our consciousness because they anger us, and this little book teaches...