LITMIR.BIZ

This commentary is based on the six bardos teachings from a series of hidden treasure texts known as the Profound Dharma of Natural Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones (Zab chos zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol), discovered by the great terton Karma Lingpa in the fourteenth century. The word “bardo,” made popular in the West through the English translation of the Bardo Thodol or The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which also belongs to the same series of treasure texts, means an intermediate or in-between state. The practice of the six bardos, according to the hermeneutics of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, is essentially the meditative practice of living and dying. Natural Appearances, Natural Liberation not only contains very practical advice, but also has many teachings of the Nyingma tantric tradition embedded in it. The original text is not intended as a study of spiritualism or psychology. Neither is it intended to be viewed as handbook for taking care of the deceased, nor as a treatise on emptiness. The intention is to condense the very deep and profound tantric teachings of the six bardos into practices approachable by all sentient beings so that many can swiftly attain various states of liberation. This book offers a scholarly but accessible explanation of the ancient wisdom embedded in this ancient Buddhist classic.

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From the beginning of Charles Prebish’s involvement with Buddhism in 1965, Buddhism has made huge inroads on the North American continent, and world-wide, both in terms of its scholarship and globalization. He has been fortunate enough to know and work with an incredible group of brilliant scholars who remain alive: Luis Gómez, Lewis Lancaster, Donald Swearer, Frank Reynolds, Stanley Weinstein, Jeffrey Hopkins, Robert Thurman and others. Unfortunately, none of these great scholars seems as yet to have shared their reminiscences of these exciting times with readers. Equally, because of his pioneering work in studying Western forms of Buddhism, Dr. Prebish was able to meet not only the many Asian Buddhist teachers who appeared in North America after the change in immigration law in 1965, but virtually all of their first and second generation Dharma heirs. His friendships with Chogyam Trungpa and John Daido Loori Roshi, for example, gave him insights into the rapid development of what he began calling “American Buddhism” in the 1970s. In the nearly half century that he has been involved with the Buddhist tradition, an enormous number of major events have occurred in North America (and worldwide), and he has been involved with almost all of them. Apart from being the leading pioneer in the study of Western forms of Buddhism, as mentioned above, he was the leading advocate for establishing this new and exciting avenue of inquiry as a valid and important sub-discipline in the larger discipline of Buddhist Studies. Now there are many dozens of courses devoted to this topic, and it has become one of the most vibrant areas of scholarly publication in Buddhist Studies. When technology began to creep into academe, he was there to found, with Damien Keown in 1994, the online Journal of Buddhist Ethics, which was the first online peer-reviewed scholarly journal in the field of Religious Studies. Five years later, with Martin Baumann, he began the Journal of Global Buddhism. In 1996, he and Keown founded the Routledge “Critical Studies in Buddhism” series which published more than sixty scholarly titles under their editorship over the next 10 years. In other words, Dr. Prebish has been involved in virtually everything exciting in the Buddhist world over the past forty-five years. Because of his unique involvement and longevity, he has an incredible historical record to document and share, and a huge number of stories to tell. These stories allow us to share his incredible personal journey, and provide a true “insider’s” viewpoint. It even gives us a rare and largely unknown snapshot into the world of sport, where he became a nationally respected Olympic-style wrestling official and one of the leading, early scholarly proponents of the exploration of the relationship between sport and religion. Chuck’s stories are kind and compassionate. An American Buddhist Life: Memoirs of a Modern Dharma Pioneer makes for a great read!

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Lama Chopa is a practice of guru devotion special to the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In Sanskrit, lama is guru, and chopa is offering, so Lama Chopa translates into English as “offering to the spiritual guide.” In the Gelugpa tradition, there are many guru yoga sadhanas, but Lama Chopa is the most popular and sacred text. A special practice of Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), the founder of the Gelugpa School, Lama Chopa was compiled by the first Panchen Lama, Panchen Lozang Chokyi Gyaltsen (1570-1662), who was the teacher of the fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682). Lama Chopa became so popular in Tibet and Mongolia that almost every monk of the Gelugpa tradition had it memorized, and recited it on a daily basis, both in the temple as a group practice, and individually. Lama Chopa is considered to be an Anuttarayoga Tantra or Highest Yoga Tantra practice. As indicated by the opening words, “Arising within the sphere of great bliss, I manifest as a Guru Yidam,” it contains the idea of personal transformationthrough the practitioner merging his or her mind with the guru as the meditational deity. The essence of the practice is to see the guru as an Enlightened Being, a Buddha, and to receive his or her blessings in return. Twenty-five percent of profits from sales of this book go to the Panchen Lama's monastery in exile, Tashilhunpo, in India.

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Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) was one of the greatest Tibetan Buddhist teachers of the 20th century. While a practitioner in the Nyingma lineage, he held empowerments and teachings from many traditions and was a strong supporter of the Rimey non-sectarian movement. This Rimey Lama Chopa is a liturgical guruyoga text encompassing all stages of the Path to Enlightenment, with special emphasis on the Eight Chariots Rimey lineages. Lama Chopa is one of the central esoteric practices of Vajrayana Buddhism; and as such, this text is a unique and powerful contribution to world spiritual literature. On the centennary of Dilgo Khyentse's birth, a great celebration was held in Nepal, for which a locally-printed English edition of his well-known Rimey Lama Chopa was commissioned. The limited English edition was created by Glenn Mullin, a well-known Canadian Buddhist translator with many books to his credit. We are fortunate to have received permission from Mr. Mullin to create this new edition. In addition, we are fortunate to have the participation of Dilgo Khyentse's chief western disciple, the Venerable Matthieu Ricard, who has written an insightful foreword for the book and provided personal photographs of Rinpoche for this edition. 50% of profits from sales of this book will go to benefit charitable activities of Rinpoche's Karuna-Shechen Foundation in the Himalayas.

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For the 75th anniversary of The Protestant Hour and Day1 ministry, host Peter Wallace has gathered dozens of inspiring excerpts from the most powerful sermons.
Some of the most effective preachers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries are featured, representing the historic mainline Protestant churches and a diverse variety of voices. Diana Butler Bass, Michael Curry, Walter Brueggemann, Barbara Brown Taylor, Juan Carlos Huertas, and many more offer their perspectives on topics such as peace, justice, prayer, love, and community. Clergy and parishioners from across the theological spectrum will appreciate the scope and accessibility of this curated collection.
This book is a superb companion for personal meditation and devotion, or thoughtful gift-giving for weddings, birthdays, sympathy, and other life occasions. Questions for discussion and meditation are included with each topic, making this inspirational collection ideal for use by small groups or for personal study.

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The premise of The Tao of Zen is that Zen is really Taoism in the disguise of Buddhism—an assumption being made by more and more Zen scholars. This is the first Zen book that links the long-noted philosophical similarities of Taoism and Zen. The author traces the evolution of Ch'an The The Tao of Zen is a fascinating book that will be read and discussed by anyone interested in both Taoism and Zen 

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"The Halfords' book is an achievement. For the first time ever, any Westerner who reads English can obtain a real insight into the plots and stories, the texts and characteristics of Kabuki dramas, and in terms which a Western-trained mind can readily understand. For this the entire Kabuki world must be grateful." <b>&#8212; From the Foreword by Faubion Bowers, author of <i>Japanese Theatre</i> and <i>Theatre in the East</i> </b><br><br>Kabuki has been described as «in the main, the finest theatre art in the world,» and its ever-growing popularity both in Japan and abroad bears witness to its tremendous dramatic effectiveness. The fact that many persons tend to regard it as mere spectacle, thus missing the greater part of its moving appeal, has been due to the lack of any key to the intricacies of its plots and its unfamiliar stage conventions. Here at last is a genuine key, one which opens wide vistas of understanding and appreciation. <br><br>Included here are lucid synopses and crystal-clear explanations of the hundred odd plays which form the backbone of the classical Kabuki repertoire and constitute over twice that many individual program items. Equally as valuable as the synopses are the informative and entertaining Notes explaining the many points that have proved perplexing to the non-Japanese spectator. Both synopses and notes are provided with a careful system of cross references and an indispensable index, all making for ready use and saving the spectator from «dwelling so much on some minor, but incomprehensible, point that the thread of the drama is lost.»<br><br>Kabuki is drama &#8212; drama par excellence &#8212; and now, thanks to this invaluable handbook, may at last be enjoyed as such. The authors have well fulfilled their aim of allowing the playgoer to concentrate on the performance and appreciate both the Kabuki actor's amazing virtuosity and the unique art of the Kabuki theatre.

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Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki's The Training of the Zen Buddhist Monk invites you to step inside the mysterious world of the Zendo, where monks live their lives in simplicity.This is perhaps the best introduction to Zen and the life of the Zen monk. By means of a direct and succinct description of the training that a Zen Buddhist monk undergoes, Dr. Suzuki has given us the most precise picture possible of Zen in life.The forty-three illustrations give a unique value to the book. The artist, Zenchu Sato has depicted here the record of his own experiences in going through all the disciplinary measures pertaining to the life of Zen.As author, Dr. Suzuki said, «Zen ought to be studied not only in its theoretical aspects, as a unique product of the Oriental mind, but in its practical aspect as it is to be seen in the Zendo life. This is the chief motive for my writing this book.»

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Chakra is a Sanskrit word that literally means a wheel or a disc. In practice, they are the points of the spiritual body that serve as the entry and exit points of our aura. These centers of activity are responsible in controlling our temperament, mood and overall body health. They do so by receiving, assimilating and expressing life's force energy. According to the chakra theory, therefore, controlling these chakras could directly influence your mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

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Acknowledging the presence of different religions and understanding their differences creates a deep sense of awareness and respect. This quick study guide briefly but smartly introduces the religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. The history of Hitler's ruthless attacks on Jews will never again be repeated with the right knowledge and information. Get a copy today!

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