Becoming A Buddhist

Author : Kim Gutschow
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 356 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2009-07-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780674038080

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Being a Buddhist Nun by Kim Gutschow Pdf

They may shave their heads, don simple robes, and renounce materialism and worldly desires. But the women seeking enlightenment in a Buddhist nunnery high in the folds of Himalayan Kashmir invariably find themselves subject to the tyrannies of subsistence, subordination, and sexuality. Ultimately, Buddhist monasticism reflects the very world it is supposed to renounce. Butter and barley prove to be as critical to monastic life as merit and meditation. Kim Gutschow lived for more than three years among these women, collecting their stories, observing their ways, studying their lives. Her book offers the first ethnography of Tibetan Buddhist society from the perspective of its nuns. Gutschow depicts a gender hierarchy where nuns serve and monks direct, where monks bless the fields and kitchens while nuns toil in them. Monasteries may retain historical endowments and significant political and social power, yet global flows of capitalism, tourism, and feminism have begun to erode the balance of power between monks and nuns. Despite the obstacles of being considered impure and inferior, nuns engage in everyday forms of resistance to pursue their ascetic and personal goals. A richly textured picture of the little known culture of a Buddhist nunnery, the book offers moving narratives of nuns struggling with the Buddhist discipline of detachment. Its analysis of the way in which gender and sexuality construct ritual and social power provides valuable insight into the relationship between women and religion in South Asia today.

Author : Donald K. Swearer
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 351 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2020-07-21
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780691216027

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Becoming the Buddha by Donald K. Swearer Pdf

Becoming the Buddha is the first book-length study of a key ritual of Buddhist practice in Asia: the consecration of a Buddha image or "new Buddha," a ceremony by which the Buddha becomes present or alive. Through a richly detailed, accessible exploration of this ritual in northern Thailand, an exploration that stands apart from standard text-based or anthropological approaches, Donald Swearer makes a major contribution to our understanding of the Buddha image, its role in Buddhist devotional life, and its relationship to the veneration of Buddha relics. Blending ethnography, analysis, and Buddhist texts related to this mimetic reenactment of the night of the Buddha's enlightenment, he demonstrates that the image becomes the Buddha's surrogate by being invested with the Buddha's story and charged with the extraordinary power of Buddhahood. The process by which this transformation occurs through chant, sermon, meditation, and the presence of charismatic monks is at the heart of this book. Known as "opening the eyes of the Buddha," image consecration traditions throughout Buddhist Asia share much in common. Within the cultural context of northern Thailand, Becoming the Buddha illuminates scriptural accounts of the making of the first Buddha image; looks at debates over the ritual's historical origin, at Buddhological insights achieved, and at the hermeneutics of absence and presence; and provides a thematic comparison of several Buddhist traditions.

Author : Gelong Thubten
Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2020-08-11
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9781250266835

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A Monk's Guide to Happiness by Gelong Thubten Pdf

A Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness for the Modern Day In our never-ending search for happiness we often find ourselves looking to external things for fulfillment, thinking that happiness can be unlocked by buying a bigger house, getting the next promotion, or building a perfect family. In this profound and inspiring book, Gelong Thubten shares a practical and sustainable approach to happiness. Thubten, a Buddhist monk and meditation expert who has worked with everyone from school kids to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and Benedict Cumberbatch, explains how meditation and mindfulness can create a direct path to happiness. A Monk’s Guide to Happiness explores the nature of happiness and helps bust the myth that our lives and minds are too busy for meditation. The book can show you how to: - Learn practical methods to help you choose happiness - Develop greater compassion for yourself and others - Learn to meditate in micro-moments during a busy day - Discover that you are naturally ‘hard-wired’ for happiness Reading A Monk’s Guide to Happiness could revolutionize your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, and help you create a life of true happiness and contentment.

Author : Sharon A Suh
Publisher : University of Washington Press
Page : 268 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2012-09
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0295802782

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Being Buddhist in a Christian World by Sharon A Suh Pdf

Challenging Western notions of Buddhism as a self-effacing path to rebirth and enlightenment, Sharon Suh shows how first-generation Korean Americans at Sa Chal Temple in Los Angeles have applied Buddhist doctrines to the project of finding and knowing the self in everyday life. Buddhism, for these Buddhists, serves as a source of empowerment and as a wellspring of practical and spiritual relief from myriad everyday troubles. Painful life events and circumstances--psychological stresses, marital discord, adjustments to immigrant life, racial and religious minority status--prompt a turning toward religion in an effort to build self-esteem. The process of coming to find and know the self initiates a transformation that, far from taking future rebirths as its focus, enables the self to enact change in the present. Oral histories from twenty-five men and twenty-five women also offer unexpected insights into distinctly male and female forms of Buddhist worship. As a commentary on ethnicity, Being Buddhist in a Christian World challenges much of the existing literature in Asian American studies by placing religion at the center and illustrating its importance for shaping ethnic identity. Not only does Suh ask how Korean American identity might be grounded in religion, she goes on to examine the implications of this grounding when the religious tradition is considered to be socially marginal.

Author : Cheryl A. Giles,Pamela Ayo Yetunde
Publisher : Shambhala Publications
Page : 225 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2020-12-08
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781611808650

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Black and Buddhist by Cheryl A. Giles,Pamela Ayo Yetunde Pdf

Gold Nautilus Book Award Winner Leading African American Buddhist teachers offer lessons on racism, resilience, spiritual freedom, and the possibility of a truly representative American Buddhism. With contributions by Acharya Gaylon Ferguson, Cheryl A. Giles, Gyōzan Royce Andrew Johnson, Ruth King, Kamilah Majied, Lama Rod Owens, Lama Dawa Tarchin Phillips, Sebene Selassie, and Pamela Ayo Yetunde. What does it mean to be Black and Buddhist? In this powerful collection of writings, African American teachers from all the major Buddhist traditions tell their stories of how race and Buddhist practice have intersected in their lives. The resulting explorations display not only the promise of Buddhist teachings to empower those facing racial discrimination but also the way that Black Buddhist voices are enriching the Dharma for all practitioners. As the first anthology comprised solely of writings by African-descended Buddhist practitioners, this book is an important contribution to the development of the Dharma in the West.

Author : Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse
Publisher : Shambhala Publications
Page : 144 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2008-08-12
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0834823160

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What Makes You Not a Buddhist by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Pdf

So you think you're a Buddhist? Think again. Tibetan Buddhist master Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, one of the most creative and innovative lamas teaching today, throws down the gauntlet to the Buddhist world, challenging common misconceptions, stereotypes, and fantasies. With wit and irony, Khysentse urges readers to move beyond the superficial trappings of Buddhism—beyond the romance with beads, incense, or exotic robes—straight to the heart of what the Buddha taught.

Author : Gil Fronsdal
Publisher : Insight Meditation Center
Page : 161 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2008-02
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780615162867

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The Issue at Hand by Gil Fronsdal Pdf

Essays on Buddhist Mindfulness Practice. An inspiring and very accessible compilation of essays and edited talks on the Buddhist practice of mindfulness. As Gil Fronsdal states, "the search for the issue at hand is the search for what is closest at hand, for what is directly seen, heard, smelt, tasted, felt, and cognized in the present." Gil brings the practice of mindfulness not only to formal meditation but to all the varying aspects of every day life.

Author : Bano Laurent
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 50 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2015-04-06
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1532751818

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Becoming a Buddhist by Bano Laurent Pdf

Buddhism continues to grow in popularity in the Western world as more and more people are becoming aware of Buddhist philosophies and the Buddha's teachings about the purpose of life and how a person can be the best version of himself on a daily basis. Approximately 350 million people around the world already practice Buddhism, and that number is growing by the day. You probably already know that the Buddhist religion explains how to take a different perspective on personal desires and materialism, poverty and social inequalities, and how to actually overcome worldly attitudes and unimportant concerns. But what exactly is Buddhism? And how did it begin? Who is the Buddha? And how do the Buddhist philosophies apply to your daily life? These questions - and more - are exactly what this book was designed to address. By the end of this short read, you will have a solid understanding of the Buddhist religion, including all the relevant facts, a brief overview of its history, and a strong foundation of its beliefs and principles from which to grow. So if you're ready to learn more and enhance your understanding about the Buddhist's road to Nirvana, then let's get started!

Author : Robert Wright
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2017-08-08
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781439195475

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Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright Pdf

From one of America’s most brilliant writers, a New York Times bestselling journey through psychology, philosophy, and lots of meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity and enduring happiness. 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. In this “sublime” (The New Yorker), pathbreaking book, Robert Wright shows how taking this promise seriously can change your life—how it can loosen the grip of anxiety, regret, and hatred, and how it can deepen your appreciation of beauty and of other people. He also shows why this transformation works, drawing on the latest in neuroscience and psychology, and armed with an acute understanding of human evolution. This book is the culmination of a personal journey that began with Wright’s landmark book on evolutionary psychology, The Moral Animal, and deepened as he immersed himself in meditative practice and conversed with some of the world’s most skilled meditators. The result is a story that is “provocative, informative and...deeply rewarding” (The New York Times Book Review), and as entertaining as it is illuminating. Written with the wit, clarity, and grace for which Wright is famous, Why Buddhism Is True lays the foundation for a spiritual life in a secular age and shows how, in a time of technological distraction and social division, we can save ourselves from ourselves, both as individuals and as a species.

Author : Giulio Cesare Giacobbe
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 160 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2009
Category : Spiritual life
ISBN : 1848370334

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How to Become a Buddha in 5 Weeks by Giulio Cesare Giacobbe Pdf

Author : Chogyam Trungpa
Publisher : Shambhala Publications
Page : 273 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2019-06-04
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781611806922

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Shambhala by Chogyam Trungpa Pdf

The classic guide to enlightened living that first presented the Buddhist path of the warrior to Western readers—with a new foreword and cover presentation. This timeless classic presents a vision of basic human wisdom that synchronizes the mind and body—what Chögyam Trungpa called the sacred path of the warrior. This discipline embodies characteristics that many cultures, regions, and spiritual traditions throughout time have found valuable. The sacred warrior conquers the world not through violence or aggression but through gentleness, courage, and self-knowledge, discovering the basic goodness of human life and radiating that goodness out into the world for the peace and sanity of others. That’s what the Shambhala teachings are all about, and this is the book that has been presenting them to a wide and appreciative audience for more than thirty years. This book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series. The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.

Author : Bodhi
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 512 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2005-07-28
Category : Literary Collections
ISBN : 9780861714919

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In the Buddha's Words by Bodhi Pdf

"This landmark collection is the definitive introduction to the Buddha's teachings in his own words. The American scholar monk Bhikkhu Bodhi, whose voluminous translations have won widespread acclaim, here presents selected discourses of the Buddha from the Pali Canon, the earliest record of what the Buddha taught. Divided into ten thematic chapters, In the Buddha's Words reveals the full scope of the Buddha's discourses, from family life and marriage to renunciation and the path of insight. A concise informative introduction precedes each chapter, guiding the reader toward a deeper understanding of the texts that follow." "In the Buddha's Words allows even readers unacquainted with Buddhism to grasp the significance of the Buddha's contributions to our world heritage. Taken as a whole, these texts bear eloquent testimony to the breadth and intelligence of the Buddha's teachings, and point the way to an ancient yet ever vital path. Students and seekers alike will find this systematic presentation indispensable."--BOOK JACKET.

Author : Bhikkhu Bodhi
Publisher : Buddhist Publication Society
Page : 151 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2010-12-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789552401169

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The Noble Eightfold Path by Bhikkhu Bodhi Pdf

The Buddha's teachings center around two basic principles. One is the Four Noble Truths, in which the Buddha diagnoses the problem of suffering and indicates the treatment necessary to remedy this problem. The other is the Noble Eightfold Path, the practical discipline he prescribes to uproot and eliminate the deep underlying causes of suffering. The present book offers, in simple and clear language, a concise yet thorough explanation of the Eightfold Path. Basing himself solidly upon the Buddha's own words, the author examines each factor of the path to determine exactly what it implies in the way of practical training. Finally, in the concluding chapter, he shows how all eight factors of the path function in unison to bring about the realization of the Buddhist goal: enlightenment and liberation.

Author : Evan Thompson
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 239 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2020-01-28
Category : Buddhism
ISBN : 9780300226553

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Why I Am Not a Buddhist by Evan Thompson Pdf

"A provocative essay challenging the idea of Buddhist exceptionalism, from one of the world's most widely respected philosophers and writers on Buddhism and science. Buddhism has become a uniquely favored religion in our modern age. A burgeoning number of books extol the scientifically proven benefits of meditation and mindfulness for everything ranging from business to romance. There are conferences, courses, and celebrities promoting the notion that Buddhism is spirituality for the rational; compatible with cutting-edge science; indeed, "a science of the mind." In this provocative book, Evan Thompson argues that this representation of Buddhism is false. In lucid and entertaining prose, Thompson dives deep into both Western and Buddhist philosophy to explain how the goals of science and religion are fundamentally different. Efforts to seek their unification are wrongheaded and promote mistaken ideas of both. He suggests cosmopolitanism instead, a worldview with deep roots in both Eastern and Western traditions. Smart, sympathetic, and intellectually ambitious, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhism's place in our world today."--Provided by publisher.

Author : Thich Nhat Hanh
Publisher : Harmony
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2015-07-22
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781101905739

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The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh Pdf

With poetry and clarity, Thich Nhat Hanh imparts comforting wisdom about the nature of suffering and its role in creating compassion, love, and joy – all qualities of enlightenment. “Thich Nhat Hanh shows us the connection between personal, inner peace, and peace on earth.”—His Holiness the Dalai Lama In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, now revised with added material and new insights, Nhat Hanh introduces us to the core teachings of Buddhism and shows us that the Buddha’s teachings are accessible and applicable to our daily lives. Covering such significant teachings as the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Doors of Liberation, the Three Dharma Seals, and the Seven Factors of Awakening, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching is a radiant beacon on Buddhist thought for the initiated and uninitiated alike.