Ten Zen Seconds

Ten Zen Seconds: Twelve Incantations for Purpose, Power and Calm
A powerful, ten-second technique can change stress into calm, strength and a centered approach. The basis of The Ten Second Pause is using a single deep breath as a container for a specific thought.

This technique is simple to grasp, simple to use, simple to practice and simple to master. This technique can be used anywhere, anytime, by anyone and it's profound in its benefits. You'll find yourself able to do things that previously felt too painful or too difficult to attempt. You'll be able to calm and center yourself before an important meeting or conversation. You'll be able to change your basic attitudes about life, becoming calm and positive where before you may have been anxious or pessimistic.

Blending Eastern principles of breath awareness and mindfulness with Western principles of positive psychology, together they offer a powerful antidote to stress, procrastination and anxiousness.

SharingMatrix

Uploading

Hurry Up and Meditate

Hurry Up and Meditate: Your Starter Kit for Inner Peace and Better Health
In this entertaining and thought-provoking book, David Michie explains the nuts and bolts of meditation. As a busy professional as well as a long-term meditator, he gives a first-hand account of how to integrate this transformational practice into every day life. Combining leading edge science with timeless wisdom, Hurry Up and Meditate provides all the motivation and tools you need to achieve greater balance, better health and a more panoramic perspective of life.

The Middle Way Michie skillfully takes meditation out of the hippy, trippy, New Age sentimental or magical realm and brings it down to the basic practical level that it is. His style is very simple and accessible. This book is for vaguely interested skeptics, a most difficult group to satisfy. That he succeeds in doing so makes this indeed a wonderful, highly commendable book.

SharingMatrix

Megaupload

Going On Being: Buddhism and the Way of Change

Going On Being: Buddhism and the Way of Change
Can you remember the childhood feeling of living happily moment to moment, without intrusive aims or fears? Psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott called it the state of "going on being." Bestselling author Mark Epstein sees a similarity with the Buddhist practice of mindfulness, of just watching the mind and body without holding on or pushing away. Epstein excels at finding the similarities between Buddhist meditation and psychotherapy, and he is in top form in Going On Being. Offering an autobiographical account of his own gradual discovery of this nexus, Epstein tells of his encounters with such luminaries as Ram Dass, Joseph Goldstein, and Jack Kornfield, ruminating on them and then showing how his insights shed light on his work as a psychoanalyst. Ultimately, he finds that psychoanalysis can function as a kind of interpersonal meditation, helping the patient see aspects of the self that are hidden behind habitual ways of reacting to the world. Going On Being shows that, if done well, psychotherapy can offer some of the same benefits as Buddhist meditation.

Depositfiles

Filesonic

Fileserve

Radical Acceptance: Guided Meditations

Radical Acceptance: Guided Meditations
This CD set of guided meditations accompanies Tara Brach's book, Radical Acceptance (Bantam, 2003.) The meditations, drawn from the Buddhist tradition, guide practitioners in healing difficult emotions, working with pain, arriving in full presence, opening our hearts and realizing our true nature.
About the Author
Tara Brach, Ph. D., is the author of Radical Acceptance- Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha (Bantam, 2003.) She is founder and senior teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, and teaches Buddhist meditation at centers in the United States and Canada. A clinical psychologist, she has taught extensively on the application of Buddhist teachings to emotional healing.

Torrent

Depositfiles

Filesonic

The Sun Behind the Clouds

The Sun Behind the Clouds (2010)
THE SUN BEHIND THE CLOUDS updates the struggle for Tibetan independence, focusing upon the March 2008 demonstration against Chinese rule, the largest ever since the 1959 take-over of that nation. The Dalai Lama, living in exile in Northern India, is... THE SUN BEHIND THE CLOUDS updates the struggle for Tibetan independence, focusing upon the March 2008 demonstration against Chinese rule, the largest ever since the 1959 take-over of that nation. The Dalai Lama, living in exile in Northern India, is interviewed extensively and given the opportunity to explicate his "middle way," a compromise position he has to date been unsuccessful in getting the Chinese to accept. Supporters of Tibetan independence who are devoted to the Dalai Lama, but who nonetheless feel "the middle way" is an ineffective solution, appear in the film, detailing their more militant position.

Directed by veteran Tibetan filmmakers Tenzing Sonam and Ritu Sarin (Dreaming Lhasa, The Reincarnation of Khensur Rinpoche), The Sun Behind The Clouds compellingly updates the struggle for Tibetan independence by focusing on the March 2008 demonstrations against Chinese rule (the largest ever since the 1959 take-over of that nation), and the split among Tibetans themselves regarding the most effective approach to Chinese intransigence. This is the first film to show the Dalai Lama addressing the political complexity of the Tibet issue, both in his homeland and within the exile community. The Dalai Lama, living in northern India, is interviewed extensively during this turbulent 50th anniversary of exile year and given the opportunity to explicate his “Middle Way Approach,” a compromise position essentially giving up the goal of Tibet’s independence in exchange for cultural and social autonomy. A younger generation of Tibetans who are devoted to the Dalai Lama, but who nonetheless feel his solution is ineffective, appear in the film, detailing their more militant position.

Torrent

Vajra Sky Over Tibet

Vajra Sky Over Tibet (2006)
VAJRA SKY OVER TIBET is a cinematic pilgrimage bearing witness to the indomitable faith of Tibet’s endangered Buddhist community and the imminent threat to its very survival. With unprecedented access to many legendary venues, this is one of the rare documentaries to be filmed entirely inside of Tibet. The film has received the blessing and endorsement of The Dalai Lama.
Against a backdrop of breathtaking Himalayan terrain, the film journeys to some of the most revered temples, monasteries and festivals still surviving in Tibet today. Without permission of the Chinese authorities, traveling inconspicuously with a guide and driver, shooting in existing light, director/ cinematographer John Bush is also visiting the source of his own spiritual practice. As a western Buddhist many doors open to him and his camera as Tibetans want the world to know that their exquisite traditions are still alive but under serious threat.
The vastness of the Tibetan sky, reflecting snowy mountains, rushing rivers, and turquoise lakes leads the journey west. Visiting these esteemed pilgrimage sites, one sees the universal truth and beauty expressed through the extraordinary art, architecture and customs of classical Tibet. Responding to the denial of the basic human right to practice one’s religion without interference, Tibetan pilgrims visit these legendary sites with a defiant ardor and overt displays of devotion.

Youtube

Glimpses of Abhidharma

Glimpses of Abhidharma - Chogyam Trungpa
A provocative interpretation of the development of the ego and human psychology. The Abhidharma is a collection of Buddhist sciptures that investigate the workings of the mind and the states of human consciousness. From the Buddhist perspective, the creation of ego is a neurotic process based on fundamental ignorance of our true situation. Trungpa shows how an examination of the formation of ego leads to a realization of confusion and also provides an opportunity to develop real intelligence. The practice of meditation is represented as the means that enables us to see our psychological situation clearly and directly.

"The abhidharma deals with the five skandhas. The skandhas represent the constant structure of human psychology as well as its pattern of evolution and the pattern of evolution of the world. The skandhas are also related to blockages of different types - spiritual ones, material ones, emotional ones. An understanding of the five skandhas shows that once we are tuned into the basic core of egohood, then anything - any experience, any inspiration - can be made into a further blockage or can become a way of freeing ourselves. Abhidharma is a very precise way of looking at mind.

Mediafire

April Fools

This past Friday was April Fools Day and Buddhism and Buddhist teachers are no strangers to this day. This was one of the better jokes played this year.Have a good weekend all.

Cultivating a Compassionate Heart

Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga Method of Chenrezig
Perhaps the most widely known and loved deity throughout the Buddhist world, Chenrezig—also known as Avalokiteshvara, Kuan Yin, or Kannon—is the Buddha of Compassion. Buddhists turn to Chenrezig for protection, friendship, and inspiration on a daily basis. The meditation practice in this book—composed by a teacher with an extensive Western following—is presented as a useful manual for ease of practice. An enlightening—and often humorous—commentary by well-known author Thubten Chodron offers instructions and tips on making the practice even more relevant to daily life.
"With her usual clarity and humor Venerable Thubten Chodron delivers a first rate exposition of the theory and practice of Action Tantra basing herself on the sadhana of the 1000 armed Chenrezig. Her clear and helpful explanation are certainly of great benefit for all of us on the Vajrayana path."—Ven. Tenzin Palmo, author of Reflections on a Mountain Lake
"Ven. Thubten Chodron is someone whose life embodies the virtues of kindness, simplicity and a clarity of vision, which lie at the heart of the Buddha's teaching. It is these perennial qualities that shine through her writings and touch the hearts of readers all over the world.

Depositfiles

Filesonic

The Empty Boat: Encounters with Nothingness

The Empty Boat: Encounters with Nothingness
In this highly accessible introduction to Zen and its spiritual origins, Osho talks on the stories of Chinese mystic Chuang Tzu, revitalizing the 300-year-old Taoist message of self-realization. He speaks about the state of egolessness, or "the empty boat," spontaneity, dreams and wholeness, living life choicelessly, and meeting death with the same equanimity. This a beautiful new edition overflows with the wisdom of one who has realized the state of egolessness himself.

Filesonic

The Taoist Canon

The Taoist Canon. A Historical Companion to the Daozang: 3 Volumes
Taoism remains the only major religion whose canonical texts have not been systematically arranged and made available for study. This long-awaited work, a milestone in Chinese studies, catalogs and describes all existing texts within the Taoist canon. The result will not only make the entire range of existing Taoist texts accessible to scholars of religion, it will open up a crucial resource in the study of the history of China.

The vast literature of the Taoist canon, or Daozang, survives in a Ming Dynasty edition of some fifteen hundred different texts. Compiled under imperial auspices and completed in 1445—with a supplement added in 1607—many of the books in the Daozang concern the history, organization, and liturgy of China's indigenous religion. A large number of works deal with medicine, alchemy, and divination.

If scholars have long neglected this unique storehouse of China's religious traditions, it is largely because it was so difficult to find one's way within it. Not only was the rationale of its medieval classification system inoperable for the many new texts that later entered the Daozang, but the system itself was no longer understood by the Ming editors; hence the haphazard arrangement of the canon as it has come down to us.

This new work sets out the contents of the Daozang chronologically, allowing the reader to follow the long evolution of Taoist literature. Lavishly illustrated, the first volume ranges from antiquity through the Middle Ages, while the second spans the modern period. Within this frame, texts are grouped by theme and subject. Each one is the subject of a historical abstract that identifies the text's contents, date of origin, and author. Throughout the first two volumes, introductions outline the evolution of Taoism and its spiritual heritage. A third volume offering biographical sketches of frequently mentioned Taoists, multiple indexes, and an extensive bibliography provides critical tools for navigating this guide to one of the fundamental aspects of Chinese culture.

http://www.fileserve.com/file/m2WazBy/Taoist_Canon_V1.pdf


http://www.fileserve.com/file/jv3Az2u/Taoist_Canon_V2.pdf

http://www.fileserve.com/file/bXSwPKe/Taoist_Canon_V3.pdf

Masters Of Heaven And Earth - The Secrets Of Tai Chi Chuan

Masters Of Heaven And Earth - The Secrets Of Tai Chi Chuan 
Masters of the Chinese art of Tai Chi discuss the history and philosophy of the meditative practice in this in-depth documentary on the practice. A long-held secret by devout Taoist priests, Tai Chi became known to the West only in the late 20th century, with much of its philosophy and practice left unexplored until now.

While the medieval world pummeled each other with fists and iron, the Middle Kingdom discovered a new way to fight. Not with strength - but softness. Not with speed - but stillness. Explore the most mysterious martial art of all ... Tai chi chuan. The Supreme Ultimate. The Heaven and Earth. In this in-depth documentary of Taiji (Tai chi), we take you deep into central China to the birthplace of Tai chi - Chen Village. To meet the family who for five hundred years have been it's gatekeeper. Travel with us to Wudang Mountain, the spiritual home of the internal arts and of Tai chi. Meet Wudang's top master of Tai chi - and explore how Tai chi and Taoism are one and the same. Step inside some of China's top Tai chi schools of Yang style, Chen style and Wudangquan. With in-depth interviews with China's top Tai chi masters - this film is packed with information that you may not have seen anywhere before - in books or film. Throughout this film, you will witness the finest Tai chi forms ever filmed in High Definition - from Chen Xiaowang next to the Yellow river, to his brother at the Chen Temple. Master Cui Zhongsan of Yang style in the early morning park at the Forbidden City. Watch beautiful Tai chi on the peaks of Wudang Mountain as the sun sets ... with a superb soundtrack of modern Chinese fusion music. This is not the Tai chi you are used to seeing! This is not like any martial arts movie or any Tai chi movie you have seen before!

Filesonic

Peaceful Mind: Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Psychology to Overcome Depression

Peaceful Mind: Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Psychology to Overcome Depression
A concept grounded in the practice of certain forms of Buddhism, mindfulness is the conscious, uninvolved awareness of the present moment. Western psychologists have recently learned that this state of mind is particularly conducive to the accomplishment of cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT: an active mode of psychological treatment that attempts to recognize and counter negative thoughts and behaviors before they lead to debilitating symptoms like depression. As statistics confirm again and again that depression is the single most common psychological problem affecting Americans, the refinement of psychotherapy through the integration of spirituality-based techniques has generated considerable interest among psychology professionals. This approachable and easy-to-use book makes these powerful techniques available to the general public.

The book is built around a compelling series of specific, step-by-step interventions that provide readers with an understanding of the thoughts that lead to depression. They learn how to find the motivation to confront depressive feelings. By "sitting" with painful emotions and allowing them to pass, readers find that they can reduce the frequency of depressive episodes. Using meditation practices for observation and awareness, they develop the ability to recognize cognitive, physiological, and environmental triggers that can lead to aggravated periods of the disorder. When readers change how they approach their day-to-day lives—their daily activities, the choices they make, and the way they cope with life’s ups and downs—they strengthen the skills they need to move beyond depression and develop lasting peace of mind.

Filesonic

The Essence of Other-Emptiness

The Essence of Other-Emptiness - Jeffrey Hopkins
Jeffrey Hopkins continues his groundbreaking exploration of the Jo-nang-ba sect of Tibetan Buddhism with this revelatory translation of one of the seminal texts from that tradition. Whereas Dol-bo-ba's massive Mountain Doctrine authenticates the doctrine of other-emptiness through extensive scriptural citations and elaborate philosophical arguments, Taranatha's more concise work translated here situates the doctrine of other-emptiness within the context of schools of tenets, primarily the famed four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, through comparing the various schools' opinions on the status of the noumenon and phenomena. Also included is a supplementary text by Taranatha which presents the opinions of a prominent fifteenth-century Sakya scholar, Shakya Chok-den, and contrasts them with those of the leading Jo-nang-ba scholar, Dol-bo-ba.
"Anyone eager to understand the currents and interpretation that flowed through Tibetan Buddhist literary culture and contemplative practice will be delighted by this excursion into the works of one of the more colorful and daring among Tibet's intellectual yogins.

Depositfiles

Filesonic

Establishing Appearances as Divine

Establishing Appearances as Divine: Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo on Reasoning, Madhyamaka, and Purity
Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo's concise treatise Establishing Appearances as Divine sets out to prove the provocative point that everything that appears is actually the deity manifest. Transformation of both one's identity and the environment is an important principle of Tantric Buddhist philosophy. In Tantric scriptures one is instructed to visualize oneself as a deity, a divine identity who resides in a perfect sphere. By repeatedly training in this visualization one perfects the transformation and ultimately becomes the deity itself. Do the Tantric teachings hold sentient beings to be intrinsically pure and divine, or do they consider them initially flawed, to be later purified through the visualization of divinity? Is the practice of deity yoga merely a means, or is it more fundamentally connected to the nature of things? These questions were among the main concerns of Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo, the illustrious philosopher of the Nyingma School of the Early Translations. Establishing Appearances as Divine sets out to prove the provocative point that the tradition still highly regards the point of view that everything which appears is actually the deity manifest.
Many books on Tibetan Buddhism address the important themes of mind training, compassion, and proper conduct. This book goes beyond that in its aim to bring the reader face to face with his or her divine and pure nature. Its method is unusual: the author uses reasoned philosophical arguments to argue for esoteric Tantric Buddhist ideas and practices. The result itself is an unusual book held in high esteem for nearly a thousand years.

Depositfiles

Filesonic

The Bodhidharma Anthology

The Bodhidharma Anthology – Earliest Records of Zen Buddhism
There exists only two book-length English language translations of Bodhidharma’s teachings: The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma translated by Red Pine and Broughton’s The Bodhidharma Anthology.Both volumes are valuable for understanding Zen (C’han) as taught by Bodhidarma, the first Zen Patriarch in China. The reader who wants a comprehensive, detailed examination of the teaching will be satisfied with Broughton’s translation. Although the monks of Shaolin Monastery claimed, centuries after his death, that Bodhidharma was the founder of the martial art Kung-fu, there is no such evidence to be found in the early records. Rather, the records indicate that the Shaolin Abbot banished him from the monastery for his critical evaluation of the monks and he lived in a cave about a mile away where he practiced a type of meditation metaphorically referred to as “wall gazing.” While some of the resident monks may have approached him to learn this meditation, one may wonder if the monastery misappropriated or co-opted his name in order to elevate the status of their previously established martial arts tradition. This may have also served as a rationale for circumventing the Buddhist prohibition against violence.

Depositfiles

Yoga Unveiled

Yoga Unveiled
Harnessing the colorful commentary of the most prominent yoga scholars, teachers, and medical experts, Yoga Unveiled reveals how yoga began, tells the story of yoga's passage to the West, describes its numerous branches, recounts the fascinating biographies of the foremost yoga masters, and explores yoga's astonishing medical potential. Stunning cinematography, ornate visual displays, and stirring music create a truly enchanting viewing experience. The great devotees of yoga grace the screen with their profound wisdom and delightful manner. Yoga Unveiled also features commentary by Krishna Das, Dr. Herbert Benson, Edwin Bryant, Subhash Kak, Vasant Lad, Dr. Timothy McCall, Larry Payne, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Father Joe Pereira, Swami Sivananda, Dr. Martina Ziska, and Dharma Mittra.

Filesonic

Trailer

Luminous Heart

Luminous Heart: The Third Karmapa on Consciousness, Wisdom, and Buddha Nature
The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339), propounded a unique synthesis of Yogachara, Madhyamaka, and the classical teachings on buddha nature. His work occupies an important position between its Indian predecessers and the later, often highly charged, debates in Tibet about rangtong (self-emptiness) and shentong (other-emptiness). The Third Karmapa is widely renowned as one of the major proponents of the Tibetan shentong tradition. This book contains a collection of some of his main writings on buddha nature; the transition of ordinary deluded consciousness to enlightened wisdom; and the characteristics of buddhahood. Though relying strictly on classical Indian sources, the Karmapa's texts are not mere scholarly documents. Their topics and styles bear great significance for practicing the sutrayana and the vajrayana as understood in the Kagyu tradition to the present day, making what is described in these texts a living experience.

Uploading

Depositfiles

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom
The brain physiology associated with spiritual states has been fertile ground for researchers and writers alike. Neuropsychologist and meditation teacher Hanson suggests that an understanding of the brain in conjunction with 2,500-year-old Buddhist teachings can help readers achieve more happiness. He explains how the brain evolved to keep humans safe from external threats; the resulting built-in negativity bias creates suffering in modern individuals. Citing psychologist Donald Hebb's conclusion that when neurons fire together, they wire together, Hanson argues that the brain's functioning can be affected by simple practices and meditation to foster well-being. Classic Buddhist concepts such as the three trainings—mindfulness, virtuous action and wisdom—frame Hanson's approach. Written with neurologist Mendius, the book includes descriptions and diagrams of brain functioning. Clear instructions guide the reader toward more positive thoughts and feelings. While the author doesn't always succeed at clarifying complex physiology, this gently encouraging practical guide to your brain offers helpful information supported by research as well as steps to change instinctive patterns through the Buddhist path.

Filesonic

Opening a Mountain: Koans of the Zen Masters

Opening a Mountain: Koans of the Zen Masters - Steven Heine
Koans are paradoxical statements intended to derail mental business-as-usual for the Zen Buddhist student on the journey to enlightenment. A book about koans at first glance seems itself paradoxical, since it requires the cognitive discrimination that koans seek to upend. Yet the tradition of koans comprises centuries of commentary by students and masters, which records the mental wrestling that koan use embodies. With this study, Heine, a professor of religious studies and history at Florida International University, augments his own contribution to Zen studies, which already consists of a dozen books. Heine organizes koans from a variety of sources to illustrate the Chinese and Japanese historical contexts from which the koan "canon" emerged. He argues that koans play upon, and with, elements of the supernatural that prevailed in the popular religious traditions that Zen encountered and transformed. His 60 selected koans, for which he provides his own prose translations, support his thesis and distinguish yet another interpretive strand in the bundle of non-dualistic possibilities entangled in the koan. This is not a book for the nightstand Buddhist; readers educated in Buddhist thought, however, can better appreciate the whimsical and formidable discipline that koans represent and cultivate. This book is a respectful and respectable contribution to the growing body of contemporary Buddhist studies at a time when Buddhism is establishing a vital presence in the American religious landscape.

Mediafire

New Buddha in Town

Greetings all. Buddha Torrents has returned with a new Admin. There will be many new postings that will include some Youtube content, Music, Reviews and open discussions on various Buddhist Topics. Hopefully there will be some non english titles as well.
I can be reached at buddhisttorrents (at) gmail.com for questions or copyright complaints. Once again this blog only compiles links for material that is uploaded by others across various media sharing sites. If you feel your material has been inappropriately listed here we will happily remove the link, but have no control on the original uploaded material.
This blog only exists to help those you have neither the financial means or access to Buddhist material. It is not for personal profit.

May all beings be happy.

Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief

Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Guided Practices for Reclaiming Your Body and Your Life - Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness can transform pain. Over the past three decades, Jon Kabat-Zinn has clinically proven it. Now, with Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief, the man who brought mindfulness into mainstream medicine presents for the first time on audio his original practices for using conscious awareness to free us from physical and emotional suff ering. This long-awaited two-CD program begins with an overview of how mindfulness changes the way our bodies process pain and stress. Listeners will learn tips and techniques for working with the mind and embracing whatever arises in our lives, however challenging. Then Jon Kabat-Zinn leads us in guided meditations drawn from his pioneering Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) methodology to help us work with and find relief from chronic pain, everyday stress, and emotional challenges, as well as to read and act appropriately in the face of acute pain. "Mindfulness can reveal what is deepest and best in ourselves and bring it to life in very practical and imaginative ways--just when we need it the most," explains Jon Kabat-Zinn. Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief gives us a ready tool for overcoming even the most extraordinary difficulties.
 
Depositfiles

Filesonic

Mindfulness in Plain English

Mindfulness in Plain English - Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
If you'd like to read about meditation and then go back to your regular life, don't get this book. Henepola Gunaratana, a monk from Sri Lanka and venerated teacher of Buddhism, warns us that vipassana meditation is "meant to revolutionize the whole of your life experience." In one of the best nuts-and-bolts meditation manuals, he lays out the fundamentals of basic Buddhist meditation, the how, what, where, when, and why, including common problems and how to deal with them. His 52 years as a Buddhist monk make Mindfulness in Plain English an authority on a living tradition, and his years of teaching in America and elsewhere give it the clarity and straightforwardness that has made it so popular. If you'd like to learn the practice of meditation, you can't do better.


Filesonic

Confession of a Buddhist Atheist

Confession of a Buddhist Atheist - Stephen Batchelor
Written with the same brilliance and boldness that made Buddhism Without Beliefs a classic in its field, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist is Stephen Batchelor’s account of his journey through Buddhism, which culminates in a groundbreaking new portrait of the historical Buddha. Stephen Batchelor grew up outside London and came of age in the 1960s. Like other seekers of his time, instead of going to college he set off to explore the world. Settling in India, he eventually became a Buddhist monk in Dharamsala, the Tibetan capital-in-exile, and entered the inner circle of monks around the Dalai Lama. He later moved to a monastery in South Korea to pursue intensive training in Zen Buddhism. Yet the more Batchelor read about the Buddha, the more he came to believe that the way Buddhism was being taught and practiced was at odds with the actual teachings of the Buddha himself. Charting his journey from hippie to monk to lay practitioner, teacher, and interpreter of Buddhist thought, Batchelor reconstructs the historical Buddha’s life, locating him within the social and political context of his world. In examining the ancient texts of the Pali Canon, the earliest record of the Buddha’s life and teachings, Batchelor argues that the Buddha was a man who looked at human life in a radically new way for his time, more interested in the question of how human beings should live in this world than in notions of karma and the afterlife. According to Batchelor, the outlook of the Buddha was far removed from the piety and religiosity that has come to define much of Buddhism as we know it today. Both controversial and deeply personal, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist is a fascinating exploration of a religion that continues to engage the West. Batchelor’s insightful, deeply knowledgeable, and persuasive account will be an essential book for anyone interested in Buddhism.


DepositFiles

FileSonic

TurboBit

Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom

Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom - Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Eric Swanson

Yongey Mingyur is one of the most celebrated among the new generation of Tibetan meditation masters, whose teachings have touched people of all faiths around the world. His first book, The Joy of Living, was a New York Times bestseller hailed as “compelling, readable, and informed” (Buddhadharma) and praised by Richard Gere, Lou Reed, and Julian Schnabel for its clarity, wit, and unique insight into the relationship between science and Buddhism.

His new book, Joyful Wisdom, addresses the timely and timeless problem of anxiety in our everyday lives. “From the 2,500-year-old perspective of Buddhism,” Yongey Mingyur writes, “every chapter in human history could be described as an ‘age of anxiety.’ The anxiety we feel now has been part of the human condition for centuries.” So what do we do? Escape or succumb? Both routes inevitably lead to more complications and problems in our lives. “Buddhism,” he says, “offers a third option. We can look directly at the disturbing emotions and other problems we experience in our lives as stepping-stones to freedom. Instead of rejecting them or surrendering to them, we can befriend them, working through them to reach an enduring authentic experience of our inherent wisdom, confidence, clarity, and joy.”

Divided into three parts like a traditional Buddhist text, Joyful Wisdom identifies the sources of our unease, describes methods of meditation that enable us to transform our experience into deeper insight, and applies these methods to common emotional, physical, and personal problems. The result is a work at once wise, anecdotal, funny, informed, and graced with the author’s irresistible charm.

Filesonic

Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life

Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life -  Karen Armstrong 
 It takes courage for a religious historian and writer of Armstrong’s stature to step out from behind the scrim of scholarship and analysis to offer guidelines for a spiritual practice designed to make humanity a kinder and saner species. With the boon of the prestigious TED Prize, Armstrong (The Case for God, 2009) worked with “leading thinkers from a variety of major faiths” to compose a Charter for Compassion, which calls for the restoration of “compassion to the heart of religious and moral life” in a “dangerously polarized” world. Not content with merely stating lofty goals, however, Armstrong, a revered genius of elucidation and synthesis, now tells the full and profound story of altruism throughout human history. She turns to neuroscience and tracks the evolution of our brains and our natural capacity for empathy, and performs her signature mode of beautifully clarifying interpretation in a mind-expanding discussion of the history of the Golden Rule (“Always treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself”), the essence of compassion and the kernel of every religious tradition. Exquisite and affecting explications of Buddhist, Confucian, Judaic, Christian, and Islamic commentary prepare the ground for meditation exercises meant to engender “open-mindedness” and the cultivation of compassion, making for the most sagacious and far-reaching 12-step program ever.

Filesonic