Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism

Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism
Rennyo is undeniably one of the most influential persons in the history of Japanese religion and yet his thought remains somewhat enigmatic from the standpoint of what is considered orthodox Shinshu doctrine today. This book, which collects ten unpublished essays by both Japanese and non-Japanese scholars, will be the first to confront many of the major questions surrounding the phenomenal growth of Honganji under Rennyo's leadership, such as the source of his charisma, the soteriological implications of his thought against the background of other movements in Pure Land Buddhism, and the relationship between his ideas and the growth of his church. The volume is intended as an important first step in expanding the field of Rennyo studies outside Japan, and to provide significant stimulus to the fields of Japanese religion, Japanese social history, comparative religion, and sociology of religion.

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Be As You Are

Be As You Are: The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi,
Ramana Maharshi was one of the most significant spiritual teachers to emerge from India during the first half of the century, and remains widely admired. This recent collection of conversations between him and the many seekers who came to his ashram for guidance contains the essence of his teaching. His concern throughout his long life of imparting his experience to others was to convince his listeners that self-realisation - or enlightenment - is not an alien or mysterious state, but the natural condition of man. This state can be easily discovered by undertaking the self-investigation clearly described in these talks. The lucid instructions to each section provide further illumination of this greater seer's message.

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Nirvana and other buddhist felicities

Nirvana and other buddhist felicities
This book presents a new answer to the question: what is nirvana? Part 1 distinguishes between systematic and narrative thought in the Pali texts ofTheravada Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia, arguing that nirvana roduces closure in both, and setting nirvana in the wider category of Buddhist felicities. Part 2 explores other Buddhist Utopias (both eutopias, "good places," and ou-topias, "no-places"), and relates Buddhist utopianism to studies of European and American Utopian writing. The book ends with a close reading of the VessantaraJdtaka, which highlights the conflict between the ascetic quest for closure and ultimate felicity, and the ongoing demands of ordinary life and society. Steven Collins discusses these issues in relation to textuality, world history, and ideology in premodern civilizations, aiming to contribute to a new vision of Buddhist history, which can hold both the inside and the outside of texts together.

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Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
A respected Zen master in Japan and founder of the San Francisco Zen Center, Shunryu Suzuki has blazed a path in American Buddhism like few others. He is the master who climbs down from the pages of the koan books and answers your questions face to face. If not face to face, you can at least find the answers as recorded in Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, a transcription of juicy excerpts from his lectures. From diverse topics such as transience of the world, sudden enlightenment, and the nuts and bolts of meditation, Suzuki always returns to the idea of beginner's mind, a recognition that our original nature is our true nature. With beginner's mind, we dedicate ourselves to sincere practice, without the thought of gaining anything special. Day to day life becomes our Zen training, and we discover that "to study Buddhism is to study ourselves." And to know our true selves is to be enlightened.

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A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra

A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra - Vessantara
A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra is a fascinating insight into a subject that has captivated the imagination of many but remains mysterious and exotic to all but a few.

Tantric deities? Who are they and what do they do?

This volume focuses on the deities whose mantra recitation and colorful visualizations lie at the heart of the Tantra. We meet goddesses of wisdom, the prince of purity, the lotus-born guru Padmasambhava, and dakinis- wild-haired women who dance in the flames of freedom. All, the peaceful and the wrathful alike, urge the reader to break through to wisdom, pointing out the true nature of reality with uncompromising vigor.

Devoid of pop culture misperceptions, this guide is a window into the sometimes mysterious world of Buddhist Tantra. Vessantara explores the key characteristics of the Tantra in this magical fusion of the practical and the imaginative-giving us a direct insight in into the poetry and the power of the Tantra.

A much-published and well-respected Buddhist author, meditator, and teacher, Vessantara is a senior member of the Western Buddhist Order. He holds a particular love for Tibetan Buddhism and is well-known as an effective storyteller. This is one of three volumes looking at Buddha figures in the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

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Nirvana for Sale?: Buddhism, Wealth, and the Dhammakaya Temple in Contemporary Thailand

Nirvana for Sale?: Buddhism, Wealth, and the Dhammakaya Temple in Contemporary Thailand
What is the proper relationship between religion and prosperity? Rachelle M. Scott looks at this issue in a Thai Buddhist context, asking when the relationship between Buddhist piety and wealth is viewed in favorable terms and when it is viewed in terms of conflict and tension. Scott focuses on the Dhammakaµya Temple, an organization that has placed traditional Theravaµda practices, such as meditation and merit-making, within a modernist framework that encourages personal and social prosperity. The Temple's construction of a massive religious monument in the late 1990s embodied this message, but also sparked criticism of the Temple's wealth and fund-raising techniques and engendered debates over authentic Buddhism and religious authority. Scott situates this controversy within the context of postmodern Thailand and the Asian economic crisis when reevaluations of wealth, global capitalism, and "Asian values" occupied a preeminent place in Thai public discourse.

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No Death, No Fear

No Death, No Fear - Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh always invites us to look deeply, and he does so once again in No Death, No Fear. Recognizing interconnections, Nhat Hanh brings us to beginnings, how they depend on endings, and how they are but temporary manifestations. Everything endures, he says, but in different forms. And this isn't just a palliative to make us feel better for a while--Nhat Hanh's philosophy of Interbeing takes the long view, challenging us to open our eyes to subtle transformations. He shows how extraordinary things happen when we are fully present with others and at peace with ourselves, both of which require openness and deep looking. In his bestselling style of easy prose, compelling anecdotes, and pragmatic advice, Nhat Hanh gradually drains the force out of grief and fear, transforming them into happiness and insightful living. Death doesn't have to be a roadblock, and in No Death, No Fear Thich Nhat Hanh shows us the way around.

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