AWAKENED LIFE: Uncommon Wisdom from Everyday Experience by Christopher Titmuss
"In showing how the Buddha's teaching can be applied here and now in every aspect of existence, An Awakened Life brings Buddhism down to earth and into the very heart of our human being."
-- Stephen Batchelor, author of Buddhism Without Beliefs.
BUDDHISM WITHOUT BELIEFS: Contemporary Guide to Awakening by Stephen Batchelor
-In this simple but important volume, Stephen Batchelor reminds us that the Buddha was not a mystic who claimed privileged, esoteric knowledge of the universe, but a man who challenged us to understand the nature of anguish, let go of its origins, and bring into being a way of life that is available to us all. What the Buddha taught, says Batchelor, is not something to believe in but something to do-and as he explains clearly and compellingly, it is a practice that we can engage in, regardless of our background or beliefs, as we live everyday on the path to awakening.
THE PLACES THAT SCARE YOU: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
Fearlessness is what we need to take us beyond the obstacles of self-deception into a state of open-heartedness. Pema Chodron shows how to accept ourselves and others even with faults and imperfections; stay in the present moment by seeing through ego strategies to resist life as it is; move toward what makes us feel insecure and fearful as a way to awaken the sense of our basic goodness and connect with others; cultivate the four immeasurables; train in the five strengths and six warrior activities that increase confidence and inspiration.
THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES: Cultivating a Boundless Heart by B. Alan Wallace
This book is a rich suite of practices that open the heart, counter the distortions in our relationships to ourselves, and deepen our relationships to others. Alan Wallace presents a unique interweaving of teachings on the Four Immeasurables (the cultivation of loving-kindness, compassion, equanimity, and empathetic joy) with instruction on quiescence or shamatha meditation practices to empower the mind and render it "fit for service." The book includes both guided meditations and lively discussions on the implications of these teachings for our own lives.
BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY: Losang Gonchok's Short Commentary to Jamyang Shayba's Root Text on Tenets by Daniel Cozort and Craig Preston
What are the most important points of difference between the major schools of Buddhist philosophy? This rich, medium-length survey offers a lively answer. The introduction, aimed at those new to Buddhist thought, sets up a dialogue between the schools on the most controversial topics in Buddhist philosophy.
Jamyang Shayba was the greatest Tibetan writer on philosophical tenets. Losang Gonchok's Clear Crystal Mirror, a concise commentary on Jamyang Shayba's root text, represents a distillation of many centuries of Indian and Tibetan scholarship. Buddhist Philosophy skims the cream of Jamyang Shayba's intellect, providing a rare opportunity to sharpen our intellect and expand our view of Buddhist thought.
BUDDHIST PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT: Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy and Practice by Lama Doboom Tulku
As one who is not a specialist in Bhuddhist philosophy or Tibetan studies, but a a political scientist seeking to understand human capacity to realize a nonkilling global society, I deeply appreciate Lama Doboom Tulku's skillful guidance into the matter ranging from simple to extremely complex... The overall theme of the book is clear: " To be of benifit to the world, we have to first put ourselves in order." Bhuddhism and other religions offer ways to do so. There is no claim to exclusivity... Our differences add to the rich tapestry of human through rather than create clashes in patterns of it."
Each of Buddhism's numerous traditional schools has its own set of Scriptures. In making the selections for this volume, Dr Conze concentrated on texts which reflect the essence of Buddhist teachings, on that which is common rather than that which seperates. There is very little in this collection that any Buddhist- of any school- would be prepared to reject. Recorded between AD 100 and 400, the writings here include passages from the Dharmapada, the Buddhacarita, the Questions of King Milinda and the Tibetan Book of the Dead, all translated to preserve as much of the flavour of the original as possible.
Distill the great spiritual teachings from around the world down to their most basic principles, and one thread emerges to unite them all: kindness. In The Force of Kindness, Sharon Salzberg, one of the nation's most respected Buddhist authors and meditation teachers, offers practical instruction on how we can cultivate this essential trait within ourselves.
IT'S UP TO YOU: The Practice of Self-Reflection on the Buddhist Path by Dzigar Kongtrul, fore. by Pema Chodron and Matthieu Ricard
On the spiritual path we speak of enlightenment. But how do we reconcile the idea of enlightenment with what we see when we look in the mirror-when insecurities, doubts, and self-centered tendencies arise in our minds? Dzigar Kongtrul suggests that we need not feel "doomed" when these experiences surface. In fact, such experiences are not a problem if we are able to simply let them arise without judging them or investing them with so much meaning. This approach to experience is what Kongtrul calls self-reflection.
"Indisputable Truth" is the latest teaching book by the meditation master Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. It contains fresh clarifications on the trademark of all Buddhas, the four basic principles that mark the teachings of all enlightened beings- impermanence, suffering, egolessness, and peace- and unveils the genuine view, reality as it is.