Here is a magnificently illustrated collection of the sculpture of Enku, a seventeenth-century monk, now emerging as one of the most important sculptors in the history of Japanese art. Although hundreds of years old, Enku's work has been justly compared to modern Western expressionist art. The composition is abstract and the form simple, unique and free from traditional iconography. Details were abbreviated with an economy of strokes and the style created such a rought and direct quality that Enku's work seems extremely "modern." The author traces Enku's life and the development of his art-- reproducing many of his fine sculptures. There is also a rich sampling of Enku's poetry and the varied folklore that surrounds him.

Praise for the French edition “This is a book that should be read by all those who are interested, whether near or far, in Buddhism, its history and its interpretations. . . . [Faure] proposes considering the ‘Life of the Buddha’ as a kind of treasure that never ceases to be reinvented and experienced, from story to story, from language to language, from culture to culture.” —Roger-Pol Droit, Le Monde Many biographies of the Buddha have been published in the last 150 years, and all claim to describe the authentic life of the historical Buddha. This book, written by one of the leading scholars of Buddhism and Japanese religion, starts from the opposite assumption and argues that we do not yet possess the archival and archaeological materials required to compose such a biography: All we have are narratives, not facts. Yet traditional biographies have neglected the literary, mythological, and ritual elements in the life of the Buddha. Bernard Faure aims to bridge this gap and shed light on a Buddha that is not historical but has constituted a paradigm of practice and been an object of faith for 2,500 years. The Thousand and One Lives of the Buddha opens with a criticism of the prevalent historicism before examining the mythological elements in a life of the Buddha no longer constrained by an artificial biographical framework. Once the search for the “historical Buddha” is abandoned, there is no longer any need to limit the narrative to early Indian stories. The life—or lives—of the Buddha, as an expression of the creative imaginations of Buddhists, developed beyond India over the centuries. Faure accordingly shifts his focus to East Asia and, more particularly, to Japan. Finally, he examines recent developments of the Buddha’s life in not only Asia but also the modern West and neglected literary genres such as science fiction.

Culled from Buddhas own sermons, rare books, and manuscripts describing his life and times, this compendium of poetic monologues and dialogues is probably the only one in English that presents salient features of Buddhism of various shades. Satyapal Anand claims to be of the progeny of Anand, the senior most disciple and confidante of Buddha. Poetry and religion mix wonderfully, and Anands poems touch subjects such as ahimsa (nonviolence), sex, meat eating and self-defense. Some of the conventional view have been challenged and laid bare by Buddhas own words. Anands claim to authenticity is his poetic truth that he considers more reliable than mere books. These poems were first published in Urdu and were hailed as the first ever endeavor to present Buddhas teaching through the modern poetic idiom. To render topics like sex desire in young monks and meat eating if it was given as bhiksha (alms) were indeed controversial, but more so were Buddhas own lapses. Does he still feel lust for the other sex? asks Anand, and he replies in affirmative. Doesnt he have a guilty conscience in abandoning his wife and child? asks Anand, and Buddhas answer is still aye, but he defends it too. Is he going to get nirvana (freedom from the birth cycle) after this life? His answer is in the negative. He visualizes that he would be born as Jesus in his next birth and get nirvana only after he is crucified. So are some of his answers on the existence of God, hell or heaven, and whether or not this earth itself is either of these two. Having taught English and comparative literature in universities in India, England, Canada, and USA, Satyapal Anand now lives a secluded life in a suburb of Washington, DC.

One Hundred Tales For Ten Thousand Buddhas—this is an essential book. There exists no other quite like it. It is a collection of living moments with the living Buddha. It is not some events remembered and then adorned with reactions. These are tales vitally alive. These tales are a great gift for all of us—those who have sat with the living Master and those who haven’t. It is a book for all seekers. It is also a book for those who are not actively seeking, but surely have the same longing-the longing for a taste of that love which has no bondage.

Part One: The Portuguese and the Tooth Relic -- Chapter One: The Tale of the Portuguese Tooth and Its Sources -- Chapter Two: Where the Tooth Was Found: Traditions about the Location of the Relic in Sri -- Lanka -- Chapter Three: Whose Tooth Was It? Traditions about the Identity of the Relic -- Chapter Four: The Trial of the Tooth -- Chapter Five: The Destruction of the Tooth -- Conspectus of Part One: The Storical Evolution of the Tales of the Portuguese Tooth -- Part Two: The British and the Tooth Relic -- Chapter Six: The Cosmopolitan Tooth: The Relic in Kandy before the British Became Aware of -- It -- Chapter Seven: The British Takeover of 1815 and the Kandyan Convention -- Chapter Eight: The Relic Returns: The Tooth and Its Properties Restored to the Temple -- Chapter Nine: The Relic Lost and Recaptured: The Tooth and the Rebellion of 1817- -- Chapter Ten: The Relic Disestablished: Missionary Oppositions to the Tooth -- Chapter Eleven: Showings of the Tooth: The Story of the King of Siam's Visit (1897) -- Chapter Twelve: Showings of the Tooth: The Story of Queen Elizabeth's Shoes (1954).

"Many Buddhas, One Buddha introduces a significant section of the important early Indian Buddhist text known as the Avadåanaâsataka, or "One Hundred Stories", and explores some of its perspectives on buddhahood. This text, composed in Sanskrit and dating to perhaps the third to fifth centuries of the Common Era, is affiliated with the Sarvåastivåada or Måulasarvåastivåada, and thus provides important evidence of the ideas and literatures of lost non-Mahåayåana schools of Indian Buddhism. The text is a rich literary composition, in mixed prose and verse, and includes some elaborate devotional passages that illuminate early Indian perspectives on the Buddha and on the role of avadÄ p1 sna texts. The book introduces the first four chapters of the Avadåanaâsataka through key themes of these stories, such as predictions and vows, preparations for buddhahood, the relationship between âSåakyamuni and other buddhas, and the relationship between full buddhahood and pratyekabuddhahood. The study of these stories closes with an argument about the structural design of the text, and what this tells us about attitudes towards different forms of awakening. The second part of the book then presents a full English translation of stories 1-40"--

Based on the principle that peace in the world begins with peace in our hearts, two American monks, Heng Ju and Heng Yo, undertook an arduous 10 month pilgrimage in 1973. As they bowed down in full prostrations to the ground once every three steps, they prayed for world peace and sought spiritual awakening. A collection of excerpts from the journal they kept, this book offers an honest and moving account of their journey as they relate their internal and external hardships as well as their interactions with their teacher, Master Hsuan Hua, and their awakenings. This book shows Buddhism in its true form: a practice to transform the mind and thereby the world in which we live. This 40th anniversary edition comes with a preface written by Jeanette Testu, daughter of the former Heng Ju who had returned to lay life.

Discover the fascinating history of a long-hidden Buddhist culture at a historic crossroads. In the years following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the East, a series of empires rose up along the Silk Road. In what is now northern Pakistan, the civilizations in the region called Gandhara became increasingly important centers for the development of Buddhism, reaching their apex under King Kaniska of the Kusanas in the second century CE. Gandhara has long been known for its Greek-Indian synthesis in architecture and statuary, but until about twenty years ago, almost nothing was known about its literature. The insights provided by manuscripts unearthed over the last few decades show that Gandhara was indeed a vital link in the early development of Buddhism, instrumental in both the transmission of Buddhism to China and the rise of the Mahayana tradition. The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara surveys what we know about Gandhara and its Buddhism, and it also provides translations of a dozen different short texts, from similes and stories to treatises on time and reality.

"Whereas the art of most Buddhist countries features a preponderance of male images, the art of Tibet has traditionally emphasized what the authors call 'the strong role of the feminine.' This book, one of the first Western titles ever to analyze this unique artistic tradition, is the companion volume to a touring art exhibit about female buddhas."--"Publishers Weekly."

This is the ebook version of One Buddha Is Not Enough. How do we learn to believe in ourselves and not just rely on our spiritual teachers? Based on a retreat that Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh organized but then couldn't attend, One Buddha Is Not Enough is a book on how to become your own teacher and create your own community where you might least expect it. It offers fresh and original insight from emerging Buddhist teachers on topics such as how to handle grief, strengthen our relationships with family and friends, deal with anger and other strong emotions, and find happiness in the present moment. Through letters, stories, poems, calligraphies, and photographs, Thich Nhat Hanh shares his unique insights on illness, health, and different healing modalities. One Buddha Is Not Enough is a true expression of American Buddhism. We already contain all the insight and wisdom we need--and we're surrounded by the people who can help us on our journey. Sometimes all it takes is a wake-up call to remind us of what we are capable.