Offering a feminist analysis of foundational Buddhist texts, along with a Buddhist approach to social issues in a globalized world, Hsiao-Lan Hu revitalizes Buddhist social ethics for contemporary times. Hu's feminist exegesis references the Nikāya-s from the "Discourse Basket" of the Pāli Canon. These texts, among the earliest in the Buddhist canon, are considered to contain the sayings of the Buddha and his disciples and are recognized by all Buddhist schools. At the heart of the ethics that emerges is the Buddhist notion of interdependent co-arising, which addresses the sexism, classism, and frequent overemphasis on individual liberation, as opposed to communal well-being, for which Buddhism has been criticized. Hu notes the Buddha's challenge to social hierarchies during his life and compares the notion of "non-Self" to the poststructuralist feminist rejection of the autonomous subject, maintaining that neither dissolves moral responsibility or agency. Notions of kamma, nibbāna, and dukkha (suffering) are discussed within the communal context offered by insights from interdependent co-arising and the Noble Eightfold Path. This work uniquely bridges the worlds of Buddhism, feminism, social ethics, and activism and will be of interest to scholars, students, and readers in all of these areas.

What is Nibbana? Is Awakening possible? This new book says definitely yes! But only if you follow the method laid out by the Buddha in his earliest teachings. Nibbana can and does occur. In this book, you will be shown the step by step progression through the eight aware jhanas (levels of understanding) to the final cessation and the appearing of the unconditioned, and the joy that arises afterward.

In this booklet are the beginning instructions for Mett� or Loving-kindness Meditation, as part of the 'Practice of the Brahmaviharas.' Bhante Vimalaramsi calls this Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation or TWIM for short. This is the practice described in earliest Buddhist teachings that the Buddha gave the monks to attain Nibbana. The way Bhante teaches this meditation practice yields very fast results. The warm, happy feeling of Loving-kindness, and the 6Rs practice system Bhante has discovered based on right-effort, gives you deep and profound states of meditation in only a matter of weeks or even days, when practiced consistently. Did you know Loving-kindness will take you deeper faster than doing Breath Meditation? Did you know that Metta DOES take you to Nibbana? This booklet gives the preliminary instructions for the practice of Metta and how to handle hindrances. This practice can also be brought into your daily life and helps with all your life/work situations and the many relationships you have. Mindfulness is re-defined here and practicing in this way yields the attainment of what Bhante calls the Tranquil Aware Jhanas. They are related to concentration Jhanas but are not the same. Through this practice, you can experience these deep states within days or weeks, not years or decades. Even just doing sitting practice at home. Bhante has students he has never met or taken a retreat who have gone all the way to awakening by using this system at home. Everything is here, and in detail, with many tips and examples, to get the meditator on his way to experiencing awakening in this very life. For more than 40 years Bhante Vimalaramsi researched and practiced many methods without finding any real satisfaction. He went back to the earliest Buddhist teachings, using the Majjhima Nikaya and found what he was seeking. He found the step that had been left out! Find out what that is (hint- to 'tranquilize'). Bhante Vimalaramsi's method of "The 6Rs", is the key to the step he found, which is the "Relax" step. In the suttas, it is called "Tranquilize." Once you learn this practice you can continue by going to Bhante's website and doing online retreats from home or visiting his center one of the retreats around the world he conducts. Bhante Vimalaramsi has been a monk since 1986 and practiced with many of the major Buddhist teachers in Asia. He now teaches all over the world and is the abbot of the Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center near St. Louis, Mo, USA. He is also the US representative to the World Buddhist Summit.

Analayo investigates the meditative practices of compassion and emptiness by examining and interpreting material from the early Buddhist discourses. Similar to his previous study of satipaa'-a'-hana, he brings a new dimension to our understanding by comparing Pali texts with versions that have survived in Chinese, Sanskrit and Tibetan. The result is a wide-ranging exploration of what these practices meant in early Buddhism.

This new Pariyatti Edition of the classic Buddhism in a Nutshell is an excellent introductory overview of the fundamental principles of Buddhist doctrine. Topics covered include: the life of the Buddha, the Dhamma (Is it a philosophy? A religion? An ethical system?), the Four Noble Truths, the Law of Kamma, Rebirth, Dependent Origination, Anatta, and Nibbana. Recommended for beginners.

Silver Medalist, 2020 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the Religion (Eastern/Western) Category This groundbreaking book explores Buddhist thought and culture, from multiple Buddhist perspectives, as sources for feminist reflection and social action. Too often, when writers apply terms such as "woman," "femininity," and "feminism" to Buddhist texts and contexts, they begin with models of feminist thinking that foreground questions and concerns arising from Western experience. This oversight has led to many facile assumptions, denials, and oversimplifications that ignore women's diverse social and historical contexts. But now, with the tools of feminist analysis that have developed in recent decades, constructs of the feminine in Buddhist texts, imagery, and philosophy can be examined—with the acknowledgment that there are limitations to applying these theoretical paradigms to other cultures. Contributors to this volume offer a feminist analysis, which integrates gender theory and Buddhist perspectives, to Buddhist texts and women's narratives from Asia. How do Buddhist concepts of self and no-self intersect with concepts of gender identity, especially for women? How are the female body, sexuality, and femininity constructed (and contested) in diverse Buddhist contexts? How might power and gender identity be perceived differently through a Buddhist lens? By exploring feminist approaches and representations of "the feminine," including persistent questions about women's identities as householders and renunciants, this book helps us to understand how Buddhist influences on attitudes toward women, and how feminist thinking from other parts of the world, can inform and enlarge contemporary discussions of feminism.

Buddhist Philosophy: A Comparative Approach presents a series of readings that examine the prominent thinkers and texts of the Buddhist tradition in the round, introducing contemporary readers to major theories and debates at the intersection of Buddhist and Western thought. Takes a comparative, rather than oppositional, approach to Buddhist philosophy, exploring key theories and debates at the intersection of Eastern and Western thought Addresses a variety of topics that represent important points of convergence between the Buddhist and Western philosophical traditions Features contributions from a wide array of acclaimed international scholars in the discipline Provides a much-needed cross-cultural treatment of Buddhist philosophy appropriate for undergraduate students and specialists alike

Time to Stand Up retells the story of the historical Buddha, one of the greatest sacred activists of all time, as a practical human being whose teachings of freedom from suffering are more relevant than ever in this time of global peril. Evolving onward from the patriarchal template of spiritual warriors and their quests, former nun Thanissara explores awakening from within a feminine view where the archetypes of lover and nurturer are placed as central and essential for a sustainable world. Vital is an investigation into the pinnacle of Buddhist practice, the realization of the "liberated heart." Thanissara questions the narrative of "transcendence" and invites us into the lived reality of our deepest heart as it guides our journey of healing, reclamation, and redemption. As the book unfolds, the author examines traditional Buddhism--often fraught with gender discrimination--and asks the important question, "Can Buddhist schools, overly attached to hierarchal power structures, and often divorced from the radical and free inquiry exemplified by the Buddha, truly offer the ground for maturing awakening without undertaking a fundamental review of their own shadows?" Chapter by chapter, the book relates Siddhartha Gautama's awakening to the sea-change occurring on Earth in present time as we as a civilization become aware of the ethical bankruptcy of the nuclear and fossil fuel industry and the psychopathic corporate and military abuse of power currently terrorizing our planet. Thanissara relates the Buddha's story to real-life individuals who are living through these transitional times, such as Iraq war veterans, First Nation People, and the Dalai Lama. Time to Stand Up gives examples of the Buddha's activism, such as challenging a racist caste system and violence against animals, stopping war, transforming a serial killer, and laying down a nonhierarchical structure of community governance, actions that would seem radical even today. Thanissara explores ways forward, deepening our understanding of meditation and mindfulness, probing its use to pacify ourselves as the cogs in the corporate world by helping people be more functional in a dysfunctional systems--and shows how these core Buddhist practices can inspire a wake-up call for action for our sick and suffering planet Earth. About the Sacred Activism series When the joy of compassionate service is combined with the pragmatic drive to transform all existing economic, social, and political institutions, a radical divine force is born: Sacred Activism. The Sacred Activism Series, published by North Atlantic Books, presents leading voices that embody the tenets of Sacred Activism--compassion, service, and sacred consciousness--while addressing the crucial issues of our time and inspiring radical action.

The words “in the hope of nibbana” are often found printed on invitations to anniversaries or festival meals, sent by the Burmese to their friends. Early in the morning, monks are fed, followed by other invited friends who arrive for a good social meal together. All of this is done, as the invitation reassures, “in the hope of nibbana”. Thus does the ordinary Buddhist, himself far from nibbana, honor those who are striving, humbly hoping that his modest charitable efforts will somehow by the process of kammic multiplication add up to a nibbanic sum in the end. Such words characterize the Buddhist ethical endeavor.In the Hope of Nibbana offers a glimpse into the process of a "religion" and a culture struggling to align ethical values with the realities of the modern world. Buddhism is deeply woven into the fabric of life in Burma, now called Myanmar, and the country's insular history has made it an ideal place to experience Buddhism's influence on a culture and people.

Explores the importance of Buddhism as it developed in the Krishna River Valley of Andhra (modern-day Andhra Pradesh) and its influence.