In this concise collection of essays, Shodo Harada Roshi brings zen to life. Reflecting on current events and the state of society, he applies zen's direct and simple teachings to the benefit of the reader.

Harada Roshi guides us along The Path to Bodhidharma, skillfully clarifying our understanding of what Bodhidharma called the four all-encompassing practices: requiting animosity, accepting circumstance, craving nothing, and living in accord with the Dharma."--BOOK JACKET.

The classic guide for Zen students pursuing the true way. “Somebody comes into the Zen center with a lighted cigarette, walks up to the Buddha-statue, blows smoke in its face and drops ashes on its lap. You are standing there. What can you do?” This is a problem that Zen Master Seung Sahn was fond of posing to his American students who attended his Zen centers. Dropping Ashes on the Buddha is a delightful, irreverent, and often hilariously funny living record of the dialogue between Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn and his American students. Consisting of dialogues, stories, formal Zen interviews, Dharma speeches, and letters using the Zen Master’s actual words in spontaneous, living interaction, this book is a fresh presentation of the Zen teaching method of “instant dialogue” between Master and student which, through the use of astonishment and paradox, leads to an understanding of ultimate reality.

Shikantaza--or "just sitting"--is one of the simplest, most subtle forms of meditation, and one of the most easily misunderstood. This peerless volume brings together a wealth of writings, from the Buddha himself to Bodhidharma and Dogen and many of modern Zen Buddhism's most influential masters, all pointing directly to the heart of this powerful practice. Edited by one of America's pre-eminent Zen teachers, this book is a rich resource for wisdom seekers and scholars alike.

The Japanese poet-recluse Ryokan (1758–1831) is one of the most beloved figures of Asian literature, renowned for his beautiful verse, exquisite calligraphy, and eccentric character. Deceptively simple, Ryokan's poems transcend artifice, presenting spontaneous expressions of pure Zen spirit. Like his contemporary Thoreau, Ryokan celebrates nature and the natural life, but his poems touch the whole range of human experience: joy and sadness, pleasure and pain, enlightenment and illusion, love and loneliness. This collection of translations reflects the full spectrum of Ryokan's spiritual and poetic vision, including Japanese haiku, longer folk songs, and Chinese-style verse. Fifteen ink paintings by Koshi no Sengai (1895–1958) complement these translations and beautifully depict the spirit of this famous poet.

As the world around us ruptures in widespread frustration, anxiety and desperation, along comes a unique perspective that examines the seething discontent from the most fundamental level: The human mind. Whereas an ordinary analysis considers one piece at a time, this analysis follows an integrative source/manifestation path. What is it about us all that is causing this sudden eruption of political and economic unrest? Why do we find it so hard to live a life of moderation, harmony and justice but instead choose lives of alienation and conflict? Here youll read about finding worth within and thus over turning the rush to oblivion. The author examines these issues from the platform of the ancient wisdom of Zen and points to a solution, which is practical, transformative yet at the same time revolutionary.

The following pages contain poems written by my mother, Mafalda "Maffy" Medda, over the last twenty-eight years of her life including her oldest poem, "Diamonds and Furs," dating back to 1985. It was her passion to write poetry and her dream to become a published author. When she passed away unexpectedly on February 22, 2013, her poetry was left unfinished. Her dream quickly became my passion. Therefore, I spent the next twenty months after she went to be with the Lord compiling her collection of hand-written poems into this poetry book in order to make her dream become a reality. -Mirka Denise Thomas-Thompson ABOUT THE AUTHOR My name is Mafalda Medda Thomas. My nicknames include: Maffy Thomas, Maffy Tee, and Mafalda Medda. However, when I was growing up, I was lovingly called the little leftover by my parents. When I was born, my mom believed she could no longer have children. When I was born, there became an eleven year difference between me and my youngest sibling. I became the eighth child in my family. My mother had four boys and four girls. The native land of Sardinia that consumed my dreams and caused me heartache as a young child is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and an autonomous region of Italy. I dont know the reason but God didnt evenly distribute artistic gifts where my family was concerned. He gifted me with the love of learning, the love of the arts, and the love of everything in the artistic field. In school, I had the privilege of being an honor student. Unfortunately, the Medda family lacked the financial ability to provide me with an education beyond the sixth grade. When I reached adulthood, I found myself taking classes due to a desire to learn in many different areas. I always had a passion for learning and a love for knowledge. With still somewhat shaky English skills, the first undertaking to begin my education in English was reading Gone with the Wind. It was a huge challenge on my part but I loved and enjoyed the opportunity to read and comprehend every single page. On September 2, 1989, I had the privilege of being invited to travel to Washington, D.C. in honor of my poem, Creation. In 1997, a more recent composition of mine, A Gift for Jesus, brought tears to my eyes. This poem was printed out on green card stock, was adopted by a local art gallery, and sold successfully during the 1997 Christmas season. My hobbies include poetry, music, reading, oil painting, butterflies, and artistically bettering existing products on the market. I love teaching people from young children and senior adults to my Shih Tzu, Candy. Candy and I participated and won first place in a local dog training contest for a three-part trick where I taught her to sit, beg, and roll over. Mafalda Maffy Medda Thomas 07/26/1998

The first book in the New York Times bestselling epic fantasy trilogy by award-winning author Laini Taylor Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?