Letters written by the great Chinese master Yuanwu present the teachings of Zen in accessible, person-to-person lessons and reveal the inner workings of the psychology of enlightenment

The night Brad Warner learns that his childhood friend Marky has died, Warner is about to speak to a group of Zen students in Hamburg, Germany. It's the last thing he feels like doing. What he wants to do instead is tell his friend everything he never said, to explain Zen and what he does for a living and why he spends his time "Sitting. Sitting. Sitting. Meditating my life away as it all passes by. Lighting candles and incense. Bowing to nothing." So, as he continues his teaching tour through Europe, he writes to his friend all the things he wishes he had said. Simply and humorously, he reflects on why Zen provided him a lifeline in a difficult world. He explores grief, attachment, and the afterlife. He writes to Marky, "I'm not all that interested in Buddhism. I'm much more interested in what is true," and then proceeds to poke and prod at that truth. The result for readers is a singular and winning meditation on Zen — and a unique tribute to both a life lost and the one Warner has found.

Here is the inimitable Zen Master Seung Sahn up close and personal—in selections from the correspondence that was one of his primary modes of teaching. Seung Sahn received hundreds of letters per month, each of which he answered personally, and some of the best of which are included here. His frank and funny style, familiar to readers of Dropping Ashes on the Buddha, is seen here in a most intimate form. The beloved Zen master not only answers questions on Zen teaching and practice, but applies an enlightened approach to problems with work, relationships, suffering, and the teacher-student relationship.

The Di Marcos lived in the village of Casino, at the foot of Monte Casino. Above on the mountain, was the world famous Abby of St. Benedict. Eventually, the head of the family, Papa Pasquale De Marco made the decision to seek a better fortune in America. He took his three daughters and two of his sons with him across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in the Charles street section of Providence, Rhode Island. Pasquale's eldest son, big Frank as he was called, remained back in Italy to take care of the family land and to pursue a promising career in professional boxing. After two years Frank's wife Anna, was wary of his fighting and wanted a child. Together they came to the conclusion to join the rest of the family in America. They settled on Luna Street, with the rest of the family, in the Charles Street section. Frank and Anna now had six children. Their eldest son was named Patty Di Marco and was the spitting image of his father. Someday he would retain the title his grandfather held as the adviser of the Di Marco family. At twelve years old he was already six feet tall, muscular and very handsome. Patty started fighting in the neighborhood at twelve years old. By the age of fourteen he became the undisputed leader of Charles Street. While attending Esek Hopkins junior high school, Patty asked one of his teachers, who spent twenty years in China, if she would teach him Chinese on her own time because they did not teach Chinese at his junior high school. Many years later his knowledge of the Chinese language, which Patty spoke perfectly, would prove to save his life in the Korean war. In his young adult life he was referred to as the king of Providence.

In 1979, 24-year-old Maura O'Halloran left her waitressing job in Boston and began her study of Zen in Japan. Today she is revered as a Buddhist saint, and a statue in her honor stands at the monastery where she lived. This is the story of her journey.

"Christmas letters are the fruitcakes of the literary world. At least once in life, everyone sends one, but no one likes to receive one." Use humor to fight back against boring Christmas letters. This book will teach you how to write a Christmas letter that doesn't suck and even enjoy reading the ones that do. If you hate wading through Christmas letters each year, this book will show you the world as it could be. "Your relatives are already laughing at you. Make them get in line by laughing at yourself first." This book teaches you - - How to walk the fine line between embellishing and lying. - Why you should never let your pets write the letter for you. - How stock photos can give you a more attractive family. - When to write a special letter if an inheritance is at stake. - Why Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs should drive your letter's content. - How to adapt the Christmas letter format for all your holiday needs, from Hanukkah to Kwanza. But wait. There's more. The holidays are busy. If you do not have time to write an original letter, this book includes templates of paragraphs and an entire letter that you can modify to make your own. Put humor back in your holidays and buy this book. Even better, buy a copy for everyone who sends you a boring Christmas letter every year. It is a present for them and a favor for yourself.

Taigu Ryokan (1759-1831) remains one of the most popular figures in Japanese Buddhist history. Despite his religious and artistic sophistication, Ryokan referred to himself as "Great Fool" and refused to place himself within the cultural elite of his age. In contrast to the typical Zen master of his time, who presided over a large monastery, trained students, and produced recondite religious treatises, Ryokan followed a life of mendicancy in the countryside. Instead of delivering sermons, he expressed himself through kanshi (poems composed in classical Chinese) and waka and could typically be found playing with the village children in the course of his daily rounds of begging. Great Fool is the first study in a Western language to offer a comprehensive picture of the legendary poet-monk and his oeuvre. It includes not only an extensive collection of the master's kanshi, topically arranged to facilitate an appreciation of Ryokan's colorful world, but selections of his waka, essays, and letters. The volume also presents for the first time in English the Ryokan zenji kiwa (Curious Accounts of the Zen Master Ryokan), a firsthand source composed by a former student less than sixteen years after Ryokan's death. Although it lacks chronological order, the Curious Account is invaluable for showing how Ryokan was understood and remembered by his contemporaries. It consists of colorful anecdotes and episodes, sketches from Ryokan's everyday life. To further assist the reader, three introductory essays approach Ryokan from the diverse perspectives of his personal history and literary work.

Hakuin Ekaku (1685–1769) is one of the most influential figures in Zen Buddhism. He revitalized the Rinzai Zen tradition (which emphasizes the use of koans, or unanswerable questions, in meditation practice), and all masters of that school today trace their lineage back through him. He is responsible for the most famous of all koans: "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" He is also famous for his striking and humorous art, which he also regarded as teaching. This book provides a rare, intimate look at Hakuin the man, through his personal correspondence. Beating the Cloth Drum contains twenty-eight of Hakuin's letters to students, political figures, fellow teachers, laypeople, and friends. Each letter is accompanied by extensive commentary and notes. They showcase Hakuin's formidable, thoughtful, and sometimes playful personality—and they show that the great master used every activity, including letter-writing, as an opportunity to impart the teachings that were so close to his heart.

Patterning is fun, easy and relaxing. It is a great way to add interest and texture to any design. Whether you like to journal, draw, doodle, design, or craft, you'll find a world of inspiration here. These decorative borders, frames, shapes, and alphabets will appeal to a spectrum of tastes and styles.

At the age of 24, Maura O'Halloran travelled to Japan, where she spent three years studying Zen Buddhism. On her way back to Ireland, she was tragically killed, and is now venerated as a Buddhist saint.