Bøger udgivet af Shambhala Publications Inc

An exploration of an extraordinary group of female meditation masters from the Buddhist tradition in Tibet whose determination and accomplishments can serve as a great example for meditators the world over. Among Tibetan spiritual biographies there are many life stories of exceptional male wisdom-holders or vidyādharas. But biographies of religious women are few. This book focuses on the hidden world of the great female spiritual adepts who were born into a prominent lineage of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. For centuries, this family of wisdom holders has been committed to helping others alleviate their suffering and develop a strong dedication to spiritual practice.

A lively collection of folk tales and Buddhist teaching stories from four noted premodern Japanese Zen masters: Taigu Sôchiku (1584–1669), Sengai Gibon (1750-1831), Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769), and Taigu Ryôkan (1758-1831). Zen Master Tales collects never before translated stories of four prominent Zen masters from the Edo period of Japanese history (1603-1868). Drawn from an era that saw the “democratization” of Japanese Zen, these stories paint a picture of robust, funny, and poignant engagement between Zen luminaries and the emergent chоnin or “townsperson” culture of early modern Japan. Here we find Zen monks engaging with samurai, merchants, housewives, entertainers, and farmers. These masters affirmed that the essentials of Zen practice—zazen, koan study, even enlightenment—could be conveyed to all members of Japanese society in ordinary speech, including even comic verse and work songs. Against the backdrop of this rich tableau, Zen Master Tales serves not only as a text for Zen students but also as a wide-ranging window onto the fascinating literary, material, and social history of Edo Japan.  In his introduction, translator Peter Haskel explains the history of Zen “stories” from the tradition’s Golden Age in China through the compilation of the classic koan collections and on to the era from which the stories in Zen Master Tales are drawn. What was true of the Chinese tradition, he writes—“its focus on the individual’s ordinary activity as the function, the manifestation of the absolute”—continued in the Japanese context. “Most of these Japanese stories, however unabashedly humorous and at times crude, impart something of the character of the Zen masters involved, whose attainment must be plainly manifest in even the most humble and unlikely of situations.”

A story for kids ages 4–8 about a young girl and her encounters with a dog that teaches her friendship, presence, loss, and bravery.This story follows a young girl named Sophie and a sweet old dog who cross paths in the midst of a storm. “Breathing in, I am safe; breathing out, I am free,” Sophie repeats again and again to remind herself and the "old one" to stay present and brave when feeling scared or unsettled. In helping each other through their fears, a deep kinship is formed that makes a lasting impact on Sophie’s life.

2022 NAPPA Award winnerKai is a warrior!  And as a warrior, Kai has a code to live by and share with others.  This is the warrior’s code: to be peaceful, to be kind of heart, and to respect all living things.An empowering “code of conduct” book that teaches kids age 4-8 that bravery and courage mean treating others with kindness, standing up for what’s right, and demonstrating peace and self-respect.  Inspired by the classic spiritual text, Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior, this uplifting story for children will build self-esteem, cultivate kindness, and instill values of compassion, nonviolence, and honoring.  Written by a 7th degree Kajukenbo black belt, The Warrior’s Code distills the ethics of traditional martial arts into a simple and clear message that kids can memorize, embody, and understand.  Kids who follow the code of the warrior can become more mindful, resilient, and confident.

From tinctures to ease tummy aches to elixirs to enhance energy, making your own remedies from easy-to-find herbs can be a satisfying and pleasurable way to connect with nature and your family's health. While entering the "herb world" can be intimidating-many of today's herb books are filled with cultivation tables, harvest techniques, dye charts, and aromatherapy guidelines-The Essential Herbal for Natural Health provides a welcome entry point for those wishing to experience the beauty and simplicity of natural herbal remedies safely. By focusing on just thirteen foundation herbs, you can easily jump into the world of herbs while still creating a wide range of remedies and recipes. With something for everyone in the family-men, women, and children-these simple recipes can be made to cure coughs, calm anxiety, moisturize skin, and more.

An engaging story that helps children work with difficult emotions by imagining them as playful monsters in a parade (ages 3-7). Watch as the anger monster passes and the sadness monster disappears--it’s all part of the parade of  feelings we experience every day. Instead of holding on to their emotions, kids can acknowledge them and let them go on their way.    What’s happening in your parade today?   Here’s the angry monster Headed this way  It growls so loud But you know it won't stay

Parenting toddlers can be challenging but mindfulness can help! The popular author of Sitting Still Like a Frog offers advice and tools for parents of kids ages 18 months-4 years to respond skillfully and with mindful intention, especially in difficult moments. ​In The Little Frog Awakes, Eline Snel offers parents of young children advice and tools for responding mindfully and effectively in the moment. These skills help us regain trust in ourselves and in the integral wholeness of our kids. And when we make mindfulness practice a part of daily life, it gives our children a powerful message on how to recognize, name, and deal with emotions and situations.  This practical guide will help you to:   •  connect with and respond mindfully to your own feelings as they arise  •  cultivate compassion for yourself as a parent or caregiver through meditations and breathing practices  •  encourage serenity, self-confidence, and emotional regulation in your children, through stories and activities  •  strengthen your bond with your kids and help all of you manage stress  •  be more fully present with your children, and more able to give them your undivided attention  •  embrace imperfection and focus on the things that really matter  •  and more  The book and the accompanying audio include activities, practices, and stories for both you and for your toddler that cultivate mindful moments and action, and self-compassion.

Conceived at the crossroads of Buddhism and indigenous earth-based practice, The Shamanic Bones of Zen explores the deep human traditions of transformation that are made possible by meditation, ceremony, ritual, dreams, and spiritual connection to one's ancestry.In The Shamanic Bones of Zen, celebrated author and Buddhist teacher Zenju Earthlyn Manuel undertakes a rich exploration of the connections between contemporary Zen practice and shamanic, or indigenous, spirituality. Drawing on her personal journey with the black church, with African, Caribbean, and Native American ceremonial practices, and with Nichiren and Zen Buddhism, she builds a compelling case for discovering and cultivating the shamanic, or magical, elements in Buddhism-many of which have been marginalized by colonialist and modernist forces in the religion. Displaying reverence for the Zen tradition, creativity in expressing her own intuitive seeing, and profound gratitude for the guidance of spirit, Manuel models the path of a seeker unafraid to plumb the depths of her ancestry and face the totality of the present. The book conveys guidance for readers interested in developing practices of ritual in their own lives, such as preparing a sanctuary, engaging in chanting practices, and deepening embodiment with ceremony. "I often felt my ancestors at ease with my practice of Zen. I felt they had led me through other traditions to this practice of ritual and ceremony," writes Manuel. "The ancestors needed me to be still and breathe as they approached with what they had to offer my life."

I am the architect of my dreams.I am sculpting my world. I am clay. I am motion. I am light. I am what I think.Bursting with imagination, this ode to positive thought demonstrates a young girl’s ability to use the power of her mind to transform her world. (Ages 3–7)I Am Thinking My Life illustrates how the power of positive thinking can be the secret to manifesting hopes and dreams over time.An imaginative little girl thinks inspired thoughts, envisions positive actions, and engages in creative activities as she unveils the secret connection between her thoughts, dreams, and actions. Her visions of her future unfold in brilliant, heartwarming illustrations.A child’s first person look at manifestation, affirmations, and the law of attraction, this encouraging picture book will help children build confidence and self-esteem, while still acknowledging that there will be obstacles and storms in life that must be weathered. Filled with positive affirmations and an encouraging message about the role positivity and mindfulness play in bringing hopes and dreams to fruition, I Am Thinking My Life makes a wonderful gift, and will appeal to children and adults alike.

Deepen and invigorate your yoga practice with yogic themes based on ancient wisdom designed to inspire you on and off the mat.Yoga draws many practitioners because of its physical benefits--from exercise to stress relief--but it is the recognition and experience of peace that keeps people returning to yoga and turning the focus of their practice from the physical to the spiritual. For those seeking deeper spiritual teachings, Threads of Yoga brings yoga philosophy from the ashram to your mat. Threads of Yoga is comprised of short chapters that introduce practitioners to 30 foundational yogic themes, such as letting go, the breath, the yamas and the niyamas, and the chakra system. Each theme is accompanied by practices, which might include a meditation, complementary poses, breath work, or quotes to contemplate. It is an ideal guide to deepen personal practice or to assist teachers in what is often the most difficult aspect of building an excellent yoga class: developing a theme and then supporting that motif throughout the class. Drawing on over twenty years of experience as a yoga teacher and practitioner, Pamela Seelig offers a much-needed resource for yoga practitioners and teachers who want to connect with and share the spiritual wisdom of yoga.

Unraveling the subtle processes that condition our thinking and experience, Maitreya's teaching reveals a powerful path of compassionate vision and spiritual transformation. Middle Beyond Extremes contains a translation of the Buddhist masterpiece Distinguishing the Middle from Extremes. This famed text, often referred to by its Sanskrit title, Madhyāntavibhāga, is part of a collection known as the Five Maitreya Teachings. Maitreya is held to have entrusted these profound and vast instructions to the master Asaṅga in the heavenly realm of Tuṣita.Distinguishing the Middle from Extremes employs the principle of the three natures to explain the way things seem to be as well as the way they actually are. It is presented here alongside commentaries by two outstanding masters of Tibet’s nonsectarian Rimé movement, Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham.

A playful, read-aloud exploration of all the different thoughts we have every day and their role in our lives."Sharks rule!" "That's gross." "I love tofu." "Is she from Montreal?" Whether our thoughts are happy, sad, scared, excited, or worried, they come in a constant flow. Through playful rhyming text and vivid, fun illustrations, Just a Thought introduces kids 4-8 to the way our lives are shaped by our thoughts. The story helps to teach self-awareness by recognizing negative self-thought and recurring thought patterns. Regardless of whether you have happy, weird, or mean thoughts-they are all just thoughts, and no single thought can define you. The magic of mind is that it's a space where anything is possible!

A fresh translation of the classical Buddhist poetry of Saigyō, whose aesthetics of nature, love, and sorrow came to epitomize the Japanese poetic tradition.Saigyō, the Buddhist name of Fujiwara no Norikiyo (1118–1190), is one of Japan’s most famous and beloved poets. He was a recluse monk who spent much of his life wandering and seeking after the Buddhist way. Combining his love of poetry with his spiritual evolution, he produced beautiful, lyrical lines infused with a Buddhist perception of the world.Gazing at the Moon presents over one hundred of Saigyō’s tanka—traditional 31-syllable poems—newly rendered into English by renowned translator Meredith McKinney. This selection of poems conveys Saigyō’s story of Buddhist awakening, reclusion, seeking, enlightenment, and death, embodying the Japanese aesthetic ideal of mono no aware—to be moved by sorrow in witnessing the ephemeral world.

Outlining the difference between appearance and reality, this work shows that the path to awakening involves leaving behind the inaccurate and limiting beliefs we have about ourselves and the world around us and opening ourselves to the limitless potential of our true nature. By divesting the mind of confusion, the treatise explains, we see things as they actually are. This insight allows for the natural unfolding of compassion and wisdom. According to tradition, Maitreya, the Buddha's regent, taught the root text of Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Intrinsic Nature to Asanga, who recorded the verses. The text is part of a larger collection of philosophical works that have become classics of the Indian Buddhist tradition. This volume includes commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham, whose discussions illuminate the subtleties of the root text and provide valuable insight into the nature of reality and the process of  awakening. Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham were both among the most influential figures to come out of the Tibetan tradition in recent centuries. Their writings contributed tremendously to the flourishing of Buddhist philosophy and practice in Tibet.

A milestone in Buddhist literature, this comprehensive presentation of the practice of Dhamma shows how it can quench the dissatisfaction and suffering common in our lives.Dhamma--a Pali word meaning “law of nature” or “truth,” but commonly used to refer to the overall body of Buddhist teachings--has the potential to fundamentally change one's life. In this comprehensive set of teachings, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, perhaps the most influential Thai Buddhist of the twentieth century, introduces the Dhamma to lay practitioners in a relatable and powerful way. Beginning with an extensive discussion of spiritual practice and moving into specific teachings on Dhamma, this book will be an indispensable resource for Theravada Buddhists, Insight Meditation practitioners, and all readers interested in a profoundly committed modern approach to the Buddhist path.

Two master strategists delve into the essential priciples of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, revealing what they teach us about leadership, success, and moreComposed by two prominent statesmen-generals of classical China, this book develops the strategies of Sun Tzu's classic, The Art of War, into a complete handbook of organization and leadership. The great leaders of ancient China who were trained in Sun Tzu's principles understood how war is waged successfully-both materially and mentally-and how victory and defeat follow clear social, psychological, and environmental laws. Drawing on episodes from the panorama of Chinese history, Mastering the Art of War presents practical summaries of these essential laws along with tales of conflict and strategy that show in concrete terms the proper use of Sun Tzu's principles. The book also examines the social and psychological aspects of organization and crisis management. The translator's introduction surveys the Chinese philosophies of war and conflict and explores in depth the parallels between The Art of War and the oldest handbook of strategic living, the I Ching (Book of Changes).

In Chöd in the Ganden Tradition, we encounter not only the life and teachings of one of the greatest Tibetan masters in modern times, but also instructions in one of the most interesting Tibetan techniques for working with basic fears, applicable to Chöd practitioners from all lineages. The instructions are offered with the engaging directness, wit, and stories for which Rinpoche was legendary. He tells miraculous accounts of the Ganden Oral Lineage masters and then gives detailed explanations of the actual practice, including such topics as the degree of fear necessary for Chöd practice, and how to remember dream and death morning, noon, and night. Also provided are the Chöd sadhanas for chanting in English.

A beautifully curated presentation of the Thousand Character Essay, a masterpiece of Chinese calligraphy that has served as the art form's classic manual for over 1,400 years. Sung to infants as a lullaby, used to teach reading and writing, and employed as library index codes, the Thousand Character Essay is China's most widely used and beloved calligraphy textbook. Composed by the literary giant Zhou Xingsi and handwritten by sixth-century Buddhist monk Zhiyong, this masterful work has endured for centuries as the standard guide for brush writing both in formal and cursive scripts.Delight in One Thousand Characters brings this sublime body of art-as-text to English-speaking readers through its translation and explanation by calligraphers and artists Kazuaki Tanahashi and Susan O'Leary. Preserving the renowned beauty of monk Zhiyong's only extant handwriting, the book visually depicts the traditional script through extensive imagery, including a full, one-hundred-strip edition of Zhiyong's calligraphy. All images also have corresponding commentary explaining the meaning of each character. Essays and appendices by Tanahashi and O'Leary detail the fascinating history, geographic range, and aesthetic nuance of the essay and of Zhiyong's rendering--essential material to be familiar with the history, thought, literature, and art of East Asian civilization. For calligraphers, Delight in One Thousand Characters can serve as an advanced primer for practicing both formal and cursive Chinese calligraphy.

An essential introduction to the life, writings, and legacy of one of Japan''s most prolific Buddhist masters.The founder of the Soto school of Zen in Japan, Eihei Dogen (1200–1253) is one of the most influential Buddhist teachers of all time. Although Dogen’s writings have reached wide prominence among contemporary Buddhists and philosophers, there is much that remains enigmatic about his life and writings. In Dogen: Japan’s Original Zen Teacher, respected Dogen scholar and translator Steven Heine offers a nuanced portrait of the master’s historical context, life, and work, paying special attention to issues such as: The nature of the “great doubt” that motivated Dogen’s religious questThe sociopolitical turmoil of Kamakura Japan that led to dynamic innovations in medieval Japanese BuddhismThe challenges and transformations Dogen experienced during his pivotal time in ChinaKey inflection points and unresolved questions regarding Dogen’s teaching career in JapanOngoing controversies in the scholarly interpretations of Dogen’s biography and teachingsSynthesizing a lifetime of research and reflection into an accessible narrative, this new addition to the Lives of the Masters series illuminates thought-provoking perspectives on Dogen’s character and teachings, as well as his relevance to contemporary practitioners. 

Gold Nautilus Book Award WinnerRealize your fullest leadership potential, claim your boldest vision, and prioritize the well-being of your team and world with this new science-based approach to leadership.   Boundless Leadership provides a complete and systematic roadmap to finding meaning in your work, realizing your full leadership potential, and inspiring your team with resilience, innovation, compassion and confidence. Contemplative psychotherapist Joe Loizzo, MD, PhD, and executive advisor Elazar Aslan, MBA, PCC, offer a new science-based vision of leadership that prescribes disciplines of mind, heart, and body to help leaders cultivate clarity, compassion and fearlessness for themselves and throughout their organization.   Boundless Leadership offers accessible, real world applications to bring ease to leading oneself and others, and provides examples from the authors'' experience with clients, including CEOs of multi-billion-dollar businesses, entrepreneurs and managers trying to balance the complex challenges of work and life in our interdependent age. Each section includes a range of practices based on neuropsychology and contemplative science, including guided meditations to improve focus and awareness, cultivate empathy and compassion, and build fearlessness and flow. Each section also offers a practical application to ease daily challenges, including clarifying intentions for better decision-making, improving accountability and responsibility for better team collaboration, and embodying purpose to optimize impact on one’s organization and society at large. Boundless Leadership is especially needed during this explosion of remote working and provides advice and guidance to remain productive and joyful when your work environment is in flux. Whether you''re a CEO, manager, team leader, consultant, coach, social entrepreneur or community activist, this book offers the tools you need to clarify your vision, lead others, and ignite positive change in the world--giving you a much needed advantage in today’s fast-paced digital age.

In this volume of The Treasury of Precious Instructions, Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye compiles teachings and practices by and about the renowned Indian Buddhist masters known as mahāsiddhas, recognized in all eight practice lineages of Tibetan Buddhism.The Treasury of Precious Instructions by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, one of Tibet''s greatest Buddhist masters, is a shining jewel of Tibetan literature, presenting essential teachings from the entire spectrum of practice lineages that existed in Tibet. In its eighteen volumes, Kongtrul brings together some of the most important texts on key topics of Buddhist thought and practice while also authoring significant new sections of his own. This volume presents a selection of teachings and practices centered on the mahāsiddhas, Indian masters of tantric Buddhism, some of whom were of vital importance in transmitting the Vajrayāna teachings to Tibet. The mahāsiddha Mitrayogin, whose work forms the majority of this volume, visited Tibet in the late twelfth century. His ritual texts and instructions are translated from Tibetan, including sādhanas, empowerments, guru yogas, authorization rituals for protector deities, and detailed compositions on Mahāmudra practice, or resting in the nature of mind.In addition to instructions given by mahāsiddhas, this volume includes ritual practices to visualize them and transmit their blessings, including a devotional text composed by Jamgön Kongtrul himself. This translation, which may be engaged as a practice manual, preserves ancient teachings significant to the literature and history of world religions.

It is time to address the dissonance between the often superficial way yoga is currently being practiced and the depth of yoga’s ancient universal spiritual teachings. In this clarion call to action, Jivana Heyman offers a blueprint for cultivating a practice based in the ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras in service of those experiencing exclusion and oppression.Heyman illuminates the yogic mandate of seva—or acts of service that see, care for, and uplift those around us—as a way to serve the world without losing your way. Through pose sequences, practice prompts such as “Embracing Failure,” and stories from yoga teachers who are implementing seva in their classes, Heyman shows you what it means to serve, how to serve, and how to promote inclusivity through your service. Our job, says Heyman, is not to clear our mind through yoga practice, but rather to expand it so widely that it can embrace the entire universe.

A guide to seven essential elements that will illuminate your path to spiritual realization and wise elderhood.What Carl Jung called “the second half of life” has the potential to be a remarkable curriculum for insight and awakening. When wisely understood, the changes inherent in the aging process become stepping-stones to the actualization of our best human qualities: wisdom, lovingkindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Author David Chernikoff has spent decades pursuing spiritual study and practice with remarkable teachers, including Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Father Thomas Keating, and Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. In Life, Part Two, he distills lessons from across contemplative traditions to invite readers to embrace seven essential elements of conscious living: embracing the mystery, choosing a vision, cultivating intuitive wisdom, committing to inner work, suffering effectively, serving from the heart, and celebrating the journey. These elements culminate in wise elderhood--a state celebrated by indigenous cultures around the world, yet largely unacknowledged in contemporary Western society. For those of us who aspire to live fully and to love well as we age, Life, Part Two is a lucid guidebook that empowers us to personally thrive and to contribute with ever greater clarity and purpose.

The story of how Ashoka the Fierce became known as Ashoka the Great.   As a boy, Ashoka was overlooked as a successor to his father, the emperor. He grew to become arrogant, impatient, and above all, angry. Wanting nothing more than to be king, Ashoka learned to be cunning, and when he finally managed to ascend to the throne, he was eager for war. But after a particularly brutal battle, Ashoka was heartbroken and  haunted by the death and devastation he had caused. This moment marked a momentous change of heart.   Upon returning home, Ashoka’s wife encouraged him to study and practice the Buddhist teachings and to move beyond his destructive past. When Ashoka finally met a wise Buddhist monk, it transformed the way he saw the world and the role of an emperor. Ashoka spent the rest of his days tirelessly working to help his people and promoting the qualities of compassion, tolerance, and virtue.

Celebrate the diverse work of people of color in the craft community and explore the personal, political, and creative potential of textile arts and crafts.In early 2019, the craft community experienced a reckoning when crafters of color began sharing personal stories about exclusion and racial injustice in their field, pointing out the inequity and lack of visible diversity within the crafting world. Author Jen Hewett, who is one of a few prominent women of color in the fiber crafts community, now brings together this book as a direct response to the need to highlight the diverse voices of artists working in fiber arts and crafts. Weaving together interviews, first-person essays, and artist profiles, This Long Thread explores the work and contributions of people of color across the fiber arts and crafts community, representing a wide spectrum of race, age, region, cultural identity, education, and economic class. These conversations explore techniques and materials, belonging, identity, pride of place, cultural misappropriation, privilege, the value (or undervaluing) of craft, community support structures, recognition or exclusion, intergenerational dialogue, and much more.Be inspired by the work and stories of innovative people of color who are making exceptional contributions to the world of craft. The diverse range of textile artists and craftspeople featured include knitters, quilters, sewers, weavers, and more who are making inspiring and innovative work, yet who are often overlooked by mainstream media. 

Maitrīpa (986–1063) is one of the greatest and most influential Indian yogis of Vajrayāna Buddhism. The legacy of his thought and meditation instructions have had a profound impact on Buddhism in India and Tibet, and several important contemporary practice lineages continue to rely on his teachings.Early in his life, Maitrīpa gained renown as a monk and scholar, but it was only after he left his monastery and wandered throughout India as a yogi that he had a direct experience of nonconceptual realization. Once Maitrīpa awakened to this nondual nature of reality, he was able to harmonize the scholastic teachings of Buddhist philosophy with esoteric meditation instructions. This is reflected in his writings that are renowned for evoking a meditative state in those who have trained appropriately. He eventually became the teacher of many well-known accomplished masters, including Padampa Sangyé and the translator Marpa, who brought his teachings to Tibet.Drawing on Maitrīpa’s autobiographical writings and literary work, this book is the first comprehensive portrait of the life and teachings of this influential Buddhist master. Klaus-Dieter Mathes also offers the first complete English translation of his teachings on nonconceptual realization, which is the foundation of Mahāmudrā meditation.

Find freedom from life’s painful recurring patterns in 12 simple steps, with guided practices of self-compassion, mindfulness, and embodiment.Do you ever feel trapped by experiencing challenging feelings over and over again--sometimes without realizing it? Or do you find yourself thinking "Why is this happening to me again?" or "Why do I always feel this way?" You''re not alone. With Heart Medicine, you can learn to identify your emotional and behavioral patterns through the lens of loving awareness--without self-judgment or blame, learning to hold yourself as you would a dear friend, with space and grace. Radhule Weininger draws on decades of experience as a therapist and meditation teacher to help readers understand the trauma behind their patterns, then offers twelve simple steps to work toward healing. Each chapter includes short practices so readers can begin to put the book''s concepts to work for transformation in their own lives. With Heart Medicine you can finally be equipped with the tools to break through the patterns that hold you back and begin to live with more freedom, confidence, and peace. And that''s good medicine, indeed.