The Zen Commandments

Author: Dean Sluyter
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101161930
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 209

Book Description
The Ten Commandments tell us how to behave, but they don't say much about the inner awareness from which outer behavior springs. Do the right thing, of course-- but better yet, find your inner light and doing the right thing becomes as natural as breathing. THE ZEN COMMANDMENTS offers ten powerful nudges toward that light. Drawing on sources from Zen stories and the Bible to jazz and rock 'n' roll, from American movies to Tibetan meditative techniques, Dean Sluyter steers clear of dogma and emphasizes what works-- a sort of spiritual street smarts. He shows that the state of boundless freedom and happiness isn't something distant or exotic, but is right here, while you're stuck in traffic or taking out the trash. And revisiting the Ten Commandments, he shows how on a deeper level they offer some surprising enlightenment wisdom of their own. “The book is extremely well written and joyously entertaining.” —Publishers Weekly “With sparkling clarity and wit, Sluyter's ten suggestions lay out the practical essentials of the path. My suggestion is: listen to this guy.” —Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within “Dean Sluyter clearly presents simple but profound ways to live one's life consciously and skillfully. He teaches that the source of universal truth not only rests in the heart of every one of us, but is the essence of what ultimately brings us true happiness and freedom. This is a wonderful book with rich wisdom and deep insight.” —Rabbi David Cooper, author of God Is a Verb “No matter what your religion (or lack of it), this book shows how to live the kind of life people ache for. It turns out to be pretty simple.” —Jane Cavolina, co-author of Growing Up Catholic

Natural Meditation

Author: Dean Sluyter
Publisher: TarcherPerigee
ISBN: 039917141X
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
NAUTILUS BOOK AWARDS GOLD-MEDAL WINNER FOR 2015 There’s no trying in meditation. Just as water runs naturally downhill … just as leaves float naturally to the ground … we can all settle naturally into meditation. Not trying, just allowing—not doing, just being. The key is effortlessness. Whether you’re a complete novice or you’ve “tried it before,” if you can breathe you can meditate. Guided by veteran teacher Dean Sluyter’s easy-going, down-to-earth approach, you’ll test-drive a variety of meditative “vehicles,” such as breath, sound, the senses, the sky, and the simple sense of “I,” and discover which ones fit you best. You’ll find all the practical tips you need for adapting these methods to your daily life, even for a few minutes a day on the subway or in an office cubicle. And as your life opens to deep happiness, clarity, peace, and creative energy, you’ll be inspired to keep on practicing—naturally.

Cinema Nirvana

Author: Dean Sluyter
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 1400049741
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 322

Book Description
Movie fans and spiritual seekers, unite! In Cinema Nirvana, meditation teacher and award-winning film critic Dean Sluyter illuminates the hidden enlightenment teachings of Casablanca, Jaws, The Graduate, The Godfather, Memento, and ten other classic films, revealing spiritual wisdom in everything from 007’s secret weapons to the colors of the Seven Dwarfs’ eyes. So grab your popcorn, sit back, and prepare to have your mind opened. Cinema Nirvana is a funny but wise, practical but wildly entertaining guide to finding enlightenment—one movie at a time.

Fear Less

Author: Dean Sluyter
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101993758
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 338

Book Description
Less Fear, More Life—a Practical Guide These days there’s so much fear in the air, you can almost taste it—along with all the varieties of anxiety, anger, and addiction that grow out of it. How can you navigate your way through the fear and confusion, and find your way to peace? In Fear Less, acclaimed teacher and award-winning author Dean Sluyter shows how to use simple meditative techniques and subtle tweaks of body, mind, and breath to open your life to deep, relaxed confidence. Drawing on ancient enlightenment teachings as well as contemporary research, he lays out practical, easy-to-follow steps for addressing such issues as: • letting go of compulsive overthinking • loosening the bonds of addiction (including smartphone addiction) • overcoming the fear of death • finding meditative stillness in the thick of activity

Zen Training

Author: Katsuki Sekida
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 083482583X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265

Book Description
This pioneering guide to zazen—Zen-style seated meditation—provides practical instructions on how to begin or elevate your practice and progress along the Zen path Zen Training is a comprehensive handbook for zazen, seated meditation practice, and an authoritative presentation of the Zen path. The book marked a turning point in Zen literature in its critical reevaluation of the enlightenment experience, which the author believes has often been emphasized at the expense of other important aspects of Zen training. In addition, Zen Training goes beyond the first flashes of enlightenment to explore how one lives as well as trains in Zen. The author also draws many significant parallels between Zen and Western philosophy and psychology, comparing traditional Zen concepts with the theories of being and cognition of such thinkers as Heidegger and Husserl.

The Mind of Clover

Author: Robert Aitken
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 1466895241
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 195

Book Description
In Taking the Path of Zen, Robert Aitken provided a concise guide to zazen (Zen meditation) and other aspects of the practice of Zen. In The Mind of Clover he addresses the world beyond the zazen cushions, illuminating issues of appropriate personal and social action through an exploration of the philosophical complexities of Zen ethics. Aitken's approach is clear and sure as he shows how our minds can be as nurturing as clover, which enriches the soil and benefits the environment as it grows. The opening chapters discuss the Ten Grave Precepts of Zen, which, Aitken points out, are "not commandments etched in stone but expressions of inspiration written in something more fluid than water." Aitken approaches these precepts, the core of Zen ethics, from several perspectives, offering many layers of interpretation. Like ripples in a pond, the circles of his interpretation increasingly widen, and he expands his focus to confront corporate theft and oppression, the role of women in Zen and society, abortion, nuclear war, pollution of the environment, and other concerns. The Mind of Clover champions the cause of personal responsibility in modern society, encouraging nonviolent activism based on clear convictions. It is a guide that engages, that invites us to realize our own potential for confident and responsible action.

Choosing to Be

Author: Kat Tansey
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1844093689
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 145

Book Description
Drawn from the deeply personal reflections of a formerly depressed person, this uplifting story shows how a cat taught meditation and allowed the mind to heal. This lively, magical, and enlightening book revolves around a wise Maine Coon cat, his kitten muse, and the author Kat Tansey as they take the reader on a challenging and often amusing journey from the disorienting haze of depression to the freedom and clarity of the Buddha mind. The narrative is both inspiring and essential for gaining an understanding of the inner self, reducing stress, finding inner peace, and knowing the joys and comforts of answering to a cat master.

Good Life

Author: Cheri Huber
Publisher: Keep It Simple Books
ISBN: 9780963078421
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 140

Book Description
Good Life presents the Buddhist precepts as signposts on the path to discovering human beings' inherent goodness. It offers concrete ways of transforming real-life difficulties into freedom.

Invoking Reality

Author: John Daido Loori
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834824507
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 114

Book Description
There is a common misconception that to practice Zen is to practice meditation and nothing else. In truth, traditionally, the practice of meditation goes hand-in-hand with moral conduct. In Invoking Reality, John Daido Loori, one of the leading Zen teachers in America today, presents and explains the ethical precepts of Zen as essential aspects of Zen training and development. The Buddhist teachings on morality—the precepts—predate Zen, going all the way back to the Buddha himself. They describe, in essence, how a buddha, or awakened person, lives his or her life in the world. Loori provides a modern interpretation of the precepts and discusses the ethical significance of these vows as guidelines for living. "Zen is a practice that takes place within the world," he says, "based on moral and ethical teachings that have been handed down from generation to generation." In his view, the Buddhist precepts form one of the most vital areas of spiritual practice.

Zen Commandments

Author: Dean Sluyter
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781322695969
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description