Books by Category - Buddhism

Browse by Category - Buddhism

The Adornment of the Middle Way

Madhyamaka, or the Middle Way, is accepted by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism as the most profound expression, in philosophical terms, of emptiness, the true nature of phenomena. Emptiness is the basis on which the whole of Mahayana practice is founded, from the mind-training meditations on bodhichitta to the advanced yogas of tantra and dzogchen. The Madhyamaka tradition, inaugurated by Nagarjuna and dominant in India for over a thousand years, remains a vibrant force in Tibetan Buddhism.

Shantarakshita's view, quintessentially expressed in the Madhyamakalankara, effects a synthesis between the Madhyamaka of Nagarjuna, the Mind-Only teachings traced back to Asanga, and the logico-epistemological tradition of Dignaga and Dharmakirti. This great work marks the final stage in the evolution of Madhyamaka and was the last major development of Buddhist philosophy in India.

The Adornment of the Middle Way

Already Home

This powerfully moving memoir explores the connection between local history, the environment, the body, and the spirit. Triggered by a cancer diagnosis, Barbara Gates takes on a quest to find meaning in her urban Berkeley, California, home. She explores themes of love and family, home and homelessness, neighborhood and evolving geology. Through the lens of Buddhist mindfulness practice, Gates inspires readers to take on the vast view of where we live—including the past and the future—to appreciate the heartache and grace of daily life—to find for ourselves that any moment can open up to reveal that we are already home. 

Already Home

Appreciate Your Life

Here is the first major collection of the teachings of Taizan Maezumi Roshi (1931-1995), one of the first Japanese Zen masters to bring Zen to the West and founding abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles and Zen Mountain Center in Idyllwild, California. These short, inspiring readings illuminate Zen practice in simple, eloquent language. Topics include zazen and Zen koans, how to appreciate your life as the life of the Buddha, and the essential matter of life and death. 

Appreciate Your Life

The Art of Buddhism

As its teachings spread from the Indian subcontinent in all directions across Asia, Buddhism influenced every culture it touched—from Afghanistan to Korea, from Mongolia to Java. Buddhist art is a radiant reflection of the encounter of the Buddha’s teachings with the diverse civilizations that came under their sway. It is also an intriguing visual record of the evolution of Buddhist practice and philosophy over a period of more than two millennia.

More than two hundred photographs provide the visual context for this tour of the world of Buddhist art. Included in the rich variety of forms are architecture and monumental art, statuary, paintings, calligraphy, fresco, brushwork, and textile arts. Denise Leidy’s guide is the perfect introductory text for all those intrigued by this splendid aesthetic tradition. It is also an essential resource for all who seek to understand Buddhist art as teaching.

The Art of Buddhism

The Art of Happiness

Here is an extraordinarily lucid and intelligent self-help book, inspired by the Abhidamma, an ethical-psychological teaching presented in the body of ancient Buddhist scriptures of the same name. Based on various techniques of Buddhist mind training, the Abhidamma represents the systematic knowledge of the Dharma, or "good teaching"—that is, the liberating, happiness-promoting way of life. Dr. Frýba has designed a complete workbook of Dharma strategies for self-transformation, including some thirty detailed exercises that help readers feel at home in their bodies, protect well-being through mindfulness, and perceive reality with clarity and wisdom. These exercises show how to deal skillfully with painful events and negative emotions, and also offer direct ways of promoting positive emotions such as cheerfulness, sympathetic joy, and compassion. By relating these experiences to specific situations encountered in his work with friends, students, patients, and workshop participants, the author makes these ancient techniques genuinely applicable to familiar contemporary settings whether in everyday life, in meditation practice, or in the context of psychotherapy. At the same time, his faithfulness to his Buddhist sources will be appreciated by traditional-minded spiritual practitioners. 

The Art of Happiness

At Hell's Gate

In this raw and moving memoir, Claude Thomas describes his service in Vietnam, his subsequent emotional collapse, and his remarkable journey toward healing. At Hell's Gateis not only a gripping coming-of-age story but a spiritual travelogue from the horrors of combat to the discovery of inner peace—a journey that inspired Thomas to become a Zen monk and peace activist who travels to war-scarred regions around the world. "Everyone has their Vietnam," Thomas writes. "Everyone has their own experience of violence, calamity, or trauma." With simplicity and power, this book offers timeless teachings on how we can all find healing, and it presents practical guidance on how mindfulness and compassion can transform our lives. 

At Hell's Gate

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