Simple and free of jargon, this practical Buddhist guide to meaning through awareness contains a wealth of exercises and advice to help the reader, find his or her way to enlightenment.

When the Iron Eagle Flies: Buddhism for the West

Politics & Social Sciences

Khema, Ayya

Philosophy

Penguin??Books

Techniques for developing meditative insight and compassion, written with pure sincerity by a Western Buddhist nun.

Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Alternative Medicine

Wisdom Publications

Self-transformation is an essential element in all forms of Buddhist meditation--from Tantra to Zen. Ayya Khema, author of the best-selling Being Nobody, Going Nowhere, uses one of the earliest Buddhist suttas to guide us along the path of the oldest Buddhist meditative practice for understanding the nature of "self." By following the Buddha's explanation with clear, insightful examples from her years of teaching meditation, she guides us back and forth between the relative understanding and higher realizations of the Buddhist concept of "self." Her thoughtful contemplation of the Buddha's radical understanding of "self" and her practical advice for achieving insight offer the reader a profound understanding of the "self." Both beginning and advanced practitioners will greatly benefit from Ayya Khema's warm and down-to-earth exposition of the Buddha's meditation on "self."

Who Is My Self?: A Guide to Buddhist Meditation

When the Iron Eagle Flies is a complete meditation course from one of the West's most beloved Buddhist teachers. In her usual direct style, Ayya Khema points us toward the middle path—a path of simplicity. Her teachings unfold simply, free of jargon, and are ideal for a contemporary world where our fevered pursuit of pleasure and comfort leaves us "like children playing in a house on fire, refusing to let go of our toys." A practical guide to building meaning through awareness, When the Iron Eagle Flies contains a wealth of exercises and advice to help the reader along the path. Ayya Khema grounds her teaching in our ordinary, everyday experiences, and gradually shows us how to gain access to liberation and freedom.

In this lucid classic, beloved teacher Ayya Khema introduces the reader to the essence of the Buddhist path. She addresses the how and why of meditation, providing a clear framework for understanding the nature of karma and rebirth and the entirety of the eightfold path. With specific, practical advice Ayya Khema illuminates the practices of compassion and sympathetic joy and offers forthright guidance in working with the hindrances that we all encounter in meditation. Few introductory books are both simple and profound. Being Nobody, Going Nowhere is both.

Reference

Ayya Khema (1923-1997) was the first Western woman to become a Theravadan Buddhist nun. As such, she has served as a model and inspiration for women from all the Buddhist traditions who have sought to revive the practice of women's monasticism in modern times. Though her renown as a teacher is widespread, few know the truly amazing details of her life before her monastic ordination at the age of fifty-eight. And what a life it was. Born Ilse Kussel in Berlin, Germany, she grew up in a prosperous Jewish family that was broken up by Nazi terror in 1938. The story of her escape alone to Scotland, and her journey to rejoin her family in China, would be enough for a thrilling adventure novel in itself—but it is only the beginning of the story. Her later adventures included—but were not limited to—surviving the Japanese invasion of China; living the life of a suburban housewife in Los Angeles, California; journeying up the Amazon; studying in a Bolivian university; building a power plant in Pakistan; and establishing the first organic farm in Australia. Her Buddhist practice was a result of a pursuit of the spiritual life that began in her forties when she encountered spiritual teachers in India. She eventually founded a monastery in Sri Lanka, from where, through her books, and her teaching travels, she became one of the most widely respected of contemporary teachers, particularly skilled in interpreting the Buddhist teachings for her fellow Westerners.

I Give You My Life: The Autobiography of a Western Buddhist Nun

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

Shambhala

This practical commentary on one of the most important scriptures of the Pali canon will provide essential sustenance for Buddhist practitioners. Ayya Khema is a mountain of strength, encouragement, and tough love as she pours out down-to-earth practical instruction on the journey to enlightenment, following the framework set forth in the Samannaphala-sutta, the Buddha's discourse on the rewards of spiritual life. The sutta—included here in the translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi—contains the Buddha's teachings in response to questions posed by King Ajatasattu. Why, the king asked, should we give up the satisfactions of worldly life and devote ourselves to meditation? What are the tangible benefits to be gained from following the Buddha's way? In answering this question, the Buddha provides a compact synopsis of the entirety of the spiritual path, and Ayya Khema expands on this with her characteristic approach—simple, direct, experiential, and loving. An important aspect of the sutta is an account of the eight meditative absorptions, or jhanas—states of mind that bring joy, serenity, and peace and that open the way to clarity and liberation. Ayya Khema, who was herself adept at the eight absorptions, confidently leads the reader to, through, and beyond the jhanas, following the Buddha's plan. Her words have the effect of inspiring us to roll up our sleeves and get to work so that we may grasp the insights, accomplish the meditative goals, and become enlightened to the highest extent of our talents and efforts.

Visible Here and Now: The Buddha's Teachings on the Rewards of Spiritual Practice

Ayya Khema (1923-1997) was the first Western woman to become a Theravadan Buddhist nun. As such, she has served as a model and inspiration for women from all the Buddhist traditions who have sought to revive the practice of women's monasticism in modern times. Though her renown as a teacher is widespread, few know the truly amazing details of her life before her monastic ordination at the age of fifty-eight. And what a life it was. Born Ilse Kussel in Berlin, Germany, she grew up in a prosperous Jewish family that was broken up by Nazi terror in 1938. The story of her escape alone to Scotland, and her journey to rejoin her family in China, would be enough for a thrilling adventure novel in itself-but it is only the beginning of the story. Her later adventures included-but were not limited to-surviving the Japanese invasion of China; living the life of a suburban housewife in Los Angeles, California; journeying up the Amazon; studying in a Bolivian university; building a power plant in Pakistan; and establishing the first organic farm in Australia. Her Buddhist practice was a result of a pursuit of the spiritual life that began in her forties when she encountered spiritual teachers in India. She eventually founded a monastery in Sri Lanka, from where, through her books and her teaching travels, she became one of the most widely respected of contemporary teachers, particularly skilled in interpreting the Buddhist teachings for her fellow Westerners.

I Give You My Life

Religion & Spirituality

Beloved Buddhist nun Ayya Khema expertly guides the reader through ten meditations on generating loving-kindness and cultivating the fifteen wholesome qualities necessary for igniting compassion and boundless love. Having escaped Nazi Germany in 1938,&nbsp;Ayya&nbsp;Khema&nbsp;has singularly profound perspective on creating peace, unconditional love, and compassion. She gently teaches that inner peace is not necessarily natural or innate. Instead, peace should be considered a skill that needs intentional practice--every day. Peace is the sum of many parts, namely the fifteen wholesome qualities the Buddha himself noted in the Metta Sutta,&nbsp;including usefulness, mildness, humility, contentment,&nbsp;receptivity, and&nbsp;others.&nbsp;Ayya&nbsp;Khema&nbsp;expertly guides us through each individual condition, using her trademark humor and personal narrative, to&nbsp;help&nbsp;each reader&nbsp;shape&nbsp;their own&nbsp;path to self-transformation.&nbsp; &nbsp; The second part of the book includes an eye-opening discussion of&nbsp;metta&nbsp;(loving-kindness)&nbsp;as both a morality and concentration practice, as well as&nbsp;ten&nbsp;meditation practices that&nbsp;use&nbsp;visualizations rather than more traditional mantra repetition. These visualizations include your heart as a "Fountain of Love," reaching those close to you and those far away, and a "Flower Garden," where we tend to the blooms in our hearts through love and compassion and share them with others. Edited by her student and retreat leader, Leigh Brasington, this book is a complete course in practical ways to calm and brighten our minds.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Path to Peace: A Buddhist Guide to Cultivating Loving-Kindness

Experience a complete meditation course with one of the West’s most renowned Buddhist teachers. Know Where You're Going provides a full course of instruction in Buddhist meditation and reflection, and contains a wealth of exercises and advice to help the reader grow. As we put these teachings into practice over time, we learn to see things as they really are and discover transcendence right here in our everyday lives. Ayya Khema shows us how to live a wholehearted spiritual life, even amid our day to day concerns and responsibilities. Her teachings unfold simply, free of jargon, and are ideal for the contemporary world. Grounding the practice of more advanced meditations in a deeply cultivated sense of mindfulness, love, and altruism, Khema shows us, step by step, how to access to liberation and freedom. Know Where You're Going was previously published under the title When the Iron Eagle Flies.

Know Where You're Going: A Complete Buddhist Guide to Meditation, Faith, and Everyday Transcendence

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Khema, Ayya. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Khema, Ayya

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Khema, Ayya. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

When the Iron Eagle Flies: Buddhism for the West

Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path

Who Is My Self?: A Guide to Buddhist Meditation

When the Iron Eagle Flies: Buddhism for the West

Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path

I Give You My Life: The Autobiography of a Western Buddhist Nun

Visible Here and Now: The Buddha's Teachings on the Rewards of Spiritual Practice

I Give You My Life

The Path to Peace: A Buddhist Guide to Cultivating Loving-Kindness

Know Where You're Going: A Complete Buddhist Guide to Meditation, Faith, and Everyday Transcendence