Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) was one of the greatest Tibetan Buddhist teachers of the 20th century. While a practitioner in the Nyingma lineage, he held empowerments and teachings from many traditions and was a strong supporter of the Rimey non-sectarian movement. This Rimey Lama Chopa is a liturgical guruyoga text encompassing all stages of the Path to Enlightenment, with special emphasis on the Eight Chariots Rimey lineages. Lama Chopa is one of the central esoteric practices of Vajrayana Buddhism; and as such, this text is a unique and powerful contribution to world spiritual literature. On the centennary of Dilgo Khyentse's birth, a great celebration was held in Nepal, for which a locally-printed English edition of his well-known Rimey Lama Chopa was commissioned. The limited English edition was created by Glenn Mullin, a well-known Canadian Buddhist translator with many books to his credit. We are fortunate to have received permission from Mr. Mullin to create this new edition. In addition, we are fortunate to have the participation of Dilgo Khyentse's chief western disciple, the Venerable Matthieu Ricard, who has written an insightful foreword for the book and provided personal photographs of Rinpoche for this edition. 50% of profits from sales of this book will go to benefit charitable activities of Rinpoche's Karuna-Shechen Foundation in the Himalayas.

Rimey Lama Chopa

History

Khyentse, Dilgo

Asia

Sumeru Press Inc.

Charles Prebish is world-renowned as a leading Buddhist scholar, with more than 20 books and 100 academic articles to his credit. Since his involvement with Buddhism began in 1965, he has had the privilege and honor to meet all of America's distinguished and visiting Buddhist teachers, to work with Buddhist scholars around the world, and to deepen the academic study of Buddhism. While his specialization is in monastic discipline, he is most widely known as the first scholar to seriously examine Buddhism in America as a distinct field of study. His pioneering efforts in this regard have had a profound impact on the study of Buddhism's history in North America, which is now one of the most active areas of global Buddhist research. Dr Prebish was Founding Co-Chair of the Buddhism Section of the American Academy of Religion in 1981, Founding Co-Publisher of the first online peer-reviewed journal in the field of religious studies - "The Journal of Buddhist Ethics," and five years later another online journal - "The Journal of Global Buddhism." He recently retired as Professor Emeritus from Utah State University, after a 35-year career teaching at Pennsylvania State University. "An American Buddhist Life" is his story, with reflection on where Buddhism in America has been and where it's going.

An American Buddhist Life: Memoirs of a Modern Dharma Pioneer

Biographies & Memoirs

Prebish, Charles Stuart

Historical

This commentary is based on the six bardos teachings from a series of hidden treasure texts known as the Profound Dharma of Natural Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones (Zab chos zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol), discovered by the great terton Karma Lingpa in the fourteenth century. The word "bardo," made popular in the West through the English translation of the Bardo Thodol or The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which also belongs to the same series of treasure texts, means an intermediate or in-between state. The practice of the six bardos, according to the hermeneutics of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, is essentially the meditative practice of living and dying. Natural Appearances, Natural Liberation not only contains very practical advice, but also has many teachings of the Nyingma tantric tradition embedded in it. The original text is not intended as a study of spiritualism or psychology. Neither is it intended to be viewed as handbook for taking care of the deceased, nor as a treatise on emptiness. The intention is to condense the very deep and profound tantric teachings of the six bardos into practices approachable by all sentient beings so that many can swiftly attain various states of liberation. This book offers a scholarly but accessible explanation of the ancient wisdom embedded in this ancient Buddhist classic. Tam Shek-wing (1935-) is a Buddhist scholar, painter, poet, writer and social critic. He is the founder of the Vajrayana Buddhism Association and Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies Association in North America. Master Tam was born in Guangzhou, China. As a young man, he received systematic training in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism under the guidance of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche. In 1986, Master Tam emigrated from Hong Kong to Hawaii, and then to Toronto in 1993. As early as the late 1970s, Master Tam began publishing writings on Buddhism, with an emphasis on the teachings and meditative practice in Vajrayana Buddhism. To establish Sino-Tibetan Buddhist studies as a legitimate field in Buddhology, Master Tam helped organize publication of the Monograph Series in Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies. The published works sparked interest in establishing new curricula in Buddhist Studies in a number of universities in China, including Renmin University of China in Beijing, Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, and Nanking University in Nanjin. Since 2008, Master Tam has been a visiting professor at these universities, where he lectures on the tathagatagarbha doctrine and its practice.

Natural Appearances, Natural Liberation

Politics & Social Sciences

Tam, Shek-Wing

Sociology

Lama Chöpa is a practice of guru devotion special to the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In the Gelugpa tradition, there are many guru yoga sadhanas, but Lama Chöpa is the most popular and sacred text. A special practice of Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), the founder of the Gelugpa School, Lama Chöpa was compiled by the first Panchen Lama, Panchen Lozang Chökyi Gyaltsen (1570-1662), who was the teacher of the fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682). Lama Chöpa became so popular in Tibet and Mongolia that almost every monk of the Gelugpa tradition had it memorized, and recited it on a daily basis, both in the temple as a group practice, and individually. Lama Chöpa is considered to be an Anuttarayoga Tantra or Highest Yoga Tantra practice. As indicated by the opening words, "Arising within the sphere of great bliss, I manifest as a Guru Yidam," it contains the idea of personal transformation through the practitioner merging his or her mind with the guru as the meditational deity. The essence of the practice is to see the guru as an Enlightened Being, a Buddha, and to receive his or her blessings in return. This new translation by Rob Preece, with a preface by HH the Dalai Lama's official translator and a foreword by Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, contains all the traditional melodies and sacred hand gestures required to perform the prayer in its traditional form.

Lama Chopa

Preece, Rob

SEARCHING FOR THE HEART OF SACRED SPACE is about Landscape, Buddhism and Awakening - spoken in the same breath. The author personally explores ways of being in sacred landscapes, foundations for designing the contemplative garden. The book candidly reveals a path of transformation. Discovering the riches of the woods in Finland, the author investigates the natural environment for local government in Upstate New York and USAID in Nepal. He begins to taste the meaning of a spiritual home. Mentored by Tom Johnson at Cornell University, he designs a Tibetan Buddhist meditation centre, one of the first in North America. During a private audience, H. H. the Dalai Lama questions the basis for the design. Firmly linking the design of landscape to a spiritual path, the author questions, - "What is the truth of design? How deep would I go to draw inspiration? How deeply am I willing to know myself in order to design sacred landscape?" His search for the heart of sacred space points to an astounding historical connection between Kyoto's temple gardens and Pretapuri in Western Tibet, one of Buddhism's twenty-four sacred tantric sites. Guided by Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, he dissects the reference, an old Japanese garden-making text designating the first stones set upright in the landscape - 8,631 stones on the Tibetan Plateau guarded by the Eight Naga Kings. He makes a pilgrimage to Pretapuri, a landscape charged with the power of spiritual agreement between pilgrims and deities, revealed as three layers of discourse. External explanations enrich physical descriptions with tales told by rivers and terraces about the meaning of life. Internal explanations relate stories and legends investing a place with subtle attributes accorded to a sacred landscape. Secret explanations present a landscape produced by the power of the Six Perfections, graced by the purity and wisdom of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, corresponding to a structured pattern of focal points of energy and subtle channels. As a landscape architect and Buddhist, the author personally speaks with these provocative landscapes and the historical characters who previously addressed their mysteries, calling extensive textual references into the discussion. By disarming the feral conditions left by others, and awakening to the perfection and beauty of sacred landscapes, he uncovers profound tools for designing gardens for contemplation. Discovering layers of subtlety enhanced with hand-drawn maps and sketches in this book, you may never look at landscape the same way again; instead, seeing the world unbound wonder and reverence - naked - in silence ... and the unbearable lightness of space.

Searching for the Heart of Sacred Space

Religion & Spirituality

Winters, Dennis Alan

Buddhism

WALK LIKE A MOUNTAIN is the definitive guide to walking as Buddhist practice, not just for the serious practitioner but for anyone who wants to bring more contemplative depth to their everyday walks. From kinhin during zazen sessions to pilgrimage and beyond, this handbook offers the "how-to" with clarity and insight. Posture, hand positions and foot mechanics are merely the beginning. Other topics that are addressed in this comprehensive book include:  Preparations and aids  Prayer walking  Purification and dedication  Kaihogyo (marathon contemplative walking)  Leading a walking practice  Walking for change  Walking as daily life  Walking the symbolic landscape  Alms rounds  Mandalas  Circumambulation  Labyrinths  Walking Nembutsu  Alternatives in contemplative walking.  Innen Ray Parchelo has studied, taught and practiced Buddhism for more than 40 years and acts as both the Priest to the Red Maple Sangha and Director of Tendai Canada. He began his formal dharma practice in 1974 and has been a member of several Buddhist centres, first taking refuge in 1994. In 2008, he renewed his refuge- vows as a student of Ven. Monshin Paul Naamon, and, in 2010, was ordained a Tendai priest.  Innen is has lived and worked as a clinical social worker in the Ottawa Valley since 1975. He regularly uses walking and mindfulness techniques in a social work setting. He has degrees in Comparative Religion and Social Work and has published general and scholarly articles on dharma and social work topics and is a popular conference speaker. He is the regular Buddhist contributor to the Ottawa Citizen's "Ask the Religion Experts" column. He and his wife, Judy, live with their three dogs in a old log schoolhouse, near Renfrew, Ontario.

Walk Like a Mountain: The Handbook of Buddhist Walking Practice

Parchelo, Innen Ray

Throughout history, astrology was considered a scholarly tradition, relied upon by world leaders, philosophers and spiritual teachers to guide civilizations in all areas of life. Historically, astrology was accepted in political and academic contexts, and was connected with astronomy, alchemy, meteorology and medicine. Although since the end of the 17th century, science called astrology into question, many scholars are now reviving its role in shaping our understanding of the world. Buddhist Astrology is a form of archetypal astrology that helps us understand the role of the cosmic cycles in relation to our understanding and identification with Buddhist philosophy and mythology. It helps us understand the role of interdependence, a primary Buddhist belief, with our personal genetics, family history, education, and other social and cultural influences. Buddhist Astrology recognizes that there is a critical need to balance the physical world around us with conditions we were born into, from a karmic or cosmic perspective. The interdependence of these factors makes us able to live in a world full of choices while honoring the basic dynamic trends pulling us in one direction or another.

Buddhist Astrology: Chart Interpretation from a Buddhist Perspective

Shaneman, Jhampa

Angel, Jan

In "The Third Step East: Zen Masters of America", Richard Bryan McDaniel continues the story, begun in his earlier work, of the spread of Zen from India to China ("Zen Masters of China: The First Step East"), thence to Japan ("Zen Masters of Japan: The Second Step East"), and then to North America and Europe. As McDaniel points out in the prologue to this book, the history of Zen practice in United States is less than a hundred years old. The first Zen priests sent to America from Japan were assigned to temples which served the immigrant population on the west coast. The temples functioned as community centers where traditional values were retained and respected. The priests' responsibilities were similar to those of their Christian counterparts, to perform wedding and funeral services, to conduct memorial services, and to carry ritual ceremonies for the benefit of their congregations. Although Zen was understood to be the meditation school of Buddhism, meditation was viewed as an activity for monastics and clergy, not for lay people. McDaniel's book demonstrates how this tradition was transformed into a lay practice in the west. He begins by examining the social and cultural factors in America which led to an initial theoretical interest in Zen during the 1940s and '50s, after which he profiles the individuals who fostered that interest, including D. T. Suzuki, Alan Watts, and the Beat Generation of writers. Ironically, during the 1960s, when Zen was on the decline in Japan-because the youth of that country viewed it as a remnant of the old feudal and the militaristic structures responsible for a the war that had ended so disastrously for the country-youth culture in America came to look upon Zen as a way of escaping from the intellectual and social constraints of their culture. Chapters are dedicated to the lives and work of the early teachers who established Zen practice in the West: Robert Aitken, Shunryu Suzuki, Eido Shimano, Taizan Maezumi, Philip Kapleau, Dainin Katagiri, and others. A summary of the main elements of the teaching styles of each of these is provided, giving readers an overview of the different training methods used by these pioneers and the ways in which they adapted an ancient Asian tradition to a new environment. The book also collects and retells some of the stories associated with these teachers which have begun to circulate within Zen circles, much as earlier tales of their Asian predecessors have done. The story of American Zen will be continued in a sequel to this work, entitled "Cypress Trees in the Garden", scheduled for publication by Sumeru in the Autumn of 2015. It will describe the heirs and legacies of the Zen Masters and teachers described in "The Third Step East".

Third Step East: Zen Masters of America

McDaniel, Richard Bryan

"When crystallized identities enter a nondual field of awareness and begin to interact with a being embodying that state, suffering can't be sustained. It dissolves into a space where there is neither suffering nor its absence. Nondual awareness creates a transformational field or vortex that gently or abruptly, but irrevocably moves people into radiant awareness.... This is the paradoxical state that bodhisattvas play in for eternity." This Guide goes behind the curtains of Dr. Peter Fenner's highly distinctive nondual teachings. It reveals in great detail and clarity the subtle and sometimes mysterious skillful methods he uses in his workshops, trainings, public presentations and coaching to swiftly awaken people to the liberating freedom of nondual, panoramic awareness. Peter has a unique ability to reflect on the deep processes involved in his nondual transmission, especially the nuances of language, deep feelings and silence. He is well known for the rigor, precision and organic flow of his unfindability dialogs. The skills he reveals in this Guide are many of the very same methods used by Dzogchen masters, Zen roshis and Advaita sages in "pointing out events" and "mind-to-mind transmission". Peter's teaching has been described by others as "free-form, continuous pointing to awareness." In Buddhism nondual awareness is often called the "ultimate medicine" because no higher evolutionary accomplishment is possible for any conscious being, living anywhere, at any time. When we see everything as the seamlessly changing fabric of immutable, unfindable awareness it's impossible to be negatively touched by any environmental circumstance or inner perturbance. We move into the realm of embodied transcendence beyond disturbances and conditioned forms of peace. In this Guide Peter often shares at the "result, or fruition level." He shows us how comprehensive awakening is our natural state, that infuses and embraces the totality of existence whenever we let go of personal striving, ambition, fantasies, hopes, fears and self-judgment. At this level our familiar preoccupations transform into a blissful and exquisite mandala that's completely free of the narrow concerns of a self-absorbed life. The neurotic energies and paranoiac projections that shape samsaric existence self-liberate into a panoramic clearing that supports evolutionary transformation throughout the universe. In this Guide Peter's outlines everything he has discovered in 42 years of teaching. The Guide is especially useful for facilitators, therapists and coaches as it powerfully accelerates the integration on the nondual in a form that lends itself to the public sharing of pure awareness. Part One is a virtual manual for spiritual teachers, therapists and coaches in how to introduce groups and clients to the ultimate state of healing and being-pure, pristine, timeless awareness. Part Two traces Peter's contemporary expression of nonduality, and more especially his well-known Radiant Mind course, through to its Asian origins.

Natural Awakening: An Advanced Guide for Sharing Nondual Awareness

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Fenner, Peter G.

Psychology & Counseling

Richard Bryan McDaniel's "Cypress Trees in the Garden" continues the history of North American Zen which he began in "The Third Step East: Zen Masters of America" (Sumeru Press, 2015). The earlier book described the pioneers who established Zen practice in North America; this new book focuses on the heirs and successors of those teachers and the challenges they faced. Between March 2013 and September 2014, McDaniel traveled from San Francisco to Portland, Maine, from Montreal to Albuquerque, interviewing 75 prominent Zen teachers and their senior students. The result is a book which describes the way in which-like the Chinese and Japanese before them-North Americans have taken an Indian tradition which pre-dates Christianity and reformed it into something uniquely their own. Chapters on teachers in the Rinzai, Soto, and Sanbo Zen traditions provide a strikingly honest portrait of contemporary Zen teaching, practice, and social engagement in the United States and Canada. This survey of current American Zen teachers gives an honest, intimate, look into the inspiring efforts and growing pains of the evolution of Zen in the West. It does this by letting the major players speak in their own voice about how they came to Zen practice, their offerings, their troubles and their hopes for the future of American Zen. I couldn't put it down. - Genjo Marinello, Abbot of Chobo-Ji In "Cypresss Trees," Rick McDaniel masterfully gets out of the way and lets his subjects tell their stories. In so doing, we get a whole sense of this great American Zen experiment from satori to debauchery and back (or vice versa), along with much in the middle. If the Zen root does entangle with the American spirit, then Zen students for generations will cherish this book for the honest portrayals of its founders and failures expressed and exposed here. - Dosho Port Roshi, Great Tides Zen ...this offering is at once a history of Zen and a lovely homecoming. Additionally, McDaniel weaves in fundamental teachings, such as differences between Soto and Rinzai Zen within the context of his narrative. This book should be of interest to the serious Zen student, the casual reader as well as students of the history of religion. - Seiso Paul Cooper Sensei, Two Rivers Zen Richard Bryan McDaniel taught at the University of New Brunswick and Saint Thomas University before starting a 27 year career in International Development and Fair Trade. He is the creator of the YMCA Peace Medallion. A long time Zen practitioner, he is the author of "Zen Masters of China," "Zen Masters of Japan," and "The Third Step East: Zen Masters of America."

Cypress Trees in the Garden: The Second Generation of Zen Teaching in America

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