Zen philosophyasserts that inner peace andenlightenmentcanbeattainedthrough self-contemplation and meditation ratherthandevotion, faithand belief.
Zen is short for Zen Buddhism. It is sometimes called a religion and sometimes called a philosophy.
Zen Buddhism developed from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the Buddha. About 500 B.C. as a prince of what is now India, he became so deeply disturbed by the misery he witnessed in his homeland, that he gave up his fortunate life to seek understanding. He found that suffering and unhappiness are the result of attachment to circumstances and things which are temporary. By elimination of these attachments, including affection to the artificial notion of self ("I" or “me”), one can be free of pain. After 6 years of hardship he achieved Enlightenment at age 35
The Buddha’s teachings have been passed down from teacher to student to this day. Sometime around 475 A.D. one of the Buddha’s students traveled from India to China and introduced the teachings of the Buddha there. In China Buddhism merged with the native Taoism.
The result of this mingling spread from China to Japan, where it later formed into what is now known as (at least in translation) Zen Buddhism.
Buddhism and it's cousin Taoism have gained significant popularity in the United States and Europe, to the point that it have become somewhat of a movement. Many true practitioners are hoping it isn't just a fad, but rather the beginning of a global consciousness.
I am attempting to provide you with the best articles, books and links available on Zen, Buddhism, Taoism and related subjects, but particularly those that apply in today's modern society. You will find many of these workable works bellow, as well as on my related Spirituality, Yoga and Alternative Medicine Pages.
Posted by Thomas Retterbush on Sunday, September 26, 2010 In : Zen
Zen Meditation: Stop and Smell the Roses!
How many of us walk through life wondering what our purpose is? How many of us look in a mirror and wonder who we are and what we want out of life?
Why is it that we do so? How many times have you said, 'I would like to purchase that' or 'I want to go there.' But who is 'I'? Do you really know yourself? Zen is the process of knowing who you truly are.
This is generally done by living the right way and practicing your meditation. When you live a Zen l...
Posted by Thomas Retterbush on Monday, September 20, 2010 In : Zen
Life is more often than not too fast, complicated and cluttered. Simplify and you'll be on the right track of inner peace and happiness. Both are foundations to Zen!
Slow down, take a deep breath and try to do nothing for a half an hour. Can you even do this? If you can't, you need to work on this. Inner peace is something that cannot be achieved during stress!
Bellow you will find the basics that will lead you to happiness, inner peace and Zen.
Posted by Thomas Retterbush on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 In : Videos
A higher spiritual awareness of the biology of the spirit, brain, mind and even the body can significantly advance one towards Enlightenment and Zen. The science of biology says that the our thoughts are just the result of cells doing work, and teachings on spirituality talk about having a silent mind of Zen.
The bottom line is, that although little has been known about how our brains “produce” consciousness up to now, neuroscientists and quantum physicists are clo... Continue reading...
Posted by Thomas Retterbush on Sunday, August 22, 2010 In : Buddhism
Buddhism arose on the northern border of India around 500 B.C. in response to the Hinduism of its day. Like the Judaism around the time of Christ, Hinduism was a religion of rituals, with an elite priesthood who administered a multifaceted theology. It supported a society in which people were strictly divided into a caste system of statue, role and power.
Like medieval Christian reformers, Buddha proposed drastic changes to the religion of his day, which in many ways resembled the ideals of...
Posted by Thomas Retterbush on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 In : Zen Paths
Basic Mindfulness Training is built around five core practices. You don’t necessarily have to learn all five, although most people like to at least sample them all. Because these practices are strongly contrasting, the chances are very good that even if you don’t take to all of them, at least one or two will really work for you. Furthermore, if a particular practice doesn’t work at a given time, then it’s very likely that one of the other four will.
Posted by Thomas Retterbush on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 In : Zen Philosophy
The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise written during the 6th century BC by Sun Tzu. Composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare, it has long been praised as the definitive work on military strategy.
You may wonder, what does The Art of War have to do with Zen, enlightenment and peace of mind. It is ironic, that in order to achieve peace, we must understand war. In order to realize happiness, we must know agony, to feel love we must perceive hate and to aq...
Posted by Thomas Retterbush on Thursday, July 22, 2010 In : Zen
Actually, this post should be called "The Wisdom of Zengetsu".
Zengetsu, a Chinese master of the T'ang dynasty, wrote the following advice for his pupils:
Living in the world yet not forming attachments to the dust of the world is the way of a true Zen student.
When witnessing the good action of another encourage yourself to follow his example. Hearing of the mistaken action of another, advise yourself not to emulate it.
Even though alone in a dark room, be as if you were facing a noble gu...
Posted by Thomas Retterbush on Thursday, June 24, 2010 In : Modern Zen
It is not necessary to lead a frantic life to accomplish many things. If you follow some of the simple steps bellow, you will not only have the time to do what you thought you needed to do, you will even have time to do what you WANTED to do.
Get Up Early
If you start your day in a state of hurry you’ll carry that feeling with you throughout the rest of the day. We rush through breakfast, run out the door, sit in traffic tapping our hand against the steering wheel impatiently and mutterin...
Posted by Thomas Retterbush on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 In : Modern Zen
Zen can be a tricky theory to comprehend. The dictionary defines it as "meditation" or "to figure out something by meditation” or “by a sudden flash of enlightenment ".
Zen can be alleged as a new acceptance on how to live one's life. Demanding self-control, perseverance and persistence, living Zen everyday is not easy, but can in due course lead to an exceptionally worthwhile and meaningful life.
Zen does not tell you what to do. Zen is not a religion. Zen can be practiced every tim...
Sun Tzu is traditionally believed to be the author of The Art of War, sometimes called the Sun Tzu, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy considered to be a prime example of Taoist strategy. It presents a philosophy of war for managing conflicts and winning battles. The Art of War formed the foundations of orthodox military theory from the laying of plans to the tactics and
psychology of maneuvering an army, to the proper use of spies, resonate for us
in today's world of cut-throat, ruthless business. This classic is widely seen as a necessity on the
bookshelf of military leaders and boardroom executives alike. Illustrating this point, the book was required reading to pass the tests needed for imperial appointment to military positions.Sun Tzu has had a significant impact on Chinese and Asian history and culture as an author of the Art of War and as a legendary figure.
ID #: EB11-001
Author:Sun Tzu
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Pages: 130
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The Wings to Awakening
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The Wings to Awakening constitute the Buddha’s own list of his most important teachings. Toward the end of his life, he stated several times that as long as the teachings in this list were remembered and put into practice, his message would endure. Thus the Wings constitute, in the Buddha’s eyes, the words and skills most worth mastering and passing along to others. This text includes copious new translations from the Pali Canon, and serves as a very useful anthology of the Buddha’s most essential teachings.
ID #: EB21-009
Author: Thanissaro Bhikkhu
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Pages: 322
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Pressing Out Pure Honey
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This manual has been prepared as a study guide for practitioners to Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, or the Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha. Sometimes, one can feel daunted by the size of this large body of work and can be deterred from even beginning to read the text. Yet, this collection of the second of the Buddha’s discourses found in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Canon contains some of the most profound teachings, and it covers a wide range of the Buddha’s radical insights into the nature of existence.
ID #: EB21-019
Author: Sharda Rogell
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Pages: 157
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An Unentangled Knowing
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Upasika Kee Nanayon, who wrote under the penname K. Khao-suan-luang, was one of the foremost woman teachers of Dhamma in modern Thailand. Born in 1901, she started a practice center for women in 1945 on a hill in the province of Rajburi, to the west of Bangkok, where she lived until her death in 1978. Known for the simplicity of her way of life, and for the direct, uncompromising style of her teaching, she had a way with words evident not only in her talks, which attracted listeners from all over Thailand, but also in her poetry, which was widely published. This volume contains the most extensive collection of her teaching yet available in English, together with an introduction that indicates her place in the history of Theravadin Buddhist practice.
ID #: EB21-010
Author: Upasika Kee Nanayon
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Pages: 115
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Siddhartha
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Siddhartha is an allegorical novel by Hermann Hesse which deals with the spiritual journey of an Indian boy called Siddhartha during the time of the Buddha. The book, Hesse's ninth novel, was written in German, in a simple, yet powerful and lyrical, style. It was first published in 1922, after Hesse had spent some time in India in the 1910s. It was published in the U.S. in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s. The word Siddhartha is made up of two words in the Sanskrit language, siddha (gotten) + artha (meaning or wealth). The two words together mean "one who has found meaning (of existence)" or "he who has attained his goals".
ID #: EB21-051
Author: Hermann Hesse
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Pages: 100
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Strong Roots
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How does a human practice change, and how can it possibly stay the same in the process of transmission between very different cultures? As one Theravada Buddhist method of mindfulness meditation is imported from Burma to the United States, for instance, how is the practice reborn and how are the Americans transformed? This books aims to demonstrate both theoretically and practically the importance of operating from a coherent teaching lineage and continually returning to it to frame new interpretations.
ID #: EB21-166
Author: Jake H. Davis
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Pages: 332
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Itivuttaka: This Was Said by the Buddha
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The Itivuttaka, a collection of 112 short discourses, takes its name from the statement at the beginning of each of its discourses: this (iti) was said (vuttam) by the Blessed One. It has long been one of the favorite collections in the Pali Canon, for it covers a wide range of the Buddha’s teachings—from the simplest to the most profound—in a form that is accessible, appealing, and to the point. However, although the discourses in the Itivuttaka cover many topics, they all relate to a common theme: the consequences of one’s actions, or kamma.
ID #: EB21-167
Author: Thanissaro Bhikkhu
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Pages: 332
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Tao Te Ching
$ 2.95 USD
According to tradition, the text was written around the 6th century BC by the sage Laozi(Old Master). The Tao Te Ching is fundamental to the Philosophical Taoism andother schools, such as Legalism and Neo-Confucianism. This ancient book is central in Chinese religion, not only for Taoism but Chinese Buddhism, Many Chinese artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and evengardeners have used the Tao Te Ching as a source of inspiration. It is not hard to understand the readiness of early scholars to assert that the doctrine of the Trinity was revealed in the Tao Te Ching and that its fourteenth chapter contains the syllables of "Yahveh." Even today,though these errors have been recognized for more than a century, the general notion that Lao Tzu was Christ's forerunner has lost none of its romantic appeal. Its influence has also spread widely outside East.
ID # EB21-026
Format: PDF Delivery: Email Attachment Pages: 85 List Price (MSRP): $12.99
Price: $2.95
Book of Five Rings
$ 2.95 USD
The Book of Five Ringsis a text on the martial arts in general, written by the samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi around 1645. It is considered a classic treatise on military strategy, much like Sun Tzu's The Art of War. There have been various translations made over the years, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists: for instance, some business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to business. The modern-day Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū employs it as a manual of technique and philosophy. He also continually makes the point that the understandings expressed in the book are important for combat on any scale, whether a one-on-one duel or a massive battle. ID # EB21-027 Format: PDF Delivery: Email Attachment Pages: 46 List Price(MSRP): $9.98 Price: $2.95
The Dhammapada
$ 4.95 USD
The 1,294 page Dhammapada is a versified Buddhist scripture traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself. According to tradition, the Dhammapada's verses were spoken by the Buddha on variousoccasions. Most verses deal with philosophy and spiritualism; for example, he wrote “All that we are is the result of what we havethought.If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain followshim, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him”.
I would love to be able to give this out for free, but it's 1,294 pages make it impossible. Unfortunately the file is too big, and I would have to pay extra on my hosting account. In fact I HAD ALREADY LISTED IT FOR FREE BUT COULDN'T UPLOAD THE FILE! Sorry, but I can't afford it. But via PayPal I can get you this huge document for only $2.95 delivered to your Inbox.
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