Zen philosophy asserts that inner peace and enlightenment can be attained through self-contemplation and meditation rather than devotion, faith and 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. Check out the many FREE ebooks bellow!
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The Art of War in Zen PhilosophyPosted by Thomas Retterbush on Tuesday, July 27, 2010,
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Zen Philosophy
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The Art of War
| 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 Format: PDF Delivery: Immediate Download Pages: 130 List Price: N/A Regular Price: N/A Special Price: FREE |
The Wings to Awakening
| 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 Format: PDF Delivery: Immediate Download Pages: 322 List Price: N/A Regular Price: N/A Special Price: FREE |
Pressing Out Pure Honey
| 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 Format: PDF Delivery: Immediate Download Pages: 157 List Price: N/A Regular Price: N/A Special Price: FREE |
An Unentangled Knowing 
| 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 Format: PDF Delivery: Immediate Download Pages: 115 List Price: N/A Regular Price: N/A Special Price: FREE |
Siddhartha
| 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, ID #: EB21-051 Author: Hermann Hesse Format: PDF Delivery: Immediate Download Pages: 100 List Price: N/A Regular Price: N/A Special Price: FREE
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Strong Roots 
| 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 Format: PDF Delivery: Immediate Download Pages: 332 List Price: N/A Regular Price: N/A Special Price: FREE |
Itivuttaka: This Was Said by the Buddha 
| 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 Format: PDF Delivery: Immediate Download Pages: 332 List Price: N/A Regular Price: N/A Special Price: FREE |
Tao Te Ching |
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$ 2.95 USDAccording 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 and other 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 even gardeners 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.
Format: PDF Price: $2.95 |
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Book of Five Rings |
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$ 2.95 USDThe Book of Five Rings is 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. |
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The Dhammapada |
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$ 4.95 USDThe 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 various occasions. Most verses deal with philosophy and spiritualism; for example, he wrote “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, 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”.
ID #: EB21-018 Author: Buddha Format: PDF Delivery: Immediate Download Pages: 1,294 List Price: N/A Regular Price: $29.95 Special Price: 4.95 |
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