Buddhist Saints in India: A Study in Buddhist Values and Orientations

Buddhist Saints in India: A Study in Buddhist Values and Orientations
The issue of saints is a difficult and complicated problem in Buddhology. In this magisterial work, Ray offers the first comprehensive examination of the figure of the Buddhist saint in a wide range of Indian Buddhist evidence. Drawing on an extensive variety of sources, Ray seeks to identify the "classical type" of the Buddhist saint, as it provides the presupposition for, and informs, the different major Buddhist saintly types and subtypes. Discussing the nature, dynamics, and history of Buddhist hagiography, he surveys the ascetic codes, conventions and traditions of Buddhist saints, and the cults both of living saints and of those who have "passed beyond." Ray traces the role of the saints in Indian Buddhist history, examining the beginnings of Buddhism and the origin of Mahayana Buddhism.

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Buddhism and Science: A Guide for the Perplexed

Buddhism and Science: A Guide for the Perplexed
Beginning in the nineteenth century and continuing to the present day, both Buddhists and admirers of Buddhism have proclaimed the compatibility of Buddhism and science. Their assertions have ranged from modest claims about the efficacy of meditation for mental health to grander declarations that the Buddha himself anticipated the theories of relativity, quantum physics and the big bang more than two millennia ago.

In Buddhism and Science, Donald S. Lopez Jr. is less interested in evaluating the accuracy of such claims than in exploring how and why these two seemingly disparate modes of understanding the inner and outer universe have been so persistently linked. Lopez opens with an account of the rise and fall of Mount Meru, the great peak that stands at the center of the flat earth of Buddhist cosmography—and which was interpreted anew once it proved incompatible with modern geography. From there, he analyzes the way in which Buddhist concepts of spiritual nobility were enlisted to support the notorious science of race in the nineteenth century. Bringing the story to the present, Lopez explores the Dalai Lama’s interest in scientific discoveries, as well as the implications of research on meditation for neuroscience.

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Tibetan Tantric Choir - The Gyuto Monks

Tibetan Tantric Choir - The Gyuto Monks
The Western world became familiar with overtone singing--the process by which an overtone, or second note, is generated by one's voice--primarily through Tuvan throat singers. The monks of Llhasa, Tibet, have handed down this tradition for centuries. TIBETAN TANTRIC CHOIR is a recording of two pieces by the Gyuto Monks, produced by former Grateful Dead member and famed ethnomusicologist Mickey Hart during the monks' brief 1986 visit to the U.S. Each member of the Gyuto ensemble is capable of generating three tones at once, and they combine their voices on two lengthy pieces full of low-frequency drones and gently arcing overtones.

The first piece is for unaccompanied voices, and its focus on the low register is alternately spooky and enthralling. The second piece, "Melody for Mahakala," finds the monks accompanying themselves on a variety of handmade percussive instruments. The effect is like that of primal industrial music wedded to ancient religious rites. Intense concentration on the monks' work is rewarded by a deeper understanding of the relationship between sonic frequencies, but this album also functions well as somewhat ominous ambient music.

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Buddhist Yoga: A Comprehensive Course

Buddhist Yoga: A Comprehensive Course - Thomas Cleary
The word "yoga" has many meanings, including "meditation", "method", and "union." While the physical exercises of Hindu yoga are familiar to westerners, the subtle metaphysics and refined methods of spiritual development that characterize Buddhist Yoga are not yet well known. This volume presents a landmark translation of a classical sourcebook of Buddhist Yoga, the "Scripture Unlocking the Mysteries," a revered text of the Yogachara school of Buddhism. The study of this text is essential preparation for anyone undertaking meditation exercise. Linking theory and practice, the scripture offeres a remarkably detailed and thorough course of study in both the philosophical and pragmatic foundation of Buddhist yoga, amd their perfect, harmonious union in the realization of Buddhist enlightenment.

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The Sociology of Early Buddhism

The Sociology of Early Buddhism
This volume analyzes the remarkable ability of Buddhism to survive within a strong urban environment despite its renunciant nature. Early Buddhism flourished because it was able to take up the challenge represented by buoyant economic conditions and the need for cultural uniformity in the newly emergent states in northeastern India from the fifth century BCE onwards. In spite of the Buddhist ascetic imperative, the Buddha and other celebrated monks moved easily through various levels of society and fitted into the urban landscape they inhabited. The book offers reasons for this apparent inconsistency.

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Daoism

Daoism
Daoism is one of the great philosophical and religious traditions that grew and flowered in China. Unlike the great Western religions, Daoism has no one God or even a founding prophet. One of its central beliefs is that each person must follow his or her own path to the Dao, or 'Way of Life.' By being so universal and yet so personal, Daoism has exerted a significant influence on the spiritual life of many cultures both in Asia and throughout the world. "Daoism, Third Edition" traces the progress of Daoist thought, from the great Daodejing, or "The Book of the Way and Its Power" by Laozi, to the contemporary "Tao of Physics" by Fritjof Capra. This revised edition also examines the restoration of Daoism under China's religious freedom clause, the slow rebirth of Daoist monasticism, renewed interest in Daoism in China and abroad, and the impact of tourism on the monastic tradition. Coverage includes: meditation and the concept of wuwei; Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism; the growth and spread of religious Daoism; art and literature within Daoism; and political turbulence in the 20th century.

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Sera: The Way of the Tibetan Monk

Sera: The Way of the Tibetan Monk - S Rock
Tibet was once home to thousands of thriving Buddhist monasteries. But in 1959, following a Tibetan uprising against China's long occupation, nearly all were destroyed by the Chinese military, the practice of Buddhism was outlawed, and the Dalai Lama was forced into exile. In March of that year, Chinese tanks bombarded the 540-year-old Sera Jey Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, killing hundreds of monks and destroying ancient texts and invaluable artifacts that had been collected over centuries. Thousands of survivors fled over perilous mountain passes to neighboring India, many with only thin robes and light footwear to shield them from the harsh winter conditions of the Himalayas.The Sera Jey Monastery, reestablished near Mysore, India, now houses 5,000 Buddhist monks living in exile-including many who escaped the attack on the Tibetan monastery in 1959, and many more who have never known their ancestral homeland. Providing an intimate glimpse of this rarely seen world, Sera: The Way of the Tibetan Monk evokes the subtle moods and rhythms of this Buddhist community that has steadfastly carried on the legacy of the original Sera Jey. More than 100 duotone photographs capture daily rituals and sacred ceremonies, serious moments and playful gestures, compassionate faces and expressions of inspired serenity. Moving and unforgettable, Sheila Rock's portraits celebrate the tranquility, simple joys, and unadorned beauty of the ascetic life, offering a powerful testament to the strength and resilience of a persecuted people. A percentage of the royalties from this book go to the Sera Jhe Health Care Committee in aid of various humanitarian projects.

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