...for life or for death, it depends... by Sengai

• Zazen (meditation)
• Interfaith Dialog
• Women in Buddhism
• Death, Dying, Karma, and Rebirth
• Ethics, Precepts
• Various Arts and Cultural Influences
• Zen and Buddhist Poetry on the Web
• Biographies
• Vegetarian Diet and Buddhism and Vegetariansim
• Zen Documents and Writings (prepared by Dr. T.Matthew Ciolek
  • Past and present teachers
  • Guide to Selected Electronic Resources for the Study of Buddhist Texts
• Classical Chinese Poetry [includes Ch'an materials]
• The Electronic Bodhidharma (also, here) [Lists of publications on Zen (1977-1992); annotated bibliography of reference works for Ch'an/Zen studies; scholarly descriptions in Japanese of over 300 Chinese Zen texts with hot-text links; book reviews. Electronic files of over eighty Chinese Zen texts (JIS, Big5 odes). All texts are available for ftp copying]

   

  ZAZEN (MEDITATION)

  • Katsuki Sekida, Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy, Weatherhill 1996. An excellent introduction to zazen written for the student who cannot practice regularly with a teacher; it contains lots of subtle details which are hard to be found in other sources. Available in paperback and so very inexpensive.
  • Omori Sogen, An Introduction to Zen Training, Columbia University Press. It is one of the best book about zazen and Zen training. I put it on reserve in our library. So far, this book is available only in hardback. Paperback will be available shortly.
  • Philip Kapleau, The three Pillars of Zen. Perhaps the best general guide through Zen training, zazen, and so on.
  • Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind. Beginners Mind. An excellent, very intense, and beautiful introduction to Zen training in Soto style.
  • Robert Aitken, Taking the Path of Zen. A collection of essays on various aspects of the practice of zazen.

  ZAZEN INSTRUCTION AVAILABLE ON THE WEB

  • Beginning Meditation - A Zen Primer, Maria Kannon Zen Center (Dallas, TX)
  • Meditation and Mental Culture, Buddhism in the National Capital of Canada
  • Talks on Zen practice and meditation by American Soto Zen teachers, The Chapel Hill Zen Group
  • Zen Meditation: The Seat of Enlightenment, Zen Mountain Monastery;
  • The Way of Zazen (by Shodo Harada Roshi), The Columbia Zen Center : One Drop Zendo

  YOGA

  • My Daily Yoga (a simple and easy to use yoga site)

  INTERFAITH DIALOG

  Dalai Lama, The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teaching of Jesus, Wisdom 1996. The very best I have read on the topic of inter-religious dialog. Highly praised by both Christians and Buddhists. It consists of Dalai Lama's commentaries on the Gospels, further commentaries by several prominent Christian theologians, and the dialog between them. H.M. Enomya-Lassalle, The Practice of Zen Meditation (The Aquarian Press, 1990). Father Lassalle was a Christian monk in the Jesuit tradition as well as a distinguish teacher of Zen (Zen Roshi) so the book may be especially relevant for the students of zazen who have Christian background. He draws direct comparisons between Christian mysticism and Zen to help Christians and non-Christians to understand each other's tradition and outlook. Thich Nhat Hanh, Living Buddha, Living Christ. A very personal book by a contemporary Vietnamese Zen master. Robert Aitken , Roshi and David Steidle-Rast, The Grounds We Share: Everyday Practice, Buddhist and Christian, Shambhala.  Rodger Kamenetz., The Jew in the Lotus : A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India . Highly recommended if you're interested in comprehending the similarities between Buddhism and mystical Judaism. According to Amazon.com "Kamenetz, a poet and a Jew, was invited to attend and write about a historical meeting between a delegation of American Jews and a group of Tibetan Buddhists that included the Dalai Lama. This nterfaith get-together was inspired, in part, by the increasing number of Jews who have become Buddhists as well as the Dalai Lama's perception of Jews as "survival experts." Reviews. John Paul II, "Buddha" (from Crossing the Threshold of Hope) and "Buddhism and Views on Buddhism," by the Venerable Mahathera Madawela Punnaji.  His Holiness the Pope's Comments on Buddhism (From: Tenzin Trinley) ; Crossing the Threshold of Liberation, by Dr. Yutang Lin "Zazen and Christianity" by Yamada Koun Roshi: "I am often asked by Christians, especially Catholics, whether they can practice zazen, and still preserve the beliefs of Christianity. To that question, I usually answer that Zen is not a religion, in the same sense that Christianity is a religion. Therefore, there is no reason why Christianity and zazen cannot co-exist. . ."   Zen Master Eishu (1871-1945) gave this Cross to a Japanese Christian The calligraphy reads: "Penetrate this and all will be well."

  WOMEN IN BUDDHISM

  • Zen, Women, and Buddhism
  • Susan Murcot, The First Buddhist Women, Paralax Press 0-938077-42-2
  • Jose Ignacio Cabenoz (ED.), Buddhism, Sexuality, and Gender, SUNY Press, 0-7914-0758-6.
  • Lenore Friedman and Suzan Moon (eds.), Being Bodies, Shambhala 1997.

  DEATH, DYING, KARMA, AND THE PROCESS OF REBIRTH

  • Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Harper 0-06-250834-2. A contemporary classic, a "must read" book that also has a nice bibliography. (Reviews, a; b; other books by Sogyal Rimpoche; various quotes from Sogyal Rinpoche)
  • Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, Theory of Karma in Buddhism
  • "The Tibetan Book of the Dead". The original classic. Evans-Wentz's translation is questionable. I would look for some modern translation, e.g., one by Fremantle and Chogyam Trungpa. 

  ETHICS AND PRECEPTS

  Aitken, Robert, The Mind of Clover. 1984. 199 pp. North Point Press. ISBN 0-86547-158-4. A collection of essays on the philosophical, moral and ethical principles of Zen by a contemporary American Zen master. Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Buddhist Ethics; Introduction by Charles Hallisey. From the blurb: "This classic book analyzes, examines and explains ethical concepts from primarily Buddhist point of view. However, in examining such sources as Aristotle and other great Greek philosophers as well as the discourses of the Buddha the author brings about an appreciation and understanding of the tenets and concepts of ethics from Western as well as Eastern philosophical and religious perspectives. Hammalawa Saddhatissa is a deceased Buddhist and a scholar of Buddhism; Charles Hallisey is a Professor at Harvard University. Shundo Tachibana, Ethics of Buddhism, Curzon Press 1992. Based on his Ph. D. Dissertation written at Oxford University.           Looking in a Mirror by Zen Master Seisetsu Calligraphy reads: "When I look at my heart, I am ashamed because it looks like this."

  VARIOUS ARTS AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES

  • Aitken, Robert, A Zen Wave. 1982. 192 pp. Weatherhill. Tokyo, Japan. ISBN 0- 8348-0137-X. A collection of Basho's Haiku and writing on Zen translated by Aitken.
  • D.T.Suzuki, Zen and Japanese Culture (or any other book by Suzuki)
  • Shinichi Hisamatsu, Zen and the Fine Arts, Kodanska International 0-87001-519-7
  • Eido Shimano Roshi, Zen World, Zen Calligraphy, Shambhala 0-87773-643-X
  • Stryk, Lucien and Ikemoto, Takashi, Zen Poetry: Let the Spring Breeze Enter, Grove Press
  • Stryk, Lucien, World of Buddha: An Introduction to Buddhist Literature, Grove Press
  • Chogyam Trungpa, Dharma Art (Shambhala). On using fine arts in spiritual training.
  • Chogyam Trungpa, The Art of Calligraphy (Shambhala). An expensive hardback album but it contains some great calligraphy.
  • Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf: Zen Poems of Ryokan tr. by John Stevens, Shambhala.

  ZEN AND BUDDHIST POETRY ON THE WEB

  • Japanese Death Poetry -- http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/1120/
  • Chinese, Japanese, Buddhist Poetry, Haiku... (links to several books of poetry) -- http://www.gotop10.com/zenbooks.html
  • Early Music Women Composers -- http://music.acu.edu/www/iawm/pages/index.html and Women Poets -- http://music.acu.edu/www/iawm/pages/reference/poets.html
  • Pacific Zen Institute -- Poetry page http://www.azstarnet.com/~tenney/pzi/index.html
  • American Zen Buddhist (lots of valuable links to on line material)
  • Zen Poetry -- http://members.aol.com/Riversleep/Zen/Zen.htm (Ryokan, Han Shan, Basho and other great Zen poets)
  • Gardens, Poetry, & Zen -- http://www.tmn.com/~mcgarity/sh/shrinesgardens.htm
  • Poetry Archive -- Buddhism and Poetry -- http://www.poetrystore.com/secthing.html
  • The selection of Hsu Yun's poetry -- http://www.hsuyun.org/international/chinese/xypoems/poem1.html; also check out the Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun -- http://www.hsuyun.org/Dharma/ZBOHY/index/index.html

  BIOGRAPHIES

  • John Stevens, Three Zen Masters: Ikkyu, Hakuin, Ryokan (Kodansha)
  • Dalai Lama, Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography (Harper).
  • Eido T. Shimano, Endless Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa (Shambhala). A great homage to one of the greatest contemporary Mystics and Zen Masters (Soen Nakagawa) prepared by his students. Includes spectacular poetry and calligraphy.

  VEGETARIAN DIET

  • Buddhism and Vegetariansim
  • Seppo Ed Farrey, et al, 3 Bowls : Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery.
  • David Scott, Tom Pappas, Three Bowl Cookbook : The Secrets of Enlightened Cooking from the Zen Mountain.
  • Recipes from PETA's cookbook

  OTHERS

  • Heinrich Dumolin, Zen Buddhism: A History, Vol I: India and China, Vol. II, Japan
  • Nancy Wilson Ross, Buddhism: A Way of Life and Thought; and The World of Zen.
  • Philip B. Yampolsky, The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch: The Text of the Tun-Huang Manuscript, translated, with notes, Columbia University Press, 1966) Yampolski's commentaries are extraordinarily thorough, he also give useful background for understanding the sutra.
  • Koun Yamada, Gateless Gate: Newly Translated with Commentary. Zen MAster Yamada Roshi gives a series of teisho on Mumonkan (one of the classic book of koans).
  • Zenji Shibayama, Roshi, Zen Comments on the Mumonkan
  • Wu, The Golden Age of Zen
  • Sekida, Two Zen Classics (Mumonkan and Hekiganroku)

      

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