Mango Elephants in the Sun: How Life in an African Village Let Me Be in My Skin by Susana Herrera It's a funky title, but don't let that hold you back. Susana's account of her two years in the Peace Corps in Cameroon is a rollicking good read. As much for the wisdom it contains

Cave of Tigers: The Living Zen Practice of Dharma Combat  By John Daido Loori Grrrrrrrrr. These records of public teaching encounters between the founder of Zen Mountain Monastery and his students are disorienting (in the best way), thought-provoking, and funny, and they show that this ancient practice for manifesting wisdom is alive and well in

Faith in Mind: A Commentary on Seng Ts'an's Classic by Chan Master Sheng Yen "The Supreme Way is not difficult, if only you do not pick and choose…" The late Master Sheng Yen is the most wonderful Buddhist teacher you never heard of. He wrote so many books that it's hard to know where to

The Hundred Verses of Advice: Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on What Matters Most by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, translated by the Padmakara Translation Group And what is it that matters most? Turns out it's practicing with great sincerity on behalf of all beings. Starting right now. Dilgo Khyentse's commentary on Padampa Sangye's verses of advice to the

The True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen's Three Hundred Koans, Translated by Kazuaki Tanahashi and John Daido Loori The notion that koans don't belong to the Soto Zen tradition can't withstand the fact that Soto's founder, Eihei Dogen (1200-1253), compiled this monumental collection. Dogen collected the three hundred koans contained in this work called in

The following exercise is excerpted from  The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi  by Peter M. Wayne, PhD, and Mark L. Fuerst. A good way to experience the interactions between gentle, pulsing move ­ments, relaxation, imagery, and intention and their potential to alleviate pain is by practicing a simple exercise I developed called "Hand