Zen Buddhism Guides

Remembering J.C. Cleary

Remembering J. C. Cleary We are saddened to share the news that J. C. (Chris) Cleary passed away on February 25, 2023. Chris, along with his brother Thomas, were pioneers in bringing some of the most important texts from East Asian Buddhism and beyond into readable, accurate English. It began with the brothers' collaboration on

Buddhism

Zen and Chan in 2022 Read More We published several books and audiobooks on Zen and Chan Buddhism in 2022 See our other Year in Review Guides: Theravada/Pali/Insight | Zen and Chan | Tibetan Buddhism Yoga | Personal Development | Kids Books We are very happy to share with you a look back at our

Some Thoughts on Veteran’s Day

An excerpt from Veteran and Zen teacher Clause Anshin Thomas's At Hell's Gate When listening to a combat veteran speak about the war, pay attention to how you feel and to your reactions to those feelings. Do you want to get away from this person? Do you want to fix him? Are you trying to

Zen

Zen Buddhism

The Five Remembrances – An Excerpt from Alive Until You’re Dead by Susan Moon

The Five Remembrances Buddha urged his disciples to meditate upon the five remembrances. When I first heard them, I thought, Wow! This is harsh! But I shouldn’t have been surprised; they are straightforward reminders of the teaching of impermanence. Here is Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh’s translation. I am of the nature to grow old.

Chan, Zen, and Mahayana Buddhism in 2021

Chan, Zen, & Pure Land in 2021 Read More We published many books of interest from the East Asian Mahayana traditions in 2021. Here is a recap. See our other Year in Review Guides: Theravada/Pali/Insight | Chan, Zen, Mahayana | Tibetan Buddhism Receive a 30% discount on these titles through January 2nd using code 2021YE

Zen in Japan: Up to the Meiji Restoration

Zen in Japan: Up to the Meiji Restoration This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this

Japanese Arts & Culture

Remembering Thomas Cleary, Translator of Asian Classics

Last week we received the very sad news that Thomas Cleary, one of the greatest translators of our time, passed away on June 20, 2021. Thomas Cleary (1949–2021) was the twentieth century's most prolific translator of Asian classics to English, translating and introducing over eighty works from Chinese, Japanese, Sanskrit, Pali, Bengali, Arabic, and Old

The Buddhist Translations of Thomas Cleary: A Reader’s Guide

Thomas Cleary (1949—2021) was one of the twentieth century’s greatest translators of Asian classics. He was extremely prolific, translating and authoring countless works. Shambhala Publications has published over sixty. His books have sold millions of copies and his translations have in turn been translated into over twenty languages worldwide. His first published project, in collaboration

The Works of Zen in the Song Dynasty

The Works of Zen in the Song Dynasty This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this

The Samurai and Zen This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series or simply explore