"A wonderful introduction the Japanese tradition of jisei, this volume is crammed with exquisite, spontaneous verse and pithy, often hilarious, descriptions of the eccentric and committed monastics who wrote the poems." —Tricycle: The Buddhist ReviewAlthough the consciousness of death is, in most cultures, very much a part of life, this is perhaps nowhere more true than in Japan, where the approach of death has given rise to a centuries-old tradit...

Yoel Hoffmann—“Israel’s celebrated avant-garde genius” (The Forward)—supplies the magic missing link between the infinitesimal and the infinitePart novel and part memoir, Yoel Hoffmann’s Moods is flooded with feelings, evoked by his family, losses, loves, the soul’s hidden powers, old phone books, and life in the Galilee—with its every scent, breeze, notable dog, and odd neighbor. Carrying these shards is a general tenderness, accentuated by a new dimension brought...

Discover the beauty and clarity of life's final moments through Japan's haunting tradition of jisei—poems written at the edge of death.This moving collection brings together hundreds of translated death poems by Zen monks, haiku poets, and samurai warriors—many appearing in English for the first time. Compiled by renowned scholar Yoel Hoffmann, Japanese Death Poems offers more than exquisite verse: it explores Japan's deep-rooted cultural approach...

**The celebrated and controversial Zen Buddhist text on koans and their elusive answers, now updated for new readers“For scholars and students of Zen, inquiring readers, or anyone seeking relief from the rhetoric of division in the current political sphere, The Sound of the One Hand offers helpful didacticisms and poetic reflections that are truly timeless.” —Nozomi Saito, Asymptote**When The Sound of the One Hand came out in Japan in 1916 it caus...

Discover the bestselling Mindfulness Essentials series—a back-to-basics collection by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh that reveals the foundations of mindfulness practice.Reach true clarity and insight by looking deeply, minimizing misperceptions, and having the courage to see things as they really are.Profound and always approachable, Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us the art of looking deeply—in to our knee-jerk assumptions and runaway thoughts—so we...

'A revelation' Sunday Times, Books of the Year 2018The first Penguin anthology of Japanese haiku, in vivid new translations by Adam L. Kern.Now a global poetry, the haiku was originally a Japanese verse form that flourished from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. Although renowned for its brevity, usually running three lines long in seventeen syllables, and by its use of natural imagery to make Zen-like observations about reali...

Short chronological essays and simple drawings “illuminate a millennia of famous discoveries” and explain 51 key physics concepts (Physics Today).Humans have been trying to understand the physical universe since antiquity. Aristotle had one vision (the realm of the celestial spheres is perfect), and Einstein another (all motion is relativistic). More often than not, understanding begins with a drawing—a humble but effective tool of the physicist’s craft.

**Winner of the Pulitzer PrizeFeaturing a foreword by Battle Cry of Freedom author James McPhersonA vibrant portrait of Civil War-era Washington, D.C. that is “packed and running over with the anecdotes, scandals, personalities, and tragi-comedies of the day”—from the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for History (The New Yorker)**1860: The American capital is sprawling, fractured, squalid, colored by patriotism and treason, and deeply divided a...

Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh presents the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha, drawn directly from 24 Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese sources.Retold in Thich Nhat Hanh’s inimitably beautiful style, this book traces the Buddha’s life over the course of 80 years—partly through the eyes of Svasti, the buffalo boy, and partly through the eyes of the Buddha himself. Old Path White Clouds is a classic of religious literature.“I have not avoided including the ...

Thich Nhat Hanh invites you to a joyful, sustainable relationship with eating in this pocket-sized guide full of Zen inspiration and practical mindfulness tools.In short meditations, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh covers everything from eating with others and enjoying our food to connecting with the Earth. He inspires a joyful and sustainable relationship with all aspects of eating, including gardening, food shopping, preparing, serving, and even cleaning up after a me...

THE BESTSELLING POCKET GUIDE: Transform suffering and cultivate happiness with inspiration and mindfulness tools from Zen icon Thich Nhat Hanh.In inspiring passages and simple exercises, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us what he calls “the art of suffering.” He gives us teachings and tools for transforming suffering as well as ways to touch moments of happiness and smile even while suffering is still there.Written with characteristic simplicity and wisd...

Listening with compassion can solve our most pressing issues—across global politics and interpersonal relationships and within our own hearts and minds.In How to Listen, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh demonstrates how deep listening is a fundamental building block of good communication. But perhaps more fundamentally, listening is central to our practice, a basic ingredient to strengthen our capacity for mindfulness, concentration, insight, and compassion. Lea...