"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...

**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...

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...

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 ...

David Hinton breathes new life into a foundational text of Taoism and Chinese philosophy in this poetic translation for the modern reader looking to go beyond the Tao Te Ching.Witty, engaging and spiced with the lyricism of poetry, Chuang Tzu’s Taoist insights in the Inner Chapters are timely and eternal. The only sustained section of text widely believed to be the work of Chuang Tzu himself, these chapters date to the 4th century B.C.E and are profoundly ...

In this beautiful and extraordinary zen calligraphy book, Shozo Sato, an internationally recognized master of traditional Zen arts, teaches the art of Japanese calligraphy through the power and wisdom of Zen poetry.Single-line Zen Buddhist koan aphorisms, or zengo, are one of the most common subjects for the traditional Japanese brush calligraphy known as shodo. Regarded as one of the key disciplines in fostering the focused, meditative state of m...

Shodo Harada is internationally recognized both as a Zen teacher and as a world-class master of the fine art of Zen calligraphy. Harada regularly exhibits and gives calligraphy demonstrations in museums and universities in the U.S. and abroad. Accomplished Zen teachers from across the globe come to further plumb the depths of Zen through studying with him, earning him a reputation as "the roshi's roshi" - which is to say, the master's master.Moon by the Window is a beautif...

A poetry collection honoring the haiku—complete with poet biographies, translator commentary, and Japanese artworkThis celebration of what is perhaps the most influential of all poetic forms takes haiku back to its Japanese roots. Beginning with poems by the seventeenth and eighteenth-century masters Basho, Busson, and Issa, the anthology goes all the way up to the late twentieth century to provide a survey of haiku through the centuries, in all its minimalist glor...

“The most creative and courageous social theorist working today” examines the ethical binds that emerge within the force field of violence (Cornel West).“ . . . nonviolence is often seen as passive and resolutely individual. Butler’s philosophical inquiry argues that it is in fact a shrewd and even aggressive collective political tactic.” —New York TimesJudith Butler shows how an ethic of nonviolence must be connected to a broader ...

“In this, his final work, American senior Zen Roshi Robert Aitken lovingly ties together two threads, Zen practice and haiku.” —Spirituality & HealthKnown to many as the study of quiet stillness and introspection, Zen Buddhism distinguishes itself through brilliant flashes of insight and its terseness of expression. In River of Heaven these concepts and pillars lend themselves to an exploration of Haiku, one of the most delicate and interpretive p...

Over 200 of the best haiku poems from Japanese literature, translated by one of America’s premier poet-translators and now in one giftable volumeThe haiku is one of the most popular and widely recognized poetic forms in the world. In just three lines a great haiku presents a crystalline moment of image, emotion, and awareness. This illustrated collection includes haiku by the great masters from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century, including works by Bash...