The First Noble Truth is "Life is Suffering." But if the Buddha grew up in the hood he may have said "Life Sucks and Then You Die" (Chapter One) Growing up in the Bronx in all the turbulence and craziness of the '60s, Jerry Duvinsky learnt this lesson first hand: The promising lives cut short, the tragic idealism and self-destruction. But life on the streets also teaches other things, and like the lotus flower that flourishes best in the mud and slime, out of these experiences can grow a deeper understanding of life, and even perhaps a path to true acceptance and liberation.Bronx Dharma is a somewhat irreverent and darkly humorous endeavor to translate the seemingly esoteric and remote philosophies and practices of Zen Buddhism to the reality of contemporary life on the streets. Duvinsky utilizes autobiographical references from his life growing up in the Bronx during the turbulence of the 60s and 70s, his 30 years of experience conducting psychotherapy, as well as his own Zen training under the tutelage of illuminated masters in the Kwan Um tradition. Duvinsky renders some basic principles of the Dharma as taught by the Buddha 2500 years ago into fresh and relevant themes and language to serve as a guide and inspiration to the Zen curious, or others trying to lead a more "woke" life while dealing with the challenges of modern existence. Born and raised in the Bronx, Dr. Duvinsky earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Binghamton University where he currently supervises graduate student's clinical work. He founded and directs a large private behavioral health clinic in Binghamton, New York. He has over thirty years of clinical experience. A long- time student of Zen Buddhism, he is training to be a Dharma Teacher in the Kwan Um lineage of Korean Zen, founded by the world-renowned Zen Master Seung Sahn. Duvinsky has published books integrating behavioral psychology and Eastern mindfulness practices. Sample of chapter headings: Chapter 1 - Life Sucks and Then you Die; Impermanence and the Roots of SufferingChapter 2 - Dis is Dis: All You Need is NowChapter 3 - Everything is Everything: Interpenetration and Co-arising DependenceChapter 4 - The Bronx is Burning!: Bad Situation - Good SituationChapter 6 - Bronx Rap: the Tremont Avenue SutrasChapter 8 - "Zen as Fuck": Becoming and Staying Conscious in an Unconscious World. All profits from sales of this book will go to the Three Jewels Sangha of the Kwan Um School of Zen in order to help provide a Dharma Center for the Binghamton, NY region.

Buddhism in New York is as exciting and diverse as the city itself, but can be just as overwhelming for those new to the practice. What's a good temple or practice center to try for your first visit? What should you wear? What are the differences between the various schools? With The Buddhist Guide to New York, you can find a supportive community in which to explore the wisdom offered by this 2,500-year-old tradition. The book includes: * A brief introduction to Buddhism and the different schools, from Pure Land to Zen * General etiquette for visiting temples * Practice centers in all five boroughs, New York State, New Jersey, and Connecticut * Tibetan stores and restaurants * Buddhist health practitioners * Museums and cultural resources * Bookstores, publications, educational institutions, and other resources Whether you're a new explorer of Buddhism or a long-time practitioner, The Buddhist Guide to New York by Jeff Wilson will help you enjoy everything the region has to offer.

Igniting a long-overdue dialogue about how the legacy of racial injustice and white supremacy plays out in society at large and Buddhist communities in particular, this urgent call to action outlines a new dharma that takes into account the ways that racism and privilege prevent our collective awakening. The authors traveled around the country to spark an open conversation that brings together the Black prophetic tradition and the wisdom of the Dharma. Bridging the world of spirit and activism, they urge a compassionate response to the systemic, state-sanctioned violence and oppression that has persisted against black people since the slave era. With national attention focused on the recent killings of unarmed black citizens and the response of the Black-centered liberation groups such as Black Lives Matter, Radical Dharma demonstrates how social transformation and personal, spiritual liberation must be articulated and inextricably linked. Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens, and Jasmine Syedullah represent a new voice in American Buddhism. Offering their own histories and experiences as illustrations of the types of challenges facing dharma practitioners and teachers who are different from those of the past five decades, they ask how teachings that transcend color, class, and caste are hindered by discrimination and the dynamics of power, shame, and ignorance. Their illuminating argument goes beyond a demand for the equality and inclusion of diverse populations to advancing a new dharma that deconstructs rather than amplifies systems of suffering and prepares us to weigh the shortcomings not only of our own minds but also of our communities. They forge a path toward reconciliation and self-liberation that rests on radical honesty, a common ground where we can drop our need for perfection and propriety and speak as souls. In a society where profit rules, people's value is determined by the color of their skin, and many voices—including queer voices—are silenced, Radical Dharma recasts the concepts of engaged spirituality, social transformation, inclusiveness, and healing.

James Carter, accessing previously untapped sources, tells the story of Tanxu's life and gives first-person immediacy to one of the most turbulent periods in Chinese history.

Over the past half century in America, Buddhism has grown from a transplanted philosophy to a full-fledged religious movement, rich in its own practices, leaders, adherents, and institutions. Long favored as an essential guide to this history, Buddhism in America covers the three major groups that shape the tradition—an emerging Asian immigrant population, native-born converts, and old-line Asian American Buddhists—and their distinct, yet spiritually connected efforts to remake Buddhism in a Western context. This edition updates existing text and adds three new essays on contemporary developments in American Buddhism, particularly the aging of the baby boom population and its effect on American Buddhism's modern character. New material includes revised information on the full range of communities profiled in the first edition; an added study of a second generation of young, Euro-American leaders and teachers; an accessible look at the increasing importance of meditation and neurobiological research; and a provocative consideration of the mindfulness movement in American culture. The volume maintains its detailed account of South and East Asian influences on American Buddhist practices, as well as instances of interreligious dialogue, socially activist Buddhism, and complex gender roles within the community. Introductory chapters describe Buddhism's arrival in America with the nineteenth-century transcendentalists and rapid spread with the Beat poets of the 1950s. The volume now concludes with a frank assessment of the challenges and prospects of American Buddhism in the twenty-first century.