Based on the translation by Ilsa Fatt and the edition by Reiryu Philippe Coupey “Mushotoku mind” means an attitude of no profit, no gain. It is the core of master Taisen Deshimaru’s Zen. This respected teacher of Japanese Soto Zen moved from Japan in 1967 and brought this work to Paris, from where it was disseminated throughout the West. This book presents his commentary on the most renowned of Buddhist texts, the Heart Sutra, known in Japanese as Hannya Shingyo-a philosophical investigation on the futility of philosophical investigation. Deshimaru’s work fills a great gap in the interpretations of this seminal text in that he emphasizes “mind-emptiness” (ku) as the foundation of Zen practice, in contrast to the usual “mindfulness” focus of many other Zen approaches. This “emptiness” and “purpose of no purpose” is one of the most difficult ideas for Westerners to understand. Yet we know that our most cherished values are based on mushotoku mind when it comes, for example, to love. We value the unselfish love of family or country that is based not on what we can get from the relationship but on what we can give. We know, too, that these virtues are not accomplished directly through our will but indirectly through dropping our expectations. His lectures on this subject have been translated by Ilsa Fatt and edited by Reiryu Philippe Coupey of Deshimaru’s British and French groups; and here completely revised and reedited for an American audience by Reishin Richard Collins. This edition emphasizes Deshimaru’s chorus: Mushotoku mind is the key attitude characterizing the way of the Buddha, the way of the bodhisattva, the way of Zen and zazen, and the way of all sutras (teachings). Taisen Deshimaru (d. 1982) was the founder of the Association Zen Internationale, one of the largest influences on Zen in the West. He is author of: The Ring of the Way and The Zen Way to Martial Arts: A Japanese Master Reveals the Secrets of the Samurai. Richard Collins is a Zen teacher in the lineage of Taisen Deshimaru and Dean of Arts & Humanities at California State University, Bakersfield. A Book for Students of Zen Buddhism; Religion Scholars; Philosophy Students, and Readers of Taisen Deshimaru’s Books.

Cultivate calm through Zen mindfulness It's all too easy to walk through the world preoccupied by our endless thoughts. But that can get in the way of living in the moment and truly experiencing all that life has to offer. This workbook shows you how to quiet your mind and release worry. It examines mindfulness through the lens of Zen teachings and provides exercises that leave you feeling calm, present, and open to possibility. Learn about Zen—Explore the basic tenets of Zen Buddhism, how they can help you let go, and how they enable you to connect with yourself. Take a deep dive into mindfulness—Understand the Seven Pillars of mindfulness, how to achieve a mindful state, and the positive effects of mindfulness, such as better focus and lower blood pressure. Develop your practice—Create your own Zen-based mindfulness practice with a wide range of guided meditations, practical exercises, and inspiring affirmations. Start living mindfully and alleviate anxiety with this comprehensive Zen mindfulness workbook.

No Fear Zen presents an approach to Zen practice that focuses on concentration and sitting (shikantaza) as a discipline that can be practiced in everyday life with the dedication of the samurai. And in a world that requires bravery and decisive action in addition to generosity and compassion, we can learn much from the now-extinct samurai in creating a new kind of warrior for peace in the twenty-first century. While some practices focus on compassion and mindfulness as the goals of Zen practice, No Fear Zen contends that these are outcomes that occur naturally, spontaneously, and automatically from right practice without any goal or object whatsoever. In this way, No Fear Zen is the sequel to the author’s edition of Deshimaru’s Mushotoku Mind, which encouraged practice for one purpose only, the purpose of no purpose, the gain of no gain, the profit of no profit. The brief Zen talks that constitute the core of the book continue the tradition of spontaneous oral teachings delivered by the teacher (or roshi) during zazen. The collection might remind some of the classic Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, since the talks can serve either as an introduction to those beginning practice or as a manual for those interested in a structured approach to Zen practice. The tone of the talks ranges from humorous and informal to penetrating and philosophical, with references to day-to-day issues we all face as well as to works of literature. For example, several essays instruct in how to sit, how to manage mind and emotions, while others roam into difficult arenas, like the author’s experience in bringing zazen instruction to those incarcerated in a federal penitentiary. As a professor of arts and humanities, Dr. Collins uses great literature, like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, to demonstrate his case for fearless action uncomplicated by over-thinking. The collection ends with a sustained commentary on the twenty-one deathbed teachings of the samurai Miyamoto Musashi to his student Terao Magonojo. This provides a suitable conclusion to the work, which has focused on concentration and discipline for their own sake with the result of dispelling fear of death and fear of life. As the author’s teacher, Robert Livingston, always said, coming to zazen was like climbing into your coffin, but after zazen there was “no fear.”

The Inner Heart of Reiki is the first Reiki book to look at the inner heart of the spiritual teachings of the system of Reiki. It will take practitioners and teachers to a whole new level of understanding about their practice and about the way they teach.

Drawing from the finest and most authentic texts available in the original Persian/Farsi language, Vraje Abramian offers this extensive collection of stories, teachings and poetry from both major and unknown saints and mystics in the Sufi tradition. Winds of Grace is a fresh and extensive collection that will both instruct and encourage individuals on the path of love and transformation. Readers today need such roadmaps of sanity and wisdom, pointing the way through life’s obstacles and detours. Indeed, reading the works of saints and sages serves as a GPS for today’s wayfarer. The reader will find selections from today’s most well recognized and highly acknowledged Masters, like Rumi and Hafiz, as well as hidden saints such as Sheikh Biabanaki and Sheikh Ali Mesri. More uniquely, however, this book also introduces us to teachings and anecdotes of the obscure hermit, the “mad” but unknown dervish, the crazy, naked ascetic. Whether the mainstream punished, tolerated or ignored these crazy-wise people, those who knew something about the pain they spoke of venerated them as saints. Centuries ago, many of these voices offered a shock to his or her contemporaries, jarring them from the complacency that makes automatons of human beings. Other voices contained a paradoxical twist on the religious life or practice of the times, yet were soaked with an age-old wisdom that is still vital to spiritual practitioners today. The translator and editor Vraje Abramian advises readers that these secret sages often had to protect themselves from the powers-that-be in their society, and therefore cloaked their messages in words that only disciples and initiates or those with a vulnerable mind and open heart, could actually decipher. He further reminds us that the language adopted by Sufi teachers was designed to break the habits that normally deaden our sensitivities. Abramian has therefore selected pieces that remind us to wake up, to take stock, to continue carefully observing ourselves. And, by vigilant sequencing of topics, his book gently guides readers toward the essence-truths or core-teachings of these wise ones. The translator is uniquely qualified to make this offering to religious studies today. As an Iranian by birth, a lifelong practitioner of spiritual disciplines and an accomplished teacher of English, his renderings are characterized by academic authority, poetic word-craft, and spiritual wisdom.

For 100 days, Traktung Yeshe Dorje, an American born lama in the Nyingma lineage of Vajrayana Buddhism kept a journal of short reflections. Some mornings, the heartbreaking poetry of devotion, or essays in celebration of dawn, light, trees; on others, razor-like distinctions about the nature of the mind, challenges to conventional views of seeing, or seething commentary on the shallowness of contemporary culture. Taken together, but in small considered bites, the entries will provide a rare meal to any sincere practitioner who recognizes direct and authentic spiritual discourse. The unique offering of this book is the deeply personal manner in which insights are presented-using a journal format rather than direct instructions about spiritual topics. An astute reader will glimpse-even “fall into”-the way of perceiving of a tantric spiritual adept. We experience, if only for a moment, how things appear to one whose mind is free from conditioning. Eye to Form challenges the reader to consider familiar topics and scenarios from a new, perhaps radical, perspective. The invitation here is to profound consideration of life’s deeper meanings through the unique intersection of beauty, wisdom and silence. This is not a “practical guide”-it offers no plans for or steps to enlightenment or happiness. In fact, the author has no compunction in undermining such fast-food approaches to the recognition of Buddhahood. Eye to Form, therefore, can be extremely beneficial to those who not looking to be told what to do, but rather are inspired to think deeply, carefully and freshly. Intelligent choices on the spiritual path can be made only as one’s considerations reach beyond ordinary-mind’s conditioning. The challenge for this type of consideration is perhaps more useful than yet another self-help manual. Traktung Yeshe Dorje has been guiding both individuals and community for the last 23 years, drawing his students and friends into the world of spiritual awakening by offering them a window into a different way of considering appearances. He teaches in the U.S. and Europe, and is also president of Wishing Tree Gardens, a non-profit sustainable-agriculture educational program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Taisen Deshimaru (1914-1982) was a Japanese Zen Master, and the individual largely responsible for bringing Soto Zen to Europe. A legendary figure, widely acknowledged throughout the Zen world, he stands in the ranks of the great Zen teachers of modern times, including, Suzuki Roshi, Maezumi Roshi, and others. This second edition of his book The Voice of the Valley, first issued in 1979, contains the pure Deshimaru vintage-teaching. Uniquely, it is one of the few Zen books treating the subject of karma, a principle deeply entrenched in Hindu and some Buddhist traditions, but rarely taught within Zen. Karma generally refers to the principle of cause and effect, acknowledging that each individual will “reap what they sow,” whether in this lifetime or some future life. Deshimaru, however, explains that this doctrine really has nothing to do with a simple good or bad balance-chart for the individual person, but rather concerns the activity of humanity as a whole. He highlights the necessity for clearly seeing one’s own thinking, which is creating the hell that we and others endure―an immediate karmic payback. With zazen, a practitioner becomes not only acquainted with the contents of mind, but able to refocus it, allowing the body to “think” in ways that are beneficial to oneself and others. As he compares this doctrine of karma within Mahayana Buddhism with Western philosophy, he points to the need for wise and ethical action in all aspects of life. His dedication, like that of great masters in all traditions, is with the relief of suffering and the clarity needed to pierce to the cause of suffering. Serious sitting practice, in the way he presents it, creates that access. The book is a live record of the Master’s teaching content (kusens) and his style of presentation during a practice sesshin (retreat) of several days. Deshimaru spoke in English, and his words were recorded and compiled from notes taken by the editor (Coupey) and other students. His subjects are as timely today as they were in the late ‘70s. At a time when contemporary Zen practice has been co-opted by the culture of “new and now,” his teachings do not compromise. This is no self-oriented “wellness Zen” cultivated for feeling more relaxed. This is the real deal, a call to a stark, “no-gain” approach to clear perception of reality from one who studied and practiced this tradition fully aligned to its source. As such, this book is a precious vehicle of direct transmission.