An introduction to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Talmage, California, a Buddhist monastery founded by Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua in the 1970s.

At publication date, a free ebook version of this title will be available through Luminos, University of California Press’s Open Access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more. The Monastery Rules discusses the position of the monasteries in pre-1950s Tibetan Buddhist societies and how that position was informed by the far-reaching relationship of monastic Buddhism with Tibetan society, economy, law, and culture. Jansen focuses her study on monastic guidelines, or bca’ yig. The first study of its kind to examine the genre in detail, the book contains an exploration of its parallels in other Buddhist cultures, its connection to the Vinaya, and its value as socio-historical source-material. The guidelines are witness to certain socio-economic changes, while also containing rules that aim to change the monastery in order to preserve it. Jansen argues that the monastic institutions’ influence on society was maintained not merely due to prevailing power-relations, but also because of certain deep-rooted Buddhist beliefs.

Set in the 16th century when Elizabeth I ruled England, and her cousin, Mary, ruled Scotland, The Monastery depicts the religious tension and restlessness that existed along Scotland’s border. While Elizabeth ruled with her Anglican beliefs, Mary was a Catholic, and with much of their culture intermixing, this sowed unrest. While this feud between the Catholic church and the Anglican heretical church rages on, two families, the Glendenning's and the Avanel’s, mourn the loss of their patriarch. The Avanel widow and her daughter, Mary, move to the Tower of Glendeareg, a property of the Kennaquhair monastery. After the death of the Avanel widow, a mysterious black book containing heretic hymns and writings is found with her possessions. Scandalized and angered by the difference in religious views, the monks confiscate the book. Yet, despite their adamance, the book mysteriously finds its way back to the Tower of Glendeareg. As a state of lawlessness and religious intolerance prevailed over the region, Sir Walter Scott depicts two families as they experience grief, rivalry, love, and supernatural encounters. With a mix of romance, conflicted theology, humor, and supernatural events, The Monastery by Sir Walter Scott is unique and fascinating. First published two hundred years ago in 1820, The Monastery is one of the many additions to Sir Walter Scott’s Waverly series, and though is among the lessen known of Scott’s novels, is praised for its evocative setting and relatable characters. Centered around a fictious representation of the famed Melrose Abbey, a convent destroyed by English troops in 1385, The Monastery provides a detailed and intimate representation of the turmoil the differences in religion caused, especially along the ill-policed border of Scotland. This edition of The Monastery by Sir Walter Scott now features an eye-catching new cover design and is printed in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition of The Monastery crafts an accessible and pleasant reading experience for modern audiences while restoring the original mastery and drama of Sir Walter Scott’s literature.

The activist, nun, and esteemed spiritual voice who has twice appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday sounds the call to create a monastery within ourselves—to cultivate wisdom and resilience so that we may join God in the work of renewal, restoration, and justice right where we are. “Essential reading for anyone wishing to find the compass of their heart and the wellspring from which to live fully.”—Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries and New York Times bestselling author of Tattoos on the Heart “In every beating heart is a silent undercurrent that calls each of us to a place unknown, to the vision of a wiser life, to become what I feel I must be—but cannot name.” So begins Sister Joan Chittister’s words on monasticism, offering a way of living and seeing life that brings deep human satisfaction. Amid the astounding disruptions of normalcy that have unfolded in our world, Sister Joan calls all of us to cultivate the spiritual seeker within, however that may look across our diverse journeys: “We can depend only on the depth of the spiritual well in us. The well is the only thing that can save us from the fear of our own frailty.” This book carries the weight and wisdom of the monastic spiritual tradition into the twenty-first century. Sister Joan leans into Saint Benedict, who, as a young man in the sixth century, sought moral integrity in the face of an empire not by conquering or overpowering the empire but by simply living an ordinary life extraordinarily well. This same monastic mindset can help us grow in wisdom, equanimity, and strength of soul as we seek restoration and renewal both at home and in the world. At a time when people around the world are bearing witness to human frailty—and, simultaneously, the endurance of the human spirit—The Monastic Heart invites readers of all walks to welcome this end of certainty and embrace a new beginning of our faith. Without stepping foot in a monastery, we can become, like those before us, a deeper, freer self, a richer soul—and, as a result, a true monastic, so “that in all things God may be glorified.”