The concept of intimacy is central to understanding Zen Buddhism, which emphasizes a deep connection with the world rather than the pursuit of enlightenment as a goal. Through practices like breath counting and engaging with koans, individuals learn to shift their focus away from themselves, leading to a profound rediscovery of their inherent relationship with nature and others. This journey fosters healing and a sense of belonging, enabling practitioners to embody a Zen life reflective of the Buddha's teachings.
Exploring the essence of bodhisattvas, this work delves into their significance within Zen Buddhism through a blend of myth, legend, and personal experience from the author's extensive Zen practice. It addresses profound questions about the nature, reality, and roles of bodhisattvas, distinguishing them from Buddhas and examining their relevance to Zen practitioners and everyday life. The author draws on over 50 years of Zen experience, offering insights that bridge traditional teachings with contemporary understanding.
Tradycyjne kultury mądrze unikają podziału swej spuścizny na literaturę dla
dzieci i dla dorosłych, stawiając pytania istotne dla każdego, bez względu na
wiek: Co jest dobre? Co jest złe? Jak było niegdyś? Jaki jest właściwy sposób
życia? Dżataki odnoszą się do takich pytań nie poprzez filozofię, lub ustalony
opis świata, lecz przez żywą demonstrację funkcjonowania wartości moralnych i
duchowych w naszym życiu. Ich uniwersalne przesłanie to współczucie, szacunek
i miłość do wszystkich form życia, odwaga, wytrwałość, pogoda ducha i wiara.
Niniejszy wybór składa się z kilkunastu dżatak zaczerpniętych z książki Rafe’a
Martina “Głodna tygrysica”. Autor jest zawodowym bajarzem i pisarzem z
Rochester w stanie Nowy Jork, USA. Dżataki, często zwane bajkami buddyjskimi,
wykorzystują motyw przeszłych wcieleń historycznego Buddy. Przez ostatnie 2500
lat były one opowiadane, rysowane, malowane i odgrywane we wszystkich bodaj
krajach Azji. Niektóre mają jednak znacznie starszy rodowód i zostały
prawdopodobnie przystosowane do tradycji buddyjskiej przez późniejszych
nauczycieli i mistrzów, którzy dostrzegli w nich ważne, ponadczasowe treści.?
***WINNER, 2011 Storytelling World Resource Award – Best Storytelling CollectionThe jataka tales—stories of the Buddha’s past lives (in both human and animal form)—were first said to have been told by the Buddha himself 2,500 years ago. Five hundred and fifty jataka tales comprise part of the oldest Buddhist text, the Pali Canon. From this wealth of folklore, award-winning author and storyteller Rafe Martin has chosen ten tales that illustrate the ideals of the Buddhist paramitas , or “perfections” of giving, morality, forbearance, vitality, focused meditation, wisdom, compassionate skillful means, resolve, strength, and knowledge. Artist and designer Richard Wehrman helps bring the spirit of these stories alive with rich illustrations that open each chapter.Endless Path presents these ancient stories, usually reduced to children’s tales in the West, for adults, reconnecting modern seekers with the more imaginative roots of Buddhism. The jatakas help readers see their own lives, their failures and renewed efforts, in the same light as the challenges the Buddha faced—not as obstacles but as opportunities for developing character and self-understanding. Endless Path demonstrates the relevance of these tales to Buddhist lay practitioners today, as well as to those more broadly interested in Buddhist teaching and the ancient art of storytelling.
How can you save a burning forest with just sprinkles of water? This timeless Buddhist tale may just have the answer! In this ancient tale of one of the Buddha’s past lives, the Buddha is born as a little gray parrot who takes it upon herself to save her beloved forest home from a raging fire. Even though she can only sprinkle drops of water onto the blaze, her perseverance, courage, and compassion change everything, eventually saving the forest in an unexpected way. Zen teacher and acclaimed storyteller Rafe Martin and award-winning illustrator Demi render this centuries-old classic into a beautiful and timeless tale that will inspire all of us to find our own bravery and to act selflessly for the benefit of all.
Discover how ordinary beings—a deer, a robber, a monkey, a parrot, and more—make up the past lives of the Buddha before he was Buddha. The jataka tales are ancient Buddhist stories found in both the Pali Canon and Sanskrit tradition, recounting the many past lives and ongoing spiritual work of Shakyamuni Buddha on his way to his final birth as Siddhartha Gautama. In them we find the Buddha facing difficulties, making tough choices, doing hard work, falling down and getting back up—the kind of continuing effort of spiritual practice that all beings face. Before Buddha was Buddha focuses on a selection of particular jataka tales in which the Buddha in past lives faces temptations and struggles with self-doubt as well as his own shortcomings. In these tales he’s not beyond life’s messes—its challenges and disasters—but is down in the mix, trudging through the mud with the rest of us. Each story, presented in brief, is followed by a commentary pointing to its relevance to our lives and practice-realization today.
Crow hears stories from long ago from a speaking boulder. Through the stories the boulder tells, the People realize that the weak and the old are not necessarily useless.
Prince Ardwin, known as Birdwing, the youngest of six brothers turned into swans by their stepmother, is unable to complete the transformation back into human form, so he undertakes a journey to discover whether his feathered arm will be a curse or a blessing to him.
