Magazine 23. Dr. Buddha THE BUDDHA BLOG Nov 26, 2023 Rather than create a new philosophy, the Buddha decides to offer up a cure for old age, sickness and death in one simple formulation. Seeing One Thing Through: The Zen Life and Teachings of Sojun Mel Weitsman. Book Review Nov 11, 2023 This worthwhile collection of Dharma talks also includes a fascinating look at the turbulent history of Zen in America. 21. The Morning Star THE BUDDHA BLOG Sep 3, 2023 Why is the Buddha’s birthday the same day as his death and enlightenment? Jizo has some interesting ideas about why this could be. 20. The Buddha’s Path THE BUDDHA BLOG Aug 6, 2023 Will Dylan understand what Jizo is trying to teach him? Series THE BUDDHA BLOG Books Jul 23, 2023 A teenager's life begins to change in ways he could never have imagined after encountering the teachings of the Buddha. Michael Haggiag makes Zen practice and Buddhism easy to grasp in this coming of age story. 19. Daily Life Practice THE BUDDHA BLOG Jun 25, 2023 Jizo's instructions for daily life practice leave Dylan less than thrilled. 18. The Meditation Hall THE BUDDHA BLOG Jun 18, 2023 Dylan has his first experience of a real Zen-do and it's not what he expected! 17. Enlightenment THE BUDDHA BLOG Jun 11, 2023 Siddhartha faces his final test under the Bodhi tree. 16. On the terrace THE BUDDHA BLOG Jun 4, 2023 Dylan finds the courage to return to the meditation cushion so Jizo gives him some further instructions on meditation. 15. Shame THE BUDDHA BLOG May 28, 2023 Dylan has a terrifying experience on the meditation cushion. 13. The Ascetic THE BUDDHA BLOG May 7, 2023 Jizo explains the Middle Way to Dylan. 12. Learning to bow THE BUDDHA BLOG Apr 30, 2023 Jizo teaches our hyperactive protagonist the secret to finding inner stillness. 11. King Bimbisara THE BUDDHA BLOG Apr 23, 2023 King Bimbisara makes a very tempting offer that will surely test the Buddha's resolve. 10. The Five Disciples THE BUDDHA BLOG Apr 16, 2023 Five friends search for prince Gautama after he flees the palace. 9. The Restaurant THE BUDDHA BLOG Apr 9, 2023 Dylan has an important question for Jizo. 8. Jizo’s Own Story THE BUDDHA BLOG Apr 2, 2023 Jizo faces life and death in his first real test as a Zen monk 7. Pondering THE BUDDHA BLOG Mar 26, 2023 Jizo reveals something about his mysterious past... 5. The Third Meeting THE BUDDHA BLOG Mar 12, 2023 Prince Gautama had never thought about old age or sickness before and he's not handling it all that well. How will he take this last revelation? 4. Outside the Palace THE BUDDHA BLOG Mar 5, 2023 Prince Gautama, encountering old age and sickness for the first time, finds his world beginning to crumble. 3. Prince Siddhartha Gautama THE BUDDHA BLOG Feb 26, 2023 How did prince Guatama become the Buddha? 2. Buddha the Pointer THE BUDDHA BLOG Feb 17, 2023 Even a 15 year old with ADHD can understand the teachings of the Buddha when Jizo explains it! Extract | C.G. Jung Letters, vol. 1 Book Extracts Jan 8, 2023 Psychologist C.G.Jung writes about with the ‘shadow’ personality, which has much in common with the Bull (emotional energies) that Zen practitioners also work with. Monkey | Chapter 10 Stories Retold: Journey to the West Dec 11, 2022 In this Episode, the Dragon King makes a bet with a fortune teller unaware that his bet is against Fate itself. Monkey | Chapter 9 Stories Retold: Journey to the West Dec 4, 2022 We take a break from the fantastical misadventures of Monkey to tell a story of love, betrayal and redemption. Daito Kokushi's Admonition Book Extracts Nov 22, 2022 Shūhō Myōchō known as Daito Kokushi (1283-1338) founded the great training monastery of Daitokuji in Kyoto. His memorial day is on 22nd November. Extract | Zen at Daitokuji by Dr. Jon Covell & Abbot Book Extracts Nov 20, 2022 A historic debate takes place between the Zen school and one hundred monks representing all the other Buddhist sects from the local area. Extract | The Secret Oral Teachings in Tibetan Buddhist Sects by Alexandra... Book Extracts Nov 5, 2022 In this Book Extract, a Tibetan Lama explains why even when secret teachings are freely given they still remain a secret to the listener. Extract | The Zen Koan: Its History and Use Book Extracts Oct 30, 2022 Isshū Miura explains the secret to inducing kensho (sudden awakening) through development of the ‘great ball of doubt’. Series The Stories of Monkey Oct 30, 2022 The magical stories of Monkey, from the novel Journey to the West, are retold by The Zen Gateway. Extract | Arresting the Stone Buddha Book Extracts Sep 3, 2022 A judge has a stone Buddha arrested for theft in this book extract. Extract | Bankei Zen: Translations from the Record of Bankei by... Book Extracts Aug 3, 2022 After pushing his body too far in the pursuit of insight, a young Master Bankei finds himself on the verge of death when something miraculous suddenly happens. The Wheel of Truth by Ajahn Sumedho | III Book Extracts Jun 19, 2022 Ven. Ajahn Sumedho teaches us how to become aware of the ‘no-thing’. News Round Up for w/e 28th January 2022 News and snippets from Zen cyber-space Jan 28, 2022 This week from Zen cyberspace: exorcisms and calls to boycott the new Matrix: Resurrections film. The Zen Koan by Isshū Miura & Ruther Fuller Book Extracts Jan 24, 2022 In this Book Extract, Zen Master Hakuin tells us how to find the Buddha, urging us not to seek it in the sutras or words of men. Series Peaks and Lamas by Marco Pallis Book Extracts Sep 24, 2021 Marco Pallis (1895-1989) was a member of the Traditionalists, a group of writers who believed in the ‘Perennial Wisdom’ of all religions. In later life he worked for the Tibet Society housing many refugees in his London flat witnessing the strange and magic culture of the Tibetan refugees In Ghostly Japan by Lafcadio Hearn Book Extracts Sep 10, 2021 When the famous Chinese fortune teller Shōko Setsu threw a tile at a rat, the shattered pieces contained an impossible message that would change his life. The Illuminated Lotus Sutra Project Aug 23, 2021 From the archive, we present an article with images from the work of Roberta Mansell who spent many years illuminating perhaps the most famous Mahayana sutra - The Lotus Sutra. Series The Narrow Road To The Deep North ...by Matsuo Bashō Book Extracts Aug 20, 2021 Matsuo Bashō (1644-94) was on of the greatest of the Japanese haiku poets. The vitality and flexibility his genius gave to the strict 17 syllable form brought haiku to a level of immaculate perfection. Magic and Mystery in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel Book Extracts Aug 7, 2021 In 1924 when Tibet was closed to foreigners, Alexandra David-Neel gave the west a unique glimpse into a land shrouded in mystery. C. G. Jung - Forward to D.T. Suzuki’s Introduction to Zen Buddhism Book Extracts Jul 30, 2021 In this book extract Carl Jung, a pioneer of western psychology, writes a forward for D.T. Suzuki, a pioneering Buddhist teacher for the west. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chögyam Trungpa Book extracts Jun 23, 2021 Chögyam Trungpa's spent many years living and teaching in the west. His seminal work ‘Cutting through Spiritual Materialism’ was an attempt to address the cultural and practical difficulties that westerners experienced with Buddhist practice. The Book of Five Rings by Myamoto Musashi Book Extracts Jun 11, 2021 Considered a classic by modern martial artists, the book of 5 rings extends far beyond the art of fighting and into the realms of the transcendental. Extract of The Record of Rinzai Book Extracts Jun 4, 2021 A collection of stories and teachings by Rinzai Gigen, the father of Rinzai Zen, this record captures the essence of Zen training and practice. Book Extracts: The Three Pillars of Zen Book extracts May 6, 2021 At Hosshin-ji, noted for its severe sesshin, there is a unique discipline for combatting the fatigued, faltering mind. A Sermon on the Original Face Book Extracts Apr 14, 2021 The 'Original Face' sometimes called 'True Face' is the typical name in Zen for 'Buddha-nature', the ground of all Being, which is the primary insight necessary for all Zen trainees. ‘A Pilgrim’s Guide to Forty-Six Temples' by Shiro Usui Book Extracts Feb 24, 2021 In this book extract we look at the history of Daitokuji temple, a sometimes controversial yet prolific Zen temple. Series The Xmas List 2020: Books & Films The Zen Gateway Suggestion List Dec 16, 2020 If you are looking for a late gift for a 'spiritually-inclined' friend (or even yourself), try taking a look at our suggestion list for the festive season. Jātaka Tales: The Carpenter's Boar Part One Dec 3, 2020 Artist Roberta Mansell illustrated some of the stories of the Buddha's previous births (Jātakas), for her children. She has kindly allowed The Zen Gateway to feature some of them. We present some here with extracts of text from the original story. Book Review:Entangled Life How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures” by... Dec 1, 2020 Peter Glynne Jones reviews this book from biologist Merlin Sheldrake (son of Rupert), on the fascinating world of fungi. A book that challenges our sense of who we are and what we think our role in this life may be. The Gateway Interviews: Dr Sam van Schaik Head of The Endangered Archive Programme at The British Library, London Oct 14, 2020 We discuss Dr Schaik's new book Buddhist Magic and take in along the way, the history of the Dunhuang complex, its library and the prevalence of Zen in Tibet up to the late medieval period. Blog: The ‘Dharmafication’ of Science Sep 26, 2020 Is science being infiltrated by estoeric ideas from Eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism? What are the ramifications for Western cultural understanding and how we see ourselves in the world? Series The Zen Gateway Blog Dharma, Culture, Philosophy & Life-ways Sep 23, 2020 Here you will find blogs, curated videos and podcasts, books, musings and resources for new ways of living and relating in and through the world. Book Extract: Contemplative Science: Where Buddhism and Neuroscience Converge by B. Alan Wallace Sep 4, 2020 In this extract Alan Wallace explores the question, why Western science is disposed against a science of introspective investigation. This lack, he argues, means that complementary epistemologies are not open for examination. Book Review: Buddhist Magic by Sam van Schaik Divination, Healing, and Enchantment through the Ages Aug 26, 2020 How did the practice of magic help with the spread of Buddhism through SE Asia? A new translation of a book of spells from the Dunhuang caves may help answer this question. Book Extract:The Myth of Redemptive Violence by Walter Wink Aug 19, 2020 The story that the rulers of domination societies told each other and their subordinates is what we today might call the Myth of Redemptive Violence. It enshrines the belief that violence saves, that war brings peace, that might makes right. It is one of the oldest continuously repeated stories in the world. Here... Series Book Extracts: Aug 18, 2020 Curated book extracts for people interested in the Dharma, Zen and Buddhist culture who might be looking for additions to their bookshelf. Buddhist Magic Divination, Healing, and Enchantment through the Ages, By Sam van Schaik Aug 9, 2020 Sam van Schaik is head of the Endangered Archives Programme at the British Library. In this book he shows how the use of magic has been used to help spread the influence of Buddhism in Asia. His previous books include Tibetan Zen & The Spirit of Zen. Monkey By Wu Ch’êng-ên, tr. Arthur Waley Jul 28, 2020 This classic of Chinese literature from the 16th century was a satire on courtly life at the imperial palace as well as a political statement on the rivalries between Taoism and Buddhism. It also contains deep truths about human nature and shows the author's own sincere faith. Book Extract: How to Read Buddhist Art by Kurt Behrendt Jul 2, 2020 A lavishly illustrated art book from The Met in New York details the development of artistic styles and iconography through the countries of Asia that Buddhism reached. Book Extract: Hua-Yen Buddhism: The Jewel Net of Indra by Francis H. Cook Jul 2, 2020 The Chinese Huayen school is said to provide the philosophical basis for the Zen school. The Story of the Four Harmonious Friends Jul 2, 2020 This Jataka Tale (previous life-story of the Buddha), is illustrated by Roberta Mansell. Topics AUDIO COURSES BLOG BOOK EXTRACTS BOOK REVIEWS BOOKS BUDDHISM AND THE ARTS DAILY LIFE PRACTICE EXERCISES IN MINDFULNESS FILM REVIEWS FOLKLORE IN LIGHT OF ASIA INTERVIEWS NEWS PEOPLE PSYCHOLOGY REVIEWS STORIES NEW! Dharma Centre We have just launched our online Dharma Centre. All are welcome... Join our Community! Donate The virtue of generosity, charity or giving. Your donations are welcomed. Learn more