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. Read More . . .

 

 

 

In this definitive edition, completely updated and rewritten with expanded commentaries and two new sections, Rafe Martin brings together a fascinating array of stories from the Buddhist tradition. The previous edition, published by Parallax Press, won an Anne Izard Storyteller’s Choice Award, and the stories have been anthologized in collections such as Soul Food, Best-Loved Stories Told at the National Storytelling Festival, and Peace Tales. Read More . . .

 

 

Ten ancient stories and new commentary reveal the practical power of imagination in spiritual development and everyday life. These stories illustrate the ideals of the Buddhist paramitas, or “perfections” of character: giving, morality, forbearance, vitality, focused meditation, wisdom, compassionate skillful means, resolve, strength, and knowledge. Read More . . .

 

 

A moving story of compassion The Banyan Deer highlights courage, triumph, and the meaning of wisdom. Beautifully illustrated by Richard Wehrman in a style reminiscent of the work of Eric Gill and Rockwell Kent, and elegantly told, this book makes an ideal gift for anyone facing transitions or rites of passage. Read More . . .

 

 

The stories in this collection come from the Zen Buddhist tradition, from tales told by the Buddha himself to anecdotes from the lives of the Zen masters of China and Japan who helped pass on the Buddha’s teachings. These stories reflect the wisdom, directness, and spontaneity for which Zen is known. Read More . . .

 

 

One of the greatest aids to spiritual advancement was invented in China over a thousand years ago. We know it by its Japanese name, the koan, which Zen master Philip Kapleau describes as a direct and profound presentation of the truth. Koans, by design, are difficult to understand but can afford giant leaps toward enlightenment. As such, they are best taken one at a time. Read More . . .

 

 

“True awakening,” Roshi Kapleau has said, “is not a ‘high’ that keeps one in the clouds of an abstract oneness, but a realization that brings one solidly down to earth into the world of toil and struggle.” Kapleau wrote a number of books in his lifetime, The Three Pillars of Zen the most well known among them, but the heart of his work, his teachings to his students, has never before been made available. Read More . . .