100th Monkey Books

Buddhistic:
the Path of Compassion



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Bodhisattva of Compassion: The Mystical Tradition of Kuan Yin
John Blofeld (1977) 158pages

(Shambhala)



Buddha: The Intelligent Heart
Alistair Shearer (1992/1997) 96pages

Over 2500 years ago there lived a man who did not claim to be specially gifted, divinely inspired or chosen, yet whose teaching now attracts an ever-increasing number of followers from all walks of life. Serious, but never solemn, the Buddha's way seeks a realization of how the mind limits and isolates itself. Through study, discipline and meditation, such understanding can transcend the suffering, ego-bound self and foster wisdom and compassion, positivity and unfettered joy. Buddhist culture has spread, diversified and developed, from ancient India to modern America. This volume displays the rich global array of art and architecture, ritual and symbol, festivals and people that reflects s religion of great beauty and profound practical insight. Alistair Shearer explains how the timeless wisdom of the Buddha offers the West a means by which it can rediscover its own sense of spirituality. A title in the Art and Imagination series, with 166 illustrations, 19 in colour. (Thames & Hudson)



Buddha's Nature: Evolution as a Practical Guide to Enlightenment
Wes Nisker (1998) 242pages US$23.95 C$32.95

Evolutionary wisdom is quite simply the deep realization of our nature as nature. I am not just referring to an abstract knowledge of other primate species as our ancestors, but rather to a deep sense of our co-emergence with the elements, the sea and atmosphere, cellular life and sunlight, plants and animals, sentience - the whole evolutionary shebang. Evolutionary wisdom is also a recognition and exploration of the special gifts we seem to awaken to our human condition and perhaps even improve upon it. It is important to state that this book is not about getting rid of our personality or individuality - as if that were even possible - nut rather about gaining access to our most basic identity. When we can experience ourselves as part of the processes of biological and cosmic evolution, we automatically begin to break free from the domination of ego. We are finally able to loosen the tight shoe of self. Our lives gain new dimension, context, gestalt. We begin to give ourselves some space. Buddha's Nature is a practical guide, offering meditation and reflective exercises that I hope will lead you to greater self-awareness, and thereby to increased freedom and happiness. (Bantam)



Everyday Mind: 366 Reflections on the Buddhist Path
Edited by Jean Smith (1997)374pages

With selections from ancient texts and contemporary teachers, Everyday Mind is a solid source for the fundamentals of Buddhism. It introduces the novice to practices such as mindfulness, meditation, and dharma, and it serves as a "Best of Buddhism" collection for those more familiar with Buddhist practice. The first book in Tricycle's Three-Wheel series. (Tricycle Book/Riverhead)



Mudra: A Study of Symbolic Gestures in Japanese Buddhist Sculpture
E. Dale Saunders (1960/1985) 296pages

The symbolic gestures called mudra may be divided, despite the multiplicity and confusion of traditions, into two general groups: mudra in the sense of signs symbolic of the metaphysical aspect of Esoteric ceremonies; and mudra used, particularly in iconography, to evoke a specific episode of the Buddhist legend or to identify divinities....In sculpture, the great diversity of mudra is reduced to a few basic gestures. Consequently, it is specifically Japanese sculpture which has been chosen as the basis of this study, for Japan is the end point in the development of the Buddhist tradition, and Japanese Buddhist art is illustrative of iconographic mutations at the extreme limit of Buddhist expansion. - from the author's Introduction (Princeton/Bollingen)



Opening the Lotus: A Woman's Guide to Buddhism
Sandy Boucher (1997) 194pagesUS$12 C$19.50

Part primer, part personal history, part guide to spiritual practice, this book opens the door to an understanding of Buddhist spirituality. Through personal anecdotes, lively explanations, and thoughtful discussions, Sandy Boucher presents a female perspective on fundamental Buddhist teachings such as compassion, detachment, and enlightenment. Includes a directory of women teachers in the United States, Canada, and abroad. (Beacon Press)



Radiant Mind: Essential Buddhist Teachings and Texts
Edited by Jean Smith (1999)354pages US$14 C$20

The third book in Tricycle's Three-Wheel series, Radiant Mind presents a basic yet thorough look at Buddhism. It is a collection of starting points: essential teachings and texts of Buddha's discourses, filled with insightful commentaries and interpretations by such teachers as the Dalai Lama, Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh, and modern thinker Jack Kornfield. (Tricycle Book/Riverhead)



The Vision of Buddhism: The Space under the Tree
Roger J. Corless (1989) 329pages

This book is an introduction to Buddhism in terms of a methodology that Buddhism itself suggests. The center of the book is the space under the tree. This is a symbol of non-duality, reality as it really is. It cannot be described, but it can be circumscribed, pointed to, or manifested. The primary manifestation of the space is the life of the Buddha. The secondary manifestation is Buddhism, what Buddhism itself calls the Dharma, which radiates out from the actions of the body, speech, and mind of the Buddha, expanding through many cultures for two thousand five hundred years and still growing....The reader may emerge from this book a little vague on Buddhist history, but should grasp Buddhism as an integrated, though complex, variation on the theme and vision of one life, and may even begin to glimpse the space under the tree which is, finally, the purpose of it all. - from the author's Introduction (Paragon House)


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