Ayya Khema

Ayya Khema

Ven. Ayya Khema was born into a Jewish family in Berlin in 1923 and escaped the Nazi regime in 1938. She was ordained a Theravadin Buddhist nun in 1979 and established a forest monastery near Sidney, Australia; a training center for nuns in Colombo, Sri Lanka; and, later, Buddha-Haus, a meditation center in the Allgäu, Germany. Among her books are When the Iron Eagle Flies; Being Nobody, Going Nowhere; Who Is My Self?; and an autobiography, I Give You My Life. She passed away in 1997.

Ayya Khema

Ven. Ayya Khema was born into a Jewish family in Berlin in 1923 and escaped the Nazi regime in 1938. She was ordained a Theravadin Buddhist nun in 1979 and established a forest monastery near Sidney, Australia; a training center for nuns in Colombo, Sri Lanka; and, later, Buddha-Haus, a meditation center in the Allgäu, Germany. Among her books are When the Iron Eagle Flies; Being Nobody, Going Nowhere; Who Is My Self?; and an autobiography, I Give You My Life. She passed away in 1997.

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GUIDES

Books from the Theravada, Pali, and Insight Traditions from 2022

Receive a 30% discount on these titles through January 2nd using code 2022YE at checkout

We are very happy to share with you a look back at our 2022 releases that stem from the Pali Canon and its teachings including traditional Theravada, Insight, Vipassana, and more.

See also our guide to traditional Theravada.

Jump to:  Books | Books for Kids | Forthcoming Books | Audiobooks

Books Released in 2022

Until Nirvana’s Time: Buddhist Songs from Cambodia

By Trent Walker

This new release that is sure to have a profound impact on readers, whether they are Buddhists (of any tradition) or simply those who appreciate the power of an art form capable of transforming our minds and experience.  This collection of songs – read as poetry – and the accompanying audio from the Cambodian Buddhist tradition will bring tears, joy, gratitude, and turn the mind towards a point of view of renunciation of what does not ultimately matter.

Many of the topics are familiar, but the beauty and deep humanity of these verses penetrate.  And there are many surprises.  Even the seemingly simple practice of reciting vowels and consonants – something that happens in many Buddhist traditions – becomes a sophisticated practice where the reader maps each consonant to a part of the body to create a map of meditation that can lead one to ultimate truth.

The Cambodian tradition of Buddhism has received very little light until now outside a few corners of academia.   The toll of the Khmer Rouge and the genocide there as well as few teachers from the tradition in the West teaching in English has kept the richness of this unique tradition under wraps.  Until now.

Until Nirvana’s Time presents forty-five Dharma songs, whose soaring melodies have inspired Cambodian Buddhist communities for generations. Whether recited in daily prayers or all-night rituals, these poems speak to our deepest concerns—how to die, how to grieve, and how to repay the ones we love.

Introduced, translated, and contextualized by scholar and vocalist Trent Walker, this is the first collection of traditional Cambodian Buddhist literature available in English. Many of the poems have been transcribed from old cassette tapes or fragile bark-paper manuscripts that have never before been printed. A link to recordings of selected songs in English and Khmer accompanies the book.

Walker also gives a superb overview of Cambodian Buddhism, the ritual life of these dharma songs, how they ware transmitted, and much more.

You will find a feast in this groundbreaking book.

Meditations of the Pali Tradition: Illuminating Buddhist Doctrine, History, and Practice

By L. S. Cousins and edited by Sarah Shaw

A groundbreaking and detailed presentation of the systems of meditation that have come to us through the Pali tradition of Buddhism.

The meditation practices associated with modern Theravāda Buddhism derive from a lineage that dates to the time of the Buddha himself, yet the development and transmission of these practices across centuries is varied and not widely understood. Drawing on a lifetime of research, scholar L. S. Cousins untangles the complex history. With authoritative explication of a range of Buddhist texts preserved primarily in the Pali language—canonical discourses, commentarial treatises, and rare meditation manuals—Cousins explores a multiplicity of meditation practices that have developed over the past two and a half millennia, from the jhāna (absorption) and vipassanā (insight) methods that constitute the core of modern Theravāda practice to lesser-known, esoteric practice lineages of Central and Southeast Asia that were nearly lost to history.

Seeing with the Eye of Dhamma: The Comprehensive Teaching of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

By Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and edited by Santikaro Upasaka

A milestone in Buddhist literature, this comprehensive presentation of the practice of Dhamma shows how it can quench the dissatisfaction and suffering common in our lives.

Dhamma—a Pali word meaning “law of nature” or “truth,” but commonly used to refer to the overall body of Buddhist teachings—has the potential to fundamentally change one's life. In this comprehensive set of teachings, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, perhaps the most influential Thai Buddhist of the twentieth century, introduces the Dhamma to lay practitioners in a relatable and powerful way. Beginning with an extensive discussion of spiritual practice and moving into specific teachings on Dhamma, this book will be an indispensable resource for Theravada Buddhists, Insight Meditation practitioners, and all readers interested in a profoundly committed modern approach to the Buddhist path.

The Path to Peace: A Buddhist Guide to Cultivating Loving-Kindness

By Ayya Khema and edited by Leigh Brasington

The Venerable Ayya Khema was beloved for her crystal-clear presentation, the extremely practical guidance she always gave, and the open-hearted quality of her teachings. In The Path to Peace, she presents a complete course in the active and intentional process to cultivate peace through metta, unconditional love. Peace is the sum of many parts, namely the fifteen wholesome qualities the Buddha himself noted in the Metta Sutta, including usefulness, mildness, humility, contentment, receptivity, and others. Ayya Khema expertly guides us through each individual condition, along with ten guided visualization meditation practices, using her trademark humor and personal narrative to help each reader shape their own path to self-transformation.

Listen to Leigh Brasington, a teacher in his own right, discuss this book he edited and his teacher, Ayya Khema:

Living Kindness: Metta Practice for the Whole of Our Lives

By Kevin Griffin

To live kindness is to express the essential Buddhist wisdom of selflessness

Through stories from the ancient Pali canon of Buddhism and personal reflections on modern life, Dharma teacher Kevin Griffin reveals the richness and multifaceted nature of loving-kindness or metta on the Buddhist path. Along with the other brahmaviharas or “divine abodes” of compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, the practice of loving-kindness is not only a meditation technique—it’s a radical way of life based in wisdom, ethics, and compassion for all beings. As one friend on the spiritual path speaking to another, Griffin explores the human dimension of what can sometimes seem like lofty philosophy.

What would it mean to be completely free of ill will? How do we love without clinging? Can we expand our loving-kindness beyond the human realm to encompass the Earth itself? And how does loving-kindness relate to the ultimate Buddhist goal of enlightenment? Through guided practices and illuminating explorations of classical texts like the Metta Sutta, readers are invited to deepen their understanding of a core Buddhist teaching.

How the Swans Came to the Lake: A Narrative History of Buddhism in America

By Rick Fields with new, major introduction by Buddhist scholar and the author's nephew, Benjamin Bogin

A modern classic unparalleled in scope, this sweeping history unfolds the story of Buddhism’s spread to the West.  It includes extensive material on the arrival of Theravadin teachers and the Insight Meditation Society.

 

This fortieth anniversary edition features both new and enhanced photographs as well as a new introduction by Fields’s nephew, Buddhist Studies scholar Benjamin Bogin, who reflects on the impact of this book since its initial publication and addresses the significant changes in Western Buddhist practice in recent decades.

 

How the Swans Came to the Lake opens with the story of Asian Buddhism, including the life of the Buddha and the spread of his teachings from India to Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, and elsewhere. Coming to the modern era, the book tracks how Western colonialism in Asia served as the catalyst for the first large-scale interactions between Buddhists and Westerners. Author Rick Fields discusses the development of Buddhism in the West through key moments such as Transcendentalist fascination with Eastern religions; immigration of Chinese and Japanese people to the United States; the writings of D. T. Suzuki, Alan Watts, and members of the Beat movement; the publication of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki; the arrival of Tibetan lamas in America and Europe; and the influence of Western feminist and social justice movements on Buddhist practice.

For Kids

In 2022 we published several wonderful books parents who want to expose their kids to the ideas, culture, and figures of Mahayana and Tibetan traditions.  We hope these delight them!

Forthcoming in 2023

And we have even more from the Pali tradition coming out in 2023.  So make sure you sign up for our emails so you do not miss them!  Here is a sneak peek at our first 2023 release which you can pre-order now and take advantage of the discount.

Living Theravada: Demystifying the People, Places, and Practices of a Buddhist Tradition

By Brooke Schedneck

An illuminating introduction to the contemporary world of Theravada Buddhism and its rich culture and practices in modern mainland Southeast Asia.

Theravada translates as “the way of the Elders,” indicating that this Buddhist tradition considers itself to be the most authoritative and pure. Tracing all the way back to the time of the Buddha, Theravada Buddhism is distinguished by canonical literature preserved in the Pali language, beliefs, and practices—and this literature is often specialized and academic in tone. By contrast, this book will serve as a foundational and accessible resource on Theravada Buddhism and the contemporary, lived world of its enduring tradition.

Brooke Schedneck has done extensive research on topics such as religions of Southeast Asia, contemporary Buddhism, gender in Asian religions, and religious tourism. Narrowing in on topics such as temples, monastic lives, lay Buddhists, meditation, and Buddhist objects, Schedneck highlights the thriving diversity of Theravada Buddhists today. Exploring Theravada as a lived religion reveals how people apply various expressions in everyday life. She presents to readers the most important practices and beliefs of Theravada Buddhists, illustrated through contemporary debates about what represents proper Theravada practice within Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand in the twenty-first century. Additionally, practical information is provided in appendices about what temples and practice centers readers can visit as well as a temple etiquette guide offering tips for being a respectful visitor. While academics will benefit from and appreciate this overview, the writing offers a refreshing introduction to a complex tradition for readers new to the subject.

Buddhist Audiobooks

Living Kindness
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Leigh Brasington on Ayya Khema, Metta Practice, and The Path to Peace

Listen to author and editor Leigh Brasington in conversation with Shambhala Publications staff about The Path to Peace: A Buddhist Guide to Cultivating Loving-Kindness and his teacher, Ayya Khema.

 Leigh Brasington

After talking about Ayya Khema as a teacher, Leigh discusses metta practice and how it relates to samatha, vipassana, and the jhanas. He then leads us through a metta meditation that was a favorite of Ayya Khema.

Also available as a podcast on your favorite podcatcher including

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Visible Here and Now

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I Give You My Life

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