Chan, Zen, & Pure Land in 2021 Read More We published many books of interest from the East Asian Mahayana traditions in 2021. Here is a recap. See our other Year in Review Guides: Theravada/Pali/Insight | Chan, Zen, Mahayana | Tibetan Buddhism Receive a 30% discount on these titles through January 2nd using code 2021YE [...]

Practicing Patience During Times of Difficulty An Excerpt from The World Could Be Otherwise THE PERFECTION OF PATIENCE is kshanti paramita in Sanskrit. Kshanti can be translated as “patience,” “forbearance,” or “tolerance,” but these words don’t capture the fullness of what kshanti connotes because they all imply a kind of quietism or passivity. To be patient [...]

The following is an excerpt from Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong By Norman Fischer It is quite counter-intuitive, quite upside down. What it is saying is: whatever happens, don't ever blame anyone or anything else, always blame only yourself. Eat the blame and it will make you strong. There's another [...]

Shambhala: How did you first encounter Zen, and what was your introduction to practice like? Norman Fischer: I got involved at first through reading-reading and thinking about my life. This was in the very early days, when there were no Zen centers or practice centers of any kind (at least that I was aware of) [...]

Lojong: Training the Mind Learn More Lojong, or mind training, is a core practice in all the lineages of the Tibetan tradition. Lojong, or mind training, is a core practice in all the lineages of the Tibetan tradition. They can perhaps best be characterized as a method for transforming our mind by turning away from [...]