Zen Fiction

Ryokan (1758–1831) is, along with Dogen and Hakuin, one of the three giants of Zen in Japan. But unlike his two renowned colleagues, Ryokan was a societal dropout, living mostly as a hermit and a beggar. He was never head of a monastery or temple. He liked playing with children. He had no dharma heir. Even so, people recognized the depth of his realization, and he was sought out by people of all walks of life for the teaching to be experienced in just being around him.

The Hidden Lamp is a collection of 100 koans and stories of Buddhist women from the time of the Buddha to the present day. This revolutionary book brings together many teaching stories that were hidden for centuries, unknown until this volume. These stories are extraordinary expressions of freedom and fearlessness, relevant for men and women of any time or place. In this audio, we meet nuns, laywomen practicing with their families, famous teachers honored by emperors, and old women selling tea on the side of the road.

Let go of overthinking, make peace with uncertainty, and discover a calmer way of living—without needing to attend meditation retreats, follow rigid philosophies, or master complicated teachings. The Monkey and the Way of Zen is a lighthearted yet profound journey told through 28 short stories, following a restless Monkey and his encounters with a wise Master. As the Monkey stumbles through his questions, doubts, and frustrations, he begins to uncover a quieter truth beneath the noise of his thoughts.

In this series, Om Swami shares the essence of the Zen Living, combing the various branches of Zen and its associated techniques, to help the listener master the Zen way of life. There are 8 core episodes and 4 Bonus ones covering the following: Zazen, Wall-gazing, Osoji and many more to calm and center the mind while living in the world.

Why practice Zen? What sets Zen apart from religion? What are its different practices? These questions, and more, are examined and answered by Zen Master Koun Yamada, whose Dharma heirs include Robert Aitken, Ruben Habito, and David Loy. Through compelling stories and a systematic approach, he guides the listener through creating and sustaining a lifelong practice. Warm and ecumenical in tone, Koun uses the insights of Zen to bring a deeper understanding of faith.

The General's Wife is a compelling novel of secrets, loyalty, and redemption set against the demanding world of military life. Margaret Stone appears to be the perfect military spouse—supportive, resilient, and respected as the wife of Brigadier General George "Rocky" Stone. But beneath her carefully composed exterior lies a past shadowed by tragedy and one fateful night that could destroy everything she's built. When a blackmail letter signed "Swimbuddy1980" arrives, Margaret is forced to confront the truth about what really happened during a late-night swim at Coronado Beach nearly ...

桜太は無事に生まれたものの、お妙はなかなか床を上げられず、お花が一人で「ぜんや」の厨房に立っていた。

Discover the inimitable genius of Ray Bradbury as he explores the art of writing, the power of creativity, and the timeless appeal of storytelling in this collection of essays that are part masterclass, part memoir, featuring a new introduction by Dan Chaon. In Zen in the Art of Writing, Ray...

This manual provides a review of the tactical combat advantages enjoyed by zombies and gives the listener a step-by-step guide to adopting them for him or herself. Have you wondered where the great military leaders of modern history have found their collective inspirations? Well look no further. It is the walking dead upon whom the most important tactical infantry innovations of the last three hundred years have been based.

Written in the 13th century by Japanese Zen master Muju. Well-known koans in the collection include "A Cup of Tea", "The Sound of One Hand", "No Water", "No Moon", and "Everything Is Best". Includes the soundtrack The Mysterious Sound of Wind in the Bamboo - a 43 minute collection of Zen-inspired Japanese music by The Matsu Take Ensemble.

Powerful firms. Hidden identities. A love no longer safe behind the mask. Months after forging a fragile alliance, Victoria Rossi and Godrick Russo are walking a razor’s edge, balancing the mounting tension of a high-stakes legal case with a relationship they’ve kept secret from everyone, especially their fathers. But as the Crane investigation deepens, so does the risk. Someone is leaking information. Someone knows too much.

When a group of Austrian cavers exploring a network of abandoned military tunnels in the Italian Alps come across human remains at the bottom of a deep shaft, everyone assumes the death was accidental - until the still unidentified body is stolen from the morgue and the Defence Ministry puts a news blackout on the case. And is the recent car bombing in Campione d'Italia, a tiny tax haven surrounded on all sides by Switzerland, somehow related?

This is the tale of a cat wise in the ways of zen, journeying to discover a fabled ancient pine, under which infinite wisdom may be found. Along the way he meets a vivid cast of animals: from an anxious monkey and a tortoise tired of life to a tiger struggling with anger, a confused wolf cub and a covetous crow. But it's a surprise encounter with a playful kitten, that forces the cat to question everything ...

Nine seekers. Nine paths. One light waiting at the end of all of them. In a world that has forgotten how to listen, nine travelers set out from nine different traditions — a merchant from the silk roads, a mother in a refugee camp, a monk on a vanishing mountain, a scientist who has lost faith in measurement, a healer who can no longer save the one she loves, a wanderer who has misplaced his own name, an artist painting on the walls of her grief, a warrior who has laid down his sword, and a silent one who speaks only in dreams. They do not know each other. They are walking the same path. ...

A Zen tortoise who wins the race not by speed, but by staying in the moment. An IT professional who runs out of time by trying to do everything — and learns the hard way that there is enough time, if you choose mindfully. A soldier who survives the chaos of war by cultivating stillness as his only true habit. An American seeker who finally learns that enlightenment cannot be outsourced — it must arise from within. An angry young woman who learns that silence dissolves karma better than shouting ever could. A 200-year-old sadhu who understands that aging is but a trick of the mind ...

Religion is something that will never go out of favour. Most religions consist of a set of guiding moral principles, which is responsible for creating the rules and principles that exist in today's society. One of the most widespread religion in the world is Christianity and at the helm of the religion is our beloved Jesus Christ. When speaking about Jesus, do we rely only on our faith and beliefs? If we examine historical sources, there are many sources that point to the existence of Jesus of Nazareth. However, the most compelling evidence of his existence is the miracle and compassion ...

A collection of Zen stories to amuse and illuminate. Includes all the stories from classic Zen literature: 101 Zen Stories, The Gateless Gate, The Ten Bulls and Centering. Includes the soundtrack The Mysterious Sound of Wind In the Bamboo - a 43 minute collection of Zen inspired Japanese music by The Matsu Take Ensemble.

When the corpse of the shady industrialist who owns the local football team is found both shot and stabbed with a Parmesan knife, Italian police inspector Aurelio Zen is called to Bologna to oversee the investigation. Recovering slowly from surgery and fleeing an equally painful crisis in his personal life, Zen is only too happy to take on what at first appears to be a routine and relatively undemanding assignment.

A powerful industrialist, Ruggiero Miletti, is kidnapped. Inspector Zen is transferred to Perugia to take over the case - but finds that there are many obstacles in his way. The local authorities see him as an interloper, and the victim’s family, one of the most powerful in Italy, seem content to let Miletti languish in the hands of his abductors. Zen has crossed swords with the establishment before - and lost. Can he succeed this time?

Composer John Cage sought the silence of a mind at peace with itself - and found it in Zen Buddhism, a spiritual path that changed both his music and his view of the universe. "Remarkably researched, exquisitely written", Where the Heart Beats weaves together "a great many threads of cultural history" (Maria Popova, Brain Pickings) to illuminate Cage’s struggle to accept himself and his relationship with choreographer Merce Cunningham. Freed to be his own man, Cage originated exciting experiments that set him at the epicenter of a new avant-garde forming in the 1950s.