Fighting Buddha

A raucous, irreverent look into the Buddhist and Martial Arts worlds Can we be martial arts practitioners and Buddhists at the same time? Can these practices actually complement each other, in mindfulness? How do we reconcile Buddhist concepts like non-violence with a fighting practice like judo, karate or jiu jitsu? Long-standing martial arts instructor and meditator Jeff Eisenberg addresses these and other questions in his own inimitable style, employing autobiographical anecdotes, along with martial arts fighting strategies, koan and sutra teachings, and Buddhist folk stories. Fighting Buddha outlines why the true test of a martial artist’s skill and of a Buddhist’s application of mindfulness is during a situation that is the least conducive for it—usually not inside the Dojo or Zendo. Challenging the belief that fighting martial arts styles are not conducive to a meditative practice, the book discusses the difference between violence and the use of force as it relates to the Buddha’s teaching of “cause no harm”, exploring the common misunderstanding that meditative moments are exclusive to only select activities. Further topics are the struggles of beginning training and practice, the importance of identifying goals, choosing a teacher and training in support of these goals. And, far from being the often-perceived ending, Jeff concludes that enlightenment and the black belt are really only a beginning.

"One flower, one world, one leaf, and one Buddhist dust."He was a monk who lived a peaceful life, but due to the invasion of his territory, he was forced to leave the temple where he was raised for more than twenty years and embark on the path of the Buddha, which was used to save All The Living Beings In The World.The path of cultivation was long and long. On the path of cultivation, he met the first woman he had ever encountered in his life, Shui Ling Er.Shui Ling Er was a Pure Yin Body, but because of his existence, his strength had increased by leaps and bounds.After that, he even accepted two monks from Huihui.At this time, a conspiracy was quietly going on. His close friend Ling Er was captured, and in order to save Ling Er, he walked onto a cultivation path similar to the one Tang Seng had taken in the Western Sky.

The bestselling Journey to the West comic book by artist Chang Boon Kiat is now back in a brand new fully coloured edition. Journey to the West is one of the greatest classics in Chinese literature. It tells the epic tale of the monk Xuanzang who journeys to the West in search of the Buddhist sutras with his disciples, Sun Wukong, Sandy and Pigsy. Along the way, Xuanzang's life was threatened by the diabolical White Bone Spirit, the menacing Red Child and his fearsome parents and, a host of evil spirits who sought to devour Xuanzang's flesh to attain immortality. Bear witness to the formidable Sun Wukong's (Monkey God) prowess as he takes them on, using his Fiery Eyes, Golden Cudgel, Somersault Cloud, and quick wits! Be prepared for a galloping read that will leave you breathless!

A raucous, irreverent look into the Buddhist and Martial Arts worlds Can we be martial arts practitioners and Buddhists at the same time? Can these practices actually complement each other, in mindfulness? How do we reconcile Buddhist concepts like non-violence with a fighting practice like judo, karate or jiu jitsu? Long-standing martial arts instructor and meditator Jeff Eisenberg addresses these and other questions in his own inimitable style, employing autobiographical anecdotes, along with martial arts fighting strategies, koan and sutra teachings, and Buddhist folk stories. Fighting Buddha outlines why the true test of a martial artist’s skill and of a Buddhist’s application of mindfulness is during a situation that is the least conducive for it--usually not inside the Dojo or Zendo. Challenging the belief that fighting martial arts styles are not conducive to a meditative practice, the book discusses the difference between violence and the use of force as it relates to the Buddha’s teaching of “cause no harm”, exploring the common misunderstanding that meditative moments are exclusive to only select activities. Further topics are the struggles of beginning training and practice, the importance of identifying goals, choosing a teacher and training in support of these goals. And, far from being the often-perceived ending, Jeff concludes that enlightenment and the black belt are really only a beginning.

An innovative guide to applying the strategies of a bodyguard to create a Buddhist “security plan” for protecting ourselves from suffering • Presents the unique concept of the “bodyguard” and its protection tactics as a metaphor for explaining and implementing Buddhist teachings • Recasts the Four Noble Truths as the Four Noble Tactical Truths, the Eightfold Path as the Eight Tactics Plan, and the notion of Interbeing in the Buddhist world as the Tactics of Interdepending • Offers a new, modern understanding for the new generation of Buddhist practitioners intrigued by a more Western take on Buddhism Drawing from his extensive experience as a professional protection agent, Jeff Eisenberg uses the tactics and strategies that a bodyguard employs in protecting a client from a threat as a blueprint for creating a Buddhist “security plan.” This plan provides the practical tools to protect one’s self from the threat of suffering in our world. Using the metaphor of being the Buddha’s bodyguard to understand the Buddhist teachings, the book details how to protect our inner “Buddha nature” and secure our mental and emotional wellbeing. We all have the chance to train ourselves to be more proactive in our own safety and avoid becoming a victim. And if we are victimized, this training will prepare us to take appropriate actions that will aid in our ability to survive with much less injury and trauma. As the author affirms: “It is vital to realize that a physical altercation is the last thing that happens in a chain of events. And while we must never blame the victim, our safety is our responsibility. Many situations can be avoided, or their severity greatly lessened, if we pay attention during the chain of events that leads up to it and respond appropriately.” While this book is not about personal protection per se, it applies personal protection theory and specific tactics utilized by bodyguards to Buddhist practice, laying out strategies to protect our inner Buddha from attack. Thus the Four Noble Truths are applied to the concept of “threat” in the form of Four Noble Tactical Truths, the Eight Tactics Plan echoes the Eightfold Path, and the Tactics of Interdepending embrace the notion of Interbeing in the Buddhist world. With “paying attention” and mindfulness being key concepts of both a bodyguard’s profession and Buddhist practice, this pioneering book speaks to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

The author tells of five incidents from the Buddha's life and reflects on their significance: the Buddha's struggle for Enlightenment, his first communication of the Enlightenment to others, his reluctance to admit women into his Order, his encounter with a monk with dysentery and his final passing away into parinirvana.

Buddha Nature and Animality is about peaceful living. In discussions about the relation between humans and their animal relatives, a central theme is that Buddhism represents the most viable philosophical/religious alternative to the malaise surrounding us when we confront ecological problems. This recognition points to the notion of compassion. The author seeks beyond the limits imposed by discourses of ethics and assumes a more radical approach to seek the roots of the perspectives that allow the conceptual space for the problematic dialogues in the first place. Rather than viewing animals as distinct beings sharing our environs, the author attempts to give the animals soul back to spirituality.

Japan’s monastic warriors have fared poorly in comparison to the samurai, both in terms of historical reputation and representations in popular culture. Often maligned and criticized for their involvement in politics and other secular matters, they have been seen as figures separate from the larger military class. However, as Mikael Adolphson reveals in his comprehensive and authoritative examination of the social origins of the monastic forces, political conditions, and warfare practices of the Heian (794–1185) and Kamakura (1185–1333) eras, these "monk-warriors"(sôhei) were in reality inseparable from the warrior class. Their negative image, Adolphson argues, is a construct that grew out of artistic sources critical of the established temples from the fourteenth century on. In deconstructing the sôhei image and looking for clues as to the characteristics, role, and meaning of the monastic forces, The Teeth and Claws of the Buddha highlights the importance of historical circumstances; it also points to the fallacies of allowing later, especially modern, notions of religion to exert undue influence on interpretations of the past. It further suggests that, rather than constituting a separate category of violence, religious violence needs to be understood in its political, social, military, and ideological contexts.