From The Heart Of The Lotus

The Lotus Prayer Book is an inspiring collection of sacred prayers from various faiths and traditions, gathered together as a testimony to the central teaching of Sri Swami Satchidananda that Truth is One, Paths are Many.

The Lotus Sutra has been regarded for centuries as one of the most important teachings in Mahayana Buddhism. This book goes beyond theory to show how to bring these teachings into practice in daily life. Containing profound truths for all people from every culture, it reveals the secret for attaining happiness for both oneself and others through the process of self-reformation. Based on the teachings of Nichiren, a 13th-century Buddhist teacher and reformer, the scriptures of the Lotus Sutra show how every person can attain Buddhahood.

The secret to happiness is to acknowledge and transform suffering, not to run away from it. Here, Thich Nhat Hanh offers practices and inspiration transforming suffering and finding true joy. Thich Nhat Hanh acknowledges that because suffering can feel so bad, we try to run away from it or cover it up by consuming. We find something to eat or turn on the television. But unless we’re able to face our suffering, we can’t be present and available to life, and happiness will continue to elude us. Nhat Hanh shares how the practices of stopping, mindful breathing, and deep concentration can generate the energy of mindfulness within our daily lives. With that energy, we can embrace pain and calm it down, instantly bringing a measure of freedom and a clearer mind. No Mud, No Lotus introduces ways to be in touch with suffering without being overwhelmed by it. "When we know how to suffer," Nhat Hanh says, "we suffer much, much less." With his signature clarity and sense of joy, Thich Nhat Hanh helps us recognize the wonders inside us and around us that we tend to take for granted and teaches us the art of happiness.

Peaceful Action, Open Heartshines 60 years of study and practice upon one of the crowning scriptures of the path of the Buddha, and is destined to be known as one of the most significant writings by Thich Nhat Hanh. The Lotus Sutra is one of the most revered of Mahayana sacred texts and is sometimes called "the king of sutras." Despite this fact, there are very few commentaries in English available today. Thich Nhat Hanh explores the Sutra’s main theme-- that everyone has the capacity to become a Buddha, and that Buddha-nature is inherent in everything--but he also uniquely emphasizes the sutra’s insight that Buddha-nature is the basis for peaceful action. Since we all will one day become a Buddha, he says, we can use mindfulness practices right now to understand and find solutions to current world challenges. In his interpretation of the sutra, he suggests that if the practices, views, and insights of the Lotus Sutra would find application not only by individuals but also by nations, it would offer concrete solutions to transform individual suffering and the global challenges facing the world today. Stamped with his signature depth of vision, lucidity, and clarity, Thich Nhat Hanh’s insights based on the wisdom of the Lotus Sutra invoke a wide range of contemporary topics and concerns, such as the Palestinian-Israeli war, the threat of terrorism, and the degradation of our environment. In proposing radical new ways of finding peaceful solutions to universal, contemporary conflicts, he not only challenges the U.N to change from an organization to a real organism working for peace and harmony in the world, but also encourages all branches of all governments to act as Sangha. In so doing, he demonstrates the practical and direct applicability of this sacred text to today's concerns. This book has been re-released with a new title. The earlier hardcover edition was entitled Opening the Heart of the Cosmos.

In this compelling, emotionally engaging novel set in 1880, a half-Chinese girl and her white father try to make a home in Dakota Territory, in the face of racism and resistance.

According to the Buddha, these sutras contain the method to understand his teachings, release ourselves from illusion, and enlighten. In addition to the Heart, Diamond and Lotus sutras, we provide the traditional introduction to the Lotus Sutra, called the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, as well as its traditional conclusion, called the Sutra of meditation on Samanthabhadra, for a total of five wonderful sutras. These sutras are to be read and meditated. Their wisdom might not always come clear to the mind on the first reading, but meditation of their meaning will reveal the true wisdom of the dharma. They cover subjects about the self and non-self, the dharma and non-dharma. They will reveal to you the way to understand all mysteries of existence. Because there is nothing to be attained, the Bodhisattva relying on Prajna Paramita has no obstruction in his mind. Because there is no obstruction, he has no fear, and he passes far beyond confused imagination, and reaches ultimate nirvana. - The Buddha, Heart Sutra All composed things are like a dream, a phantom, a drop of dew, a flash of lightning. That is how to meditate on them, that is how to observe them. - The Buddha, Diamond Sutra