Zen Training

This pioneering guide to zazen—Zen-style seated meditation—provides practical instructions on how to begin or elevate your practice and progress along the Zen path Zen Training is a comprehensive handbook for zazen, seated meditation practice, and an authoritative presentation of the Zen path. The book marked a turning point in Zen literature in its critical reevaluation of the enlightenment experience, which the author believes has often been emphasized at the expense of other important aspects of Zen training. In addition, Zen Training goes beyond the first flashes of enlightenment to explore how one lives as well as trains in Zen. The author also draws many significant parallels between Zen and Western philosophy and psychology, comparing traditional Zen concepts with the theories of being and cognition of such thinkers as Heidegger and Husserl.

A prominent Zen teacher offers a “direct, penetrating, and powerful” perspective on a popular mind training practice of Tibetan Buddhism (Rick Hanson, author of Buddha’s Brain) Lojong is the Tibetan Buddhist practice of working with short phrases (called "slogans") to generate bodhichitta, the heart and mind of enlightened compassion. With roots tracing back to the 900 A.D., the practice has gained more Western adherents over the past two decades, partly due to the influence of American Buddhist teachers like Pema Chödrön. Its effectiveness and accessibility have moved the practice out of its Buddhist context and into the lives of non-Buddhists across the world. It's in this spirit that Norman Fischer offers his unique, Zen-based commentary on the Lojong. Though traditionally a practice of Tibetan Buddhism, the power of the Lojong extends to other Buddhist traditions—and even to other spiritual traditions as well. As Fischer explores the 59 slogans through a Zen lens, he shows how people from a range of faiths and backgrounds can use Lojong to generate the insight, resilience, and compassion they seek.

First Published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

World-renowned dog behaviourist and psychologist Mark Vette (of Driving Dogs and Flying Dogs fame) shows you how to transform your dog and create a harmonious life-long bond. This book looks at how the dog evolved from the wolf, and the ancient co-evolved bond that exists between humans and dogs, before explaining how to get your dog into a fundamental calm 'learning state' so you can encourage the behaviours you want from your pet. Mark then explains how to train your new puppy, and if you have an older dog that wasn't trained properly at that crucial early stage, how to correct each of the top ten behavioural problems that occur. Drawing from Mark's own life and experiences there are case studies throughout with beautiful photographs of these amazing animals. The top ten problems are: 1. Hyperactivity 2. Phobias 3. Excessive submission 4. Dog-to-dog aggression 5. Dog-to-human aggression 6. Barking 7. Separation distress 8. House training 9. Destructive behaviours 10.Recall This book is absolutely packed with information. It is a comprehensive practical guide combining the latest cognitive science with modern, loving, training techniques.

FOREWORD BY GUY KAWASAKI Presentation designer and internationally acclaimed communications expert Garr Reynolds, creator of the most popular Web site on presentation design and delivery on the Net — presentationzen.com — shares his experience in a provocative mix of illumination, inspiration, education, and guidance that will change the way you think about making presentations with PowerPoint or Keynote. Presentation Zen challenges the conventional wisdom of making "slide presentations" in today’s world and encourages you to think differently and more creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of your presentations. Garr shares lessons and perspectives that draw upon practical advice from the fields of communication and business. Combining solid principles of design with the tenets of Zen simplicity, this book will help you along the path to simpler, more effective presentations.

Introduction to Zen Training is a translation of the Sanzen Nyumon, a foundational text for beginning meditation students by Omori Sogen--one of the foremost Zen teachers of the twentieth century. This book addresses many of the questions which arise when someone first embarks on a journey of Zen meditation--ranging from how long to sit at one time to how to remain mindful when not sitting--and it concludes with commentaries on two other fundamental Zen texts, Zazen Wasen (The Song of Meditation) and the Ox-Herding Pictures. Written to provide a solid grounding in the physical nature of Zen meditation training, this text delves into topics such as: Breathing Pain Posture Physiology Drowsiness How to find the right teacher The differences between the two main Japanese schools of Zen: Soto and Rinzai Zen As a master swordsman, Omori Sogen's approach to Zen is direct, physical, and informed by the rigorous tradition of Zen and the martial arts that flourished during Japan's samurai era. For him, the real aim of Zen is nothing short of Enlightenment--and Introduction to Zen Training is a roadmap in which he deals as adeptly with hundreds of years of Zen scholarship as he does with the mundane practicalities of meditation. Sogen prescribes a level of rigor and intensity in spiritual training that goes far beyond wellness and relaxation, and that is rarely encountered. His is a kind of spiritual warriorship he felt was direly needed in the middle of the twentieth century and that is no less necessary today. With a new foreword from Daihonzan Chozen-ji, the headquarters Zen temple established by Omori Sogen in Hawaii, this book is an essential text for every student of Zen meditation.

A comprehensive guide to puppy training by Mark Vette, of Pound Pups to Dog Stars fame. Mark's first book Dog Zen had just 40 pages on puppies - this book goes into full detail about all ages and stages, and how to do the right thing at the right time. Following a quick look at the role of pups within the wolf pack, and how dogs evolved from wolves, this book gives a day-by-day, week-by-week guide to the fundamentals of training your puppy and building a happy lifelong bond between the two of you. Mark stresses the importance of the formative period (1-4 months) to instill good habits in your puppy, then shows you exactly how to do so and when to teach each skill. Includes chapters on choosing a puppy, forming a bond with your pup, training foundations (equipment and techniques), basic commands (like sit, heel and stay), what to train in which weeks of age, house training, socialisation, teaching them not to bite or indulge in continual barking, jumping up or other anti-social behaviours. It is a detailed and practical guide combining the latest cognitive science with modern, loving, training techniques. Illustrated with irresistible puppy photos (by renowned animal photographer Rachael McKenna), plus down-to-earth how-to shots of the training methods.

Named one of the 100 Best Spiritual Books of the Twentieth Century (Spirituality & Practice) A 50th Anniversary edition of the bestselling Zen classic on meditation, maintaining a curious and open mind, and living with simplicity. "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few." So begins this most beloved of all American Zen books. Seldom has such a small handful of words provided a teaching as rich as has this famous opening line. In a single stroke, the simple sentence cuts through the pervasive tendency students have of getting so close to Zen as to completely miss what it's all about. It is an instant teaching on the first page--and that's just the beginning. In the fifty years since its original publication, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind has become one of the great modern spiritual classics, much beloved, much reread, and much recommended as the best first book to read on Zen. Suzuki Roshi presents the basics--from the details of posture and breathing in zazen to the perception of nonduality--in a way that is not only remarkably clear, but that also resonates with the joy of insight from the first to the last page.