REVIEWS
The views expressed in these reviews belong to the individual reviewers and may not reflect the views of the site administrators or advisory board.
EVERY DAY A GOOD DAY
Michael Haggiag reviews a movie about the Art of Tea and its power of redemption for a young woman who has lost her way.
ZEN: THE ART OF SIMPLE LIVING BY SHUNMYŌ MASUNO
Michael Haggiag reviews this Zen 'Book of Hours' from a Zen priest who is also one of Japan's leading garden designers.
HAIL SATAN? A DOCUMENTARY BY PENNY LANE
A documentary by Penny Lane on the controversial protest group The Satanic Temple whose pranksterish protests mix wit and a whiff of sulphur to make a serious point.
DEEP HOPE BY DIANE ESHIN RIZZETTO
Rachel Hilton reviews a practical book on the classic Mahayana practice formula The Six Paramitas from a dharma heir to Charlotte Joko Beck.
FOUR MEN SHAKING BY LAWRENCE SHAINBERG
Michael Haggiag reviews Lawrence Shainberg's encounters with Samuel Beckett, Norman Mailer and his 'perfect' Zen Master in this personal account of Zen training.
WORDS WITHOUT MUSIC: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PHILIP GLASS
Michael O'Neill reviews the autobiography of one of the worlds most famous living composers who has been immersed in Eastern religious practices for over 50 years.
THE EPIC OF THE BUDDHA BY CHITTADHAR HRDAYA
An imprisoned Nepalese poet re-tells the story of the Buddha in this sweeping epic reviewed by Michael O'Neill.
THE WORLD COULD BE OTHERWISE BY NORMAN FISCHER
Re-imagining the bodhisattva ideal, the transformative agency of imagination in Buddhist practice is the subject for this latest release from Shambhala publications.
FROM NOVICE TO MASTER BY SOKO MORINAGA ROSHI
Michael Haggaig reviews this classic autobiography of a contemporary Zen master and recalls his own memories of this man of Zen.
NO-GATE GATEWAY (A NEW TRANSLATION OF THE MUMONKAN)
Jeremy Frank reviews a new translation of this seminal Zen Text the collection of 48 koan cases by Master Mumon.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH MINDFULNESS (AND WHAT ISN'T)
Michael O'Neill reviews this collection of essays on the current debate between Buddhism and the Secular Mindfulness Movement.
A MONK'S GUIDE TO A CLEAN HOUSE AND MIND
This book, by a Japanese Shin monk, carefully describes how to transform 'meaningless' chores into revelations of spiritual worth in this delightful new penguin publication.
THE RINZAI ZEN WAY: A GUIDE TO PRACTICE BY MEIDO MOORE
Michael Haggiag reviews the latest publication from the Shambhala Press on Zen training. This book is aimed at those starting out and gives useful tips on zazen and the teacher/student relationship.
LIVING WITH GODS, PEOPLE, PLACES AND WORLDS BEYOND AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM UNTIL 8TH APRIL 2018
Beliefs in spiritual beings and worlds beyond nature are characteristic of all human societies. By looking at how people believe through everyday objects of faith, this exhibition provides a perspective on what makes believing a vital part of human behaviour.
SWAMPLAND FLOWERS The letters and lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui
This book gives a translation of some letters and lectures on Ch’an by the great teacher Ta Hui. His remarks translated from Chinese here were in the main addressed to people in lay life
MINDFULNESS APPS: THE NEXT TURNING OF THE WHEEL OF A SHALLOW GIMMICK? by Michael O'Neill
Even the Buddha had to focus on key essentials in order to reduce the vast range and depth of his experience to something that could be passed on to others.
GRACEFUL EXITS: How Great Beings Die
The book contains three main sections: (a) an introduction with six titled sub-sections introducing the themes of the book. (b) a central section presented in no discernible order containing 108 short cases of the so-called Great Beings at the time of their death including last words, behaviour or ritual practices, and (c) an afterward written two months before the author’s death, describing her meditations and her radiation treatment.
TIBETAN ZEN: DISCOVERING A LOST TRADITION
Reviewed by Michael O'Neill
The Mogao caves near Dunhuang in Gansu province in North Western China were a forgotten outpost of Imperial China, abandoned for nearly a thousand years until they were rediscovered early in the last century.
THREE HUNDRED MILE TIGER: THE RECORD OF LIN-CHI TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY BY SOKEI-AN.
Reviewed by Mark Bush
This is a hefty book. At nearly four hundred pages nobody parting with hard-earned money will feel they haven’t got value in sheer volume of reading material. At first glance, however, this feels a little odd. More
THE BODHIDHARMA ANTHOLOGY - THE EARLIEST RECORDS OF ZEN BY JEFFREY L. BROUGHTON reviewed by Jeremy Frank
In the early part of this century, the discovery of a walled-up cave in northwest China led to the retrieval of a lost early Ch'an literature of the T'ang dynasty (618-907). More:
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RECORDS OF THE TRANSMISSION OF THE LAMP VOL. 1: THE BUDDHAS AND INDIAN PATRIARCHS trans. Randolph S. Whitfield; pub. BoD 2015
This exceptional short book belies its true size. It is just the very first part of a major work of translation of a key Buddhist text previously inaccessible to most western readers. More.
INSIDE OUT - DISNEY/PIXAR - Dir. Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen; Cert. U
This is sophisticated myth-making explaining to kids how our memories condition our reactions and thus future ways of perceiving and behaving. More.
EVERY DAY A GOOD DAYMichael Haggiag reviews a movie about the Art of Tea and its power of redemption for a young woman who has lost her way.
ZEN: THE ART OF SIMPLE LIVING BY SHUNMYŌ MASUNOMichael Haggiag reviews this Zen 'Book of Hours' from a Zen priest who is also one of Japan's leading garden designers.
HAIL SATAN? A DOCUMENTARY BY PENNY LANEA documentary by Penny Lane on the controversial protest group The Satanic Temple whose pranksterish protests mix wit and a whiff of sulphur to make a serious point.
DEEP HOPE BY DIANE ESHIN RIZZETTORachel Hilton reviews a practical book on the classic Mahayana practice formula The Six Paramitas from a dharma heir to Charlotte Joko Beck.
FOUR MEN SHAKING BY LAWRENCE SHAINBERGMichael Haggiag reviews Lawrence Shainberg's encounters with Samuel Beckett, Norman Mailer and his 'perfect' Zen Master in this personal account of Zen training.
WORDS WITHOUT MUSIC: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PHILIP GLASSMichael O'Neill reviews the autobiography of one of the worlds most famous living composers who has been immersed in Eastern religious practices for over 50 years.
THE EPIC OF THE BUDDHA BY CHITTADHAR HRDAYAAn imprisoned Nepalese poet re-tells the story of the Buddha in this sweeping epic reviewed by Michael O'Neill.
THE WORLD COULD BE OTHERWISE BY NORMAN FISCHERRe-imagining the bodhisattva ideal, the transformative agency of imagination in Buddhist practice is the subject for this latest release from Shambhala publications.
FROM NOVICE TO MASTER BY SOKO MORINAGA ROSHIMichael Haggaig reviews this classic autobiography of a contemporary Zen master and recalls his own memories of this man of Zen.
NO-GATE GATEWAY (A NEW TRANSLATION OF THE MUMONKAN)Jeremy Frank reviews a new translation of this seminal Zen Text the collection of 48 koan cases by Master Mumon.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH MINDFULNESS (AND WHAT ISN'T)Michael O'Neill reviews this collection of essays on the current debate between Buddhism and the Secular Mindfulness Movement.
A MONK'S GUIDE TO A CLEAN HOUSE AND MINDThis book, by a Japanese Shin monk, carefully describes how to transform 'meaningless' chores into revelations of spiritual worth in this delightful new penguin publication.
THE RINZAI ZEN WAY: A GUIDE TO PRACTICE BY MEIDO MOOREMichael Haggiag reviews the latest publication from the Shambhala Press on Zen training. This book is aimed at those starting out and gives useful tips on zazen and the teacher/student relationship.
LIVING WITH GODS, PEOPLE, PLACES AND WORLDS BEYOND AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM UNTIL 8TH APRIL 2018Beliefs in spiritual beings and worlds beyond nature are characteristic of all human societies. By looking at how people believe through everyday objects of faith, this exhibition provides a perspective on what makes believing a vital part of human behaviour.
SWAMPLAND FLOWERS The letters and lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui This book gives a translation of some letters and lectures on Ch’an by the great teacher Ta Hui. His remarks translated from Chinese here were in the main addressed to people in lay life
MINDFULNESS APPS: THE NEXT TURNING OF THE WHEEL OF A SHALLOW GIMMICK? by Michael O'NeillEven the Buddha had to focus on key essentials in order to reduce the vast range and depth of his experience to something that could be passed on to others.
GRACEFUL EXITS: How Great Beings DieThe book contains three main sections: (a) an introduction with six titled sub-sections introducing the themes of the book. (b) a central section presented in no discernible order containing 108 short cases of the so-called Great Beings at the time of their death including last words, behaviour or ritual practices, and (c) an afterward written two months before the author’s death, describing her meditations and her radiation treatment.
TIBETAN ZEN: DISCOVERING A LOST TRADITIONReviewed by Michael O'Neill
The Mogao caves near Dunhuang in Gansu province in North Western China were a forgotten outpost of Imperial China, abandoned for nearly a thousand years until they were rediscovered early in the last century.
THREE HUNDRED MILE TIGER: THE RECORD OF LIN-CHI TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY BY SOKEI-AN.
Reviewed by Mark Bush
This is a hefty book. At nearly four hundred pages nobody parting with hard-earned money will feel they haven’t got value in sheer volume of reading material. At first glance, however, this feels a little odd. More
THE BODHIDHARMA ANTHOLOGY - THE EARLIEST RECORDS OF ZEN BY JEFFREY L. BROUGHTON reviewed by Jeremy Frank
In the early part of this century, the discovery of a walled-up cave in northwest China led to the retrieval of a lost early Ch'an literature of the T'ang dynasty (618-907). More:
RECORDS OF THE TRANSMISSION OF THE LAMP VOL. 1: THE BUDDHAS AND INDIAN PATRIARCHS trans. Randolph S. Whitfield; pub. BoD 2015
This exceptional short book belies its true size. It is just the very first part of a major work of translation of a key Buddhist text previously inaccessible to most western readers. More.
INSIDE OUT - DISNEY/PIXAR - Dir. Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen; Cert. U
This is sophisticated myth-making explaining to kids how our memories condition our reactions and thus future ways of perceiving and behaving. More.