Magazine

What is Wrong with Mindfulness? (and what isn’t?)

Book Review
Is secular mindfulness an innovation on Buddhist teachings, or has something been lost in translation? Michael O’Neill, a Zen meditation teacher, gives his thoughts on this on going debate within the Buddhist community.

Book Review: Zen Seeds

60 Essential Teachings on Effort, Gratitude and Happiness by Shundo Aoyama
With the Covid-19 lockdown intensifying Michael O'Neill finally decided to dive into this inspiring title, finding it a rewarding and comforting experience.

A Year in View 2020

The Zen Gateway Review
Not everything in 2020 was grim at least not on The Zen Gateway. Take a look at what we did over the past 12 months in our regular review.

Book Review: Awakened Cosmos

The mind of Classical Chinese poetry by David Hilton
Jeremy Frank reviews a book of poems by Tu Fu which charts the poet's spiritual understanding. Poetry is often used to give a sense of the 'ineffable' and the translator, David Hilton also supplies a useful commentary on Tu Fu's succinct insights.
Series

The Xmas List 2020: Books & Films

The Zen Gateway Suggestion List
If you are looking for a late gift for a 'spiritually-inclined' friend (or even yourself), try taking a look at our suggestion list for the festive season.

Review: In China Root:

Taoism, Ch’an, and Original Zen by David Hinton
Rachel Hilton assesses David Hinton's new book which argues that Zen schools have a greater debt to Taoism than previously realised in the West. The author yakes a philological journey into the problem of translating Chinese characters into Western languages.

Book Review:Entangled Life

How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures” by
Peter Glynne Jones reviews this book from biologist Merlin Sheldrake (son of Rupert), on the fascinating world of fungi. A book that challenges our sense of who we are and what we think our role in this life may be.

Review: My Octopus Teacher

A Netflix documentary 
Craig Foster spent a year following and learning from a wild octopus. It became a relationship that changed his life forever. 

Book Review: Hidden Zen

Practices for Sudden Awakening & Embodied Realization by Meido Moore
A collection of breath-based energetic (ki) exercises to awaken body awareness, normally handed down teacher to student, is revealed in this new book from the Abbot of Korinji Zen Monastery in Wisconsin.
Series

Words without Music

Tibetan Zen by Sam van Schaik

Discovering a Lost Tradition
Michael O'Neill reviews a book about a forgotten history of Zen in Tibet by the Head of Endangered Manuscripts at The British Library.

Book Review: Buddhist Magic by Sam van Schaik

Divination, Healing, and Enchantment through the Ages 
How did the practice of magic help with the spread of Buddhism through SE Asia? A new translation of a book of spells from the Dunhuang caves may help answer this question. 
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