Monkey learns the secrets of immortality from a Daoist mystic, but how long will his teacher’s patience last?

Issa was not only a Buddhist priest but also one of Japan’s greatest Haiku poets. His verses featured in this extract are quite mysterious…

A precocious monkey seeks out the secrets to immortality in this retelling of the Chinese classic Journey to the West.

Zen Master Dōgen Zenji on the correct form and practice for sitting Zazen (meditation).

Born from a rock, possessing magical powers to rival the Gods and imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha, the Character of Monkey has been the subject of TV shows, films and Operas.

This infamous Zen proverb illustrates an aspect of attachment that we are mostly unaware of.

 A judge has a stone Buddha arrested for theft in this book extract. 

If there is ‘no-one’ to realise enlightenment then who are we doing this practice for? The ancient Romans and Greeks may give us a clue.

How do magical ideas around manifesting and attracting the things you want in life relate to Buddhist practice and Bodhisattvas?

Zen master Daiyu explains what taking refuge in the Buddha really means

If there is still an  ‘I’ (or ego) then there is no point in trying to deny it. What then, is the correct approach to empty the heart of ‘me’?

The spiritual world may or may not be real but the way in which humans have bargained with these powers has remained consistent for millennia across many different cultures. Martin investigates what this can teach us about how to approach Buddhist practice.