Recent items:

Buddhism & science : a guide for the perplexed by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. (2008)
"Beginning in the nineteenth century and continuing to the present day, both Buddhists and admirers of Buddhism have proclaimed the compatibility of Buddhism and science. ... Lopez argues that by presenting an ancient Asian tradition as compatible with - and even anticipating - scientific discoveries, European enthusiasts and Asian elites have sidestepped the debates on the relevance of religion in the modern world that began in the nineteenth century and still flare today. As new discoveries continue to reshape our understanding of mind and matter, Buddhism and Science will be indispensable reading for those fascinated by religion, science, and their often vexed relation.". (Drawn from the book jacket, courtesy of Syndetics)

Tantric techniques, by Jeffrey Hopkins ; edited by Kevin Vose. (2009)
Deity yoga is the meditative practice of imagining oneself as an ideal being fully endowed with compassion, wisdom, and their resultant altruistic activities. The idea is that by imagining being a Buddha, one gets closer to actually achieving Buddhahood. Tantric Techniques will give the reader a dynamic sense of the potential of the human mind for self-transformation through step-by-step use of the imagination. (Drawn from the book jacket, courtesy of Syndetics)

For the benefit of all beings : a commentary on The way of the Bodhisattva, by Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama ; foreword by Tulku Pema Wangyal ; translated from the Tibetan by the Padmakara Translation Group. (2009)
Many people consider the Dalai Lama to be a living embodiment of the spiritual ideal of the bodhisattva - someone who dedicates their life to freeing all beings from suffering and confusion. Here this beloved teacher presents a detailed manual of practical philosophy based on the best-known text of Mahayana Buddhism, "The Way of the Bodhisattva" ("Bodhicharyavatara"). He explains and amplifies the text, illuminating its message of putting others before oneself and showing how anyone can develop a truly "good heart." (Drawn from the Syndetics annotation)

Wisdom of the Buddhist masters : common and uncommon sense, edited and with commentary by Robert Sachs ; with a foreword of an excerpt from H.H. Dalai Lama's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. (2008)
A collection of responses to a questionnaire given to nine different Buddhist thinkers, including Robert Thurman, Ajahn Amaro, Thubten Chodron and others covering : war, terrorism, global warming, fundamentalism, and so on. .... Interestingly, in spite of the title, Sachs puts forth that the book is not exclusively about Buddhism.... If anything, Sachs sees Buddhism not simply as a set of beliefs, but as a form of social activism, and these interviews serve to illustrate his point" (drawn from www.elephantjournal.com

A concise introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, by John Powers. (2008)
"Lucid and economical, this introductory text delivers a brisk, fast-moving survey of Tibetan Buddhism. For many years Powers' nearly six hundred-page Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism has served as the field's most authoritative and comprehensive overview of Tibet's distinctive Buddhist tradition. A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism explains the core Buddhist doctrines and the practices of meditation and tantra and provides a survey of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism" (drawn from www.snowlionpub.com)

What makes you not a Buddhist, by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse. (2007)
"Khyentse, a lama from an influential family and Buddhist lineage in Bhutan, is also a filmmaker, responsible for the sleeper hit The Cup, about a group of Tibetan monks obsessed with soccer. The monk brings the same multicultural fluency to his first book. He can make references to Viagra and Camilla Parker-Bowles as easily as he can tell stories of the Buddha's life. With confidence tempered by wit, he cuts to the core of Buddhism: four 'seals' - truths - that make up a Buddhist 'right view' of the world and existence. ... There is much food for thought in this short book for Buddhist students and for anyone interested in the ongoing adaptation of traditional Eastern wisdom into postmodern Western settings. 'You can change the cup,' Khyentse writes, "but the tea remains pure'" -- Publishers Weekly.

Buddhist goddesses of India, by Miranda Shaw. (2006)
Beautifully illustrated, the book chronicles the histories, legends, and artistic portrayals of nineteen goddesses and several related human figures and texts. Drawing on a sweeping range of material, from devotional poetry and meditation manuals to rituals and artistic images, Shaw reveals the character, powers, and practice traditions of the female divinities. Interpretations of intriguing traits such as body color, stance, hairstyle, clothing, jewelry, hand gestures, and handheld objects lend deep insight into the symbolism and roles of each goddess. " (book jacket)

Adventures with the Buddha : a personal Buddhism reader, [edited by] Jeffery Paine. (2005)
Paine's latest book collects nine (40–50 pages each) and highly enjoyable extracts from the autobiographical writings of 20th-century Westerner converts to Buddhism. From the piece recounting Alexandra David-Neel's intrepid trip to Tibet at age 55 to the essay by well-known American Buddhist scholar Michael Roach, the collection broadly chronicles the opening of the West to Buddhism and the adaptation of Buddhism to Western culture, where it is now indigenous and familiar. (drawn from Library Journal)

The bodhi tree grows in L.A. :­ tales of a Buddhist monk in America, by Bhante Walpola Piyananda. (2008)
Piyananda, a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk who came to America decades ago, tells simple stories about people with problems he has counseled in the course of his tenure at a Theravada Buddhist temple in Los Angeles. The problems are common: anorexia, gambling, anger, illness. The simplicity of his storytelling belies the depth of his knowledge of Buddhist sutras, which he invariably applies in resolving whatever problem is presented to him. .... Some Buddhist students will wonder where the focus on enlightenment went; others will find refreshing proof of the power of compassion and of the wisdom of the Buddha for daily life and its vicissitudes. (drawn from Publishers' Weekly, courtesy of Syndetics)

Zen and the art of happiness, by Chris Prentiss. (2006)
Prentiss has written a charming book that is perhaps not quite as Zen as its title might suggest; that is, Prentiss's own engagement with Zen Buddhism is quite sincere, but the book should not be taken as a guide to the spiritual practice. Prentiss's principal sense of Zen is that of awareness of every present moment; armed with that, he shows readers, with humor and zest, how to live in the now and change our futures. (drawn from Library Journal, courtesy of Syndetics)

Treasures of the Sakya lineage :­ teachings from the masters, [compiled by] Migmar Tseten. (2008)
"A rich collection of teachings by both contemporary and ancient Sakya masters, showing a thousand years of lineage continuity. It provides an overview of the history, view, key lineage figures, and crucial teachings of the oldest continuously operating institution among the four lineages of Tibetan Buddhism."

Dancing with life : Buddhist insights for finding meaning and joy in the face of suffering, by Phillip Moffitt. (2008)
Moffitt, founder and president of the Life Balance Institute and regular contributor to Yoga Journal, competently addresses the core of the Buddhist message—suffering and the delivery of human beings from suffering—for a contemporary English-speaking audience. He views Buddha's Four Noble Truths as "specific, practical life instructions."

What do Buddhists believe?, by Tony Morris. (2006)
"The teachings of Buddhism are many and varied, and it has a well-developed philosophical and mystical dimension; but at its core is a simple set of propositions and practices designed to meet the practical day-to-day concerns of ordinary people: how to live a compassionate, creative, wise, and, above all, happy life."

Widening the circle of love, by Shunryu Suzuki ; His Holiness the Dalai Lama ; translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins. (2005)
"A practical, seven-step guide on how to develop your love for others and transform each and every one of your relationships. Filled with personal anecdotes and the Dalai Lama's customary warmth and wisdom, [the book] offers a simple and illuminating programme for changing self-centredness into outwardly directed concern."

How to expand love : widening the circle of loving relationships, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama ; translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins. (2006)
LARGE PRINT Continuing the literary work he began with The Art of Happiness, in this book, Tibet's revered spiritual teacher the Dalai Lama discusses the importance of giving and receiving love as the quintessential step to achieving a life of true happiness and fulfillment. In his characteristic direct and simple-to-understand fashion, the Dalai Lama offers guidelines and illustrative examples from his own life that instruct readers on how to move away from self-centered egotistic concerns and habitual tendencies to rigidly judge and categorize others, in order to become more compassionate and accepting of everyone we encounter throughout the day. To assist this process, he also shares exercises and techniques that have been part of Tibetan Buddhist teachings for many centuries. (drawn from www.amazon.com)

Insight dialogue : the interpersonal path to freedom, by Gregory Kramer. (2007)
Kramer is a longtime student and teacher in the insight meditation tradition and has also studied Buddhist psychology. He has developed, and teaches, a practice that engages partners in a structured dialogue based on Buddhist practices and principles. Such dialogue, like meditation, yields insight. The book is at its best when the author explains and teaches this unique practice, offering real-world examples. Less successful, and far less novel, is a section that relates Buddhism's four noble truths to interpersonal truths. This section is larded with sweeping psychological generalizations conveyed in fuzzy language (All of these hungers rest on self-concept; they are the core around which the self constellates).... (drawn from Booklist courtesy of Syndetics)

In the Buddha's words : an anthology of discourses from the Pali canon, edited and introduced by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (2005)
"This landmark collection is the definitive introduction to the Buddha's teachings - in his own words... Divided into ten thematic chapters [it] reveals the full scope of the Buddha's discourses, from family life and marriage to renunciation and the path of insight".

It's up to you : the practice of self-reflection on the Buddhist path, by Dzigar Kongtrul ; foreword by Pema Chodron ; preface by Matthieu Ricard. (2005)
"How do we reconcile the idea of enlightenment with what we see when we look in the mirror - when insecurities, doubts, and self-centred tendencies arise in our minds?"

Nothing to do, nowhere to go : waking up to who you are, Thich Nhat Hanh ; [edited by Rachel Neumann]. (2007)
In this translation and commentary, Thich Nhat Hanh explores the essential teaching of Master Linji, one of the founders of Zen Buddhism. Linji's unorthodox teachings remind us that insight is better reached through our own experience and practice then by following others." "Thich Nhat Hanh shows is how we can each get closer to the ideal person within us, the person who simply is, with nothing to achieve and nowhere to be (book jacket)

Online databases & articles

Database articles:

Wellington City Libraries subscribe to a number of different online databases that provide news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics. Below you'll find some links to recent articles on Buddhism, selected by our librarians.

If you have signed on to EBSCO (one of our magazine databases) in the last month, the article links below will take you straight in to the database to view the article. Otherwise, you'll be prompted to use your library card number and surname details to log in and view the articles. If you'd like to discover what our databases have to offer on topics other than Buddhism, visit our online databases section, www.mygateway.info.

• Integrating Buddhist Psychology into Grief Counseling, by Kaori Wada and Jeeseon Park, in Death Studies, Aug2009, Vol. 33 Issue 7, p657-683.
  The authors begin with a brief introduction on the history of Buddhism, focusing in particular on a Buddhist conception of death. Links with Buddhist psychology and Western models of grief are covered - including the process of grief, and death as a part of life. The article concludes with the implications of this approach for counselor well-being.

• Literal means and hidden meanings, by Asaf Federman, in Philosophy East & West, Apr2009, Vol. 59 Issue 2, p125-141.
  "Skillful means is therefore not exactly the idea that the teachings should be abandoned after a person reaches a goal. It is rather a sophisticated explanatory tool that enables a new religious movement to claim that what has been widely accepted as true is actually not true, and that truth is, and has always been, something else. It is a pointer to a new gap that has been recognized between textual facts biographical facts and doctrinal facts - and their other, hidden, meaning." (page 136)

Other online articles:

• Tricycle, (E-journal).
  Tricycle is a Buddhist bi-monthly review established in 1991 and published out of New York City.

Useful websites

• Resources for the study of Buddhism
  Large portal, maintained by San Francisco State University. Includes links to online collections of Buddhist texts.
• Buddhism, an introduction
  Extensive Chapter emanating from the Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University.
• Essentials of buddhism
  Lists of Noble truths, Boundless states, Fetters of Existence etc.
• Buddhanet
  The searchable Buddhist Information Network features a BuddhaZine, guided meditation and other audio files, downloadable e-books and articles (Adobe Acrobat Reader required), information on Meditation Techniques, an online guide for studying Buddhism, information on Buddhist history and culture, a World Buddhist Directory, and a browsable collection of related links.
• Bodhinyanarama (Wellington, NZ)
  Bodhinyanarama, or the Garden of Enlightened Knowing, founded in 1985, is a monastic residence of the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. This Web Site contains Dhamma talks and teachings and information on other New Zealand Buddhist groups, and Links.
• Wellington Buddhist Centre
  The Wellington Buddhist Centre is part of a world-wide Buddhist movement called the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO).