Buddhism History

You might already know that World War I was the Great War, and be familiar with its images: muddy trenches, poison gas, and a no-man's land of craters and barbed wire. But when it comes to understanding its causes, why it dragged on for four years, and how it set the stage for World War II, you might be lost behind enemy lines. Don't wave the white flag just yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to World War I audiobook gives you a comprehensive overview of the first global war, from the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand to the Treaty of Versailles.

Centinaia di milioni di persone - presenti soprattutto in India, Cina, Giappone, Indocina, ma sparse in tutte le parti del mondo - aderiscono al buddhismo, una via di perfezionamento spirituale che può essere praticata anche senza abbandonare la propria fede d'origine. Questo volume introduce l'ascoltatore in una storia millenaria ed estremamente complessa che si snoda attraverso molteplici scuole e correnti, e che unisce i suoi protagonisti nel segno del "dharma", l'insieme delle verità rivelate dal Buddha e delle pratiche che coerentemente ne derivano.

Surviving the Dragon is the remarkable life story of Arjia Rinpoche, who was ordained as a reincarnate lama at the age of two and fled Tibet 46 years later. In his gripping memoir, Rinpoche relates the story of having been abandoned in his monastery as a young boy after witnessing the torture and arrest of his monastery family. In the years to come, Rinpoche survived under harsh Chinese rule, as he was forced into hard labor and endured continual public humiliation as part of Mao’s Communist "reeducation".

Composer John Cage sought the silence of a mind at peace with itself - and found it in Zen Buddhism, a spiritual path that changed both his music and his view of the universe. "Remarkably researched, exquisitely written", Where the Heart Beats weaves together "a great many threads of cultural history" (Maria Popova, Brain Pickings) to illuminate Cage’s struggle to accept himself and his relationship with choreographer Merce Cunningham. Freed to be his own man, Cage originated exciting experiments that set him at the epicenter of a new avant-garde forming in the 1950s.

Peaks and Lamas is one of the classic early 20th-century accounts of travelling in the Himalayas on the borders of Tibet. It describes two journeys in the 1930s, one physically active and one more of spiritual investigation. It starts as the title suggests, as a mountaineering adventure, when a group of English climbers set out to climb unconquered peaks in the Himalayas. The audiobook ends with a warning of the deleterious effect of Western culture on traditional art and values and an idealistic polemic on education.

Has anyone ever asked you what the best days of your life were? When asked this, I closed my eyes and went back in my own past. And I thought of the days when life's most complex choices had a simple solution of Akkad Bakkad Bambey Bo, of the seasons when rains were celebrated by making paper boats, and of the times when waiting at the railway crossing meant counting the bogies of the train passing by. When I opened my eyes, it seems Like it Happened Yesterday! I look back, and it becomes a journey full of adventure.

This book details the history, rituals, and beliefs of the major traditional religions of China: universal animism, polydemonism, specters, ancestral worship, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. He thought that one spiritual essence could be detected beneath a great variety of religious, philosophical, and even political expressions in China, and his lifework was the discovery and exposition of that essence.

The Dīghanikāya or Long Discourses of the Buddha is one of the four major collections of teachings from the early period of Buddhism. Its 34 suttas (in Sanskrit, sutras) demonstrate remarkable breadth in both content and style, forming a comprehensive collection. The Art of Listening gives an introduction to the Dīghanikāya and demonstrates the historical, cultural, and spiritual insights that emerge when we view the Buddhist suttas as oral literature.

In today’s fast-paced world, discovering pure serenity can appear like an impossible task, especially for busy professionals. Author, Stoic Yogi guides you to practical strategies that are based on ancient wisdom from notable philosophers, Buddha and Marcus Aurelius. Expect to dive into the core principles of mindfulness, Stoicism and Buddhism, while simultaneously learning how to integrate them into your daily life. The concept of the transformative power of dichotomy will enlighten you by encouraging you to focus on what you can control and let go of the uncontrollable in your life.

The murder of a young Tibetan nun at the hands of Chinese border guards at the rooftop of the world offers a unique parable for the tale of modern Tibet. Chinese police are instructed to take any measures necessary to protect the border of Tibet. When a group of climbers witness the murder of a young Tibetan nun who is fleeing to India, two men have a choice: turn a blind eye and preserve their climbing careers or alert the world to the grand scale of human injustice played out daily in Tibet.

The mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II is not only a tale of injustice; it is a moving story of faith. In this pathbreaking account, Duncan Ryuken Williams reveals how, even as they were stripped of their homes and imprisoned in camps, Japanese American Buddhists launched one of the most inspiring defenses of religious freedom in our nation's history, insisting that they could be both Buddhist and American.

Movie fans and spiritual seekers, unite! In Cinema Nirvana, veteran meditation teacher and film critic Dean Sluyter illuminates the hidden enlightenment teachings of Casablanca, Jaws, The Graduate, The Godfather, Memento, Easy Rider, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Big Sleep, Fistful of Dollars, and half a dozen more classic films, revealing spiritual wisdom in everything from 007's secret weapons to the colors of the Seven Dwarfs' eyes. So grab your popcorn, sit back, and prepare to have your mind opened. Cinema Nirvana is a funny but wise, practical but wildly entertaining guide to finding enlightenment...one movie at a time.

There are many religions practiced by people today such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Taoism, and Hinduism, among others. There are people, however, who do not associate themselves with any religion and they are commonly referred to as atheists. Most religions are focused on a Supreme Being or deity.

Buddhism is often considered a religion by new practitioners. For many Buddhists it is more of a way of life than a religion. Buddhists believe meditation and other practices will lead to changes in oneself. These changes are aimed at creating awareness, wisdom, and kindness within in order to reach spiritual enlightenment. Buddhism represents the end of suffering for anyone able to attain enlightenment, because the person no longer dwells on what they lack but learns to live with the reality of what is, without needs, wants, or desires.

The tale of St. Josaphat, a prince who gave up his wealth and kingdom to follow Jesus, was widely told and read in the Middle Ages, translated into a dozen languages, and even cited by Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice. Only in the 19th century did scholars note the parallels between the lives of Buddha and Josaphat. In Search of the Christian Buddha traces the Buddha’s story from India to Persia to Jerusalem and then throughout Europe, as it was rewritten by Muslim, Jewish, and Christian authors, illustrating its unsuspected integration into European culture.

From the Eastern religions of Buddhism and Taoism to the Abrahamic religions that billions across the globe follow, this audiobook provides a detailed introduction to some of the world’s major religions, breaking down their fundamental concepts in a way that anyone can understand. With insightful explanations and an unbiased approach, An Introduction to the World Religions is a must-listen for anyone interested in learning about the belief systems that billions of people practice.

This book reveals that the Buddha of Nepalese birth, otherwise known as Gautama Buddha and the avatar Buddha who appeared approximately 1000 years prior in Gaya, India are two distinct individuals with two distinct philosophical traditions. Especially investigated is the philosophy of Sri Sankacarya, whose interpretations of the Vedas were so bewildering that not only did he succeed in driving Buddhism out of India, but moreover convinced a following of scholars that Hinduism is in essence monistic.

Are you ready to expand your health and happiness? To awaken, one must understand the power of the chakras. To heal one’s mind, body, and spirit, one must align them. The wonders of a quiet mind allow anyone to achieve a level of joy and abundance they never knew existed. This journey will change your life. You’ll learn ancient medicine and the use of chakras, secret and powerful healing techniques, and more.

Imagined by one of the world's leading experts on Buddhism, this fictionalized conversation presents the essential biography of its famously wise founder. A relaxed chat with the Buddha tells us what he thought about impermanence, karma, mindfulness, compassion, love, and everything else that leads us toward a true understanding of ourselves and the cosmos.

Michael Carrithers guides us through the complex and sometimes conflicting information that Buddhist texts give about the life and teaching of the Buddha. He discusses the social and political background of India in the Buddha's time, and traces the development of his thought. He also assesses the rapid and widespread assimilation of Buddhism and its contemporary relevance. Well-paced and informative, this introduction will enlighten not only those who study Buddhism and comparative religion but anyone intrigued by the remarkable philosophy of one of the greatest religious thinkers.