Religion

Being Upright takes us beyond the conventional interpretation of ethical precepts to the ultimate meaning that informs them. Reb Anderson first introduces us to the fundamental ideas of Zen Buddhist practice. Who was Shakyamuni Buddha and what was his central teaching? What does it mean to be a bodhisattva and take the bodhisattva vow? Why should we confess and acknowledge our ancient twisted karma? What is the significance of taking refuge in Buddha, dharma, and sangha? The author explores the ten basic precepts, including not killing, not stealing, not lying, not misusing sexuality, and not using intoxicants. A gifted storyteller, Anderson takes us to the heart of situations, where moral judgments are not easy and we do not have all the answers. With wisdom and compassion, he teaches us how to confront the emotional and ethical turmoil of our lives.

"A brilliant, wide ranging and powerful series of readings on the possibilities, problems and mysteries of faith. This book belongs on the shelf of every believer--and every serious skeptic." -- Rabbi David Wolpe, author of Why Faith Matters

"This life-giving, faith-filled and hard-nosed collection reveals why, as St. Anselm wrote, true faith always seeks to understand." -- Rev. James Martin, author of My Life with the Saints

From Dr. Francis Collins, New York Times bestselling author of The Language of God, comes the definitive reader on the rationality of faith.

Do you ever wish you had more faith, but struggle to make religious belief fit with modern assumptions about the world and human life? With a rare combination of empathy, open-mindedness, and persuasive argument, Ross Douthat offers a blueprint for thinking one's way from doubt to belief.

As a columnist for the New York Times who writes often about spiritual topics for a skeptical audience, Ross Douthat understands that many of us--whether we are agnostic, somewhat religious, or longtime believers--want to have more faith than we do. But we think we can't believe the way our ancestors did, knowing what we know now--can we?

With clear and straightforward arguments, Believe shows how religious belief makes sense of the order of the cosmos and our place within it, illuminates the mystery of consciousness, and explains the persistent reality of encounters with the supernatural.

Douthat argues that in light of what we know today it should be harder to not have faith than to have it. With empathy, clarity, and rigor, Douthat explores:

Why nonbelief requires ignoring what our reasoning faculties tell us about the world

How modern scientific developments make a religious worldview more credible, not less

Why it's entirely reasonable to believe in mystical and supernatural realities

How an open-minded religious quest should proceed amid the diversity of religious faiths

How Douthat's own Christianity is informed by his blueprint for belief

Highly relevant for our current moment, Believe offers a pathway for thinking your way from doubt into belief, from uncertainty about our place in the universe into a confidence that we are here for a reason.

This series of books explores what it means to live and worship among the many faiths unique to America's neighborhoods. Each book in the series illuminates the questions Christians have about other faiths such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Baha'i, Zoroastrianism, Afro-Caribbean religions, Native-American religions, Confucianism, and Shinto. Different faiths have different ideals of community, and different kinds of rules. In Belonging Lucinda Mosher explores the vocabulary of America's many religions, the theologies and rituals that create a sense of belonging, and how these religions handle life's stages--welcoming babies, rites of passage for adolescents, initiation, and conversion.

Interwoven with interviews and personal stories, Belonging is intended for interfaith education of all kinds. A quick guide to each religion, a glossary, and recommended reading are included.

A thought-provoking collection of the most notable, enjoyable, and insightful Buddhism-inspired literature published in the last year. The Best Buddhist Writing 2008 includes:

- Short meditative practices for peace from Thich Nhat Hanh
- Sylvia Boorstein on how equanimity supports kindness
- Kate Wheeler on meditating in a cave in India
- Norman Fischer on how all language is a form of prayer
- Aidan Delgado on being a Buddhist conscientious objector in Iraq
- "Dharma punk" Noah Levine on learning how to forgive
- Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche on cultivating compassion through training the mind
- The Dalai Lama on the mythical "self"
- Sister Chan Khong's memoir of campaigning for peace and social justice during the Vietnam War era alongside her teacher Thich Nhat Hanh
- Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet, on the importance of a "beginner's mind"
- Pema Chodron on choosing peace rather than conflict
- Bhikkhu Bodhi, Darlene Cohen, Shinzen Young, and Reginald Ray on the valuable lessons of pain
- "Prince of the Ascetics," a short story by Charles Johnson
- Natalie Goldberg on koan practice
- And much more

Here is this year's installment in the series Publishers Weekly says "does a great service by highlighting views and themes as they modulate with each passing year." The Best Buddhist Writing 2010 is an eclectic, inspiring collection of writings from the Buddhist perspective. Selected by the editors of the Shambhala Sun, North America's leading Buddhist-inspired magazine, the essays, articles, and interviews in this anthology offer an entertaining mix of writing styles and reflect on a wide range of issues.

The Best Buddhist Writing 2010 includes:

- A question and answer session between children and Thich Nhat Hanh
- Stan Goldberg on becoming a hospice volunteer, shortly after his own diagnosis of prostate cancer

- Buddhist author and death-row inmate Jarvis Jay Masters on experiencing a few unexpected hours of freedom

- Jan Chozen Bays on eating mindfully

- Norman Fischer contemplates the death of his best friend

- Meditation instructions from Tibetan teacher Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

- Sylvia Boorstein on the deep human connection that emerges when we engage with the joy and suffering of others

- Carolyn Rose Gimian on the late Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's advice to "smile at fear"

- Gaylon Ferguson on recognizing our natural wakefulness

- Pema Chodron on being open to the opportunities that arise when we experience pain and discomfort in our lives

- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche on finding joy in the midst of life's difficulties

- Steve Silberman's account of love, prejudice, Buddhism, and marriage

- Mary Pipher on moving past despair

- Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche on meditation that directs our thoughts and intentions in a positive direction

- Jaimal Yogis on his misguided attempt to use Zen to improve his surfing

- Lauren Fraser on the Zen-inspired cooks who have influenced the way we cook and eat

- And much more

A treasury of the most notable, profound, and thought-provoking Buddhist-inspired writing published in the last year.

The Best Buddhist Writing 2012 includes:

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama on cultivating a universal ethic of kindness
- Sharon Salzberg on getting your meditation practice started
- Pema Chödrön on how to smile at fear
- The Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi on analyzing global problems through the lens of traditional Buddhist teachings
- Bruce Rich on the enlightened model of government of the Buddhist monarch King Ashoka
- Thich Nhat Hanh on fidelity in loving relationships
- Michael A. Stusser's determined--and hilarious--effort to speak--and tweet--no evil
- Norman Fischer on a new and more open understanding of language
- Barry Boyce's fascinating survey of the life and teachings of the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
- Michael Stone and David Loy on the basic questions raised by the Occupy Wall Street movement
- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche's explanation of the meditation practice of kusulu, the pinnacle of simplicity and relaxation
- Nancy Baker on the powerful and useful energy behind anger
- Diane Ackerman on living with her beloved husband's Alzheimer's disease
- Yangzom Brauen's moving account of her grandmother and mother's escape from Tibet following the Chinese invasion
- And much more

The renowned nonfiction annual makes its Penguin debut
For more than a decade, Philip Zaleski has collected into a single volume the best spiritual essays and poetry of the year. "The Best Spiritual Writing 2010," featuring essays by John Updike and Diane Ackerman, poems from Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney and Pulitzer Prize-winner Louise Gluck, and personal reflections by Richard Rodriguez and Leon Wieseltier, is sure to expand on the series' already wide recognition and reach the growing audience of readers searching for unsurpassed spiritual writing.
Contributors include:
Mary Jo Bang, Jane Hirshfield, Melissa Range, Rick Bass, Paula Huston, Pattiann Rogers, David Berlinski, Pico Iyer, Amanda Shaw, Joseph Bottum, Charles Johnson, Master Sheng Yen, Nicholas Carr, Jon D. Levenson, Floyd Skloot, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Philip Levine, Meir Soloveichik, Billy Collins, Wilfred M. McClay, Richard Wilbur, Chrisi Cox, Richard John Neuhaus, Seamus Heaney, Robert Pinsky"