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Welcome to Windhorse Books!
Dear Windhorse Friend,
Below is an excerpt from our winter newsletter!
As ever there are plenty of new books on offer. Some very practical, as in our first section below. Great to see Buddhism being explained—rather than as a 'religion' or 'philosophy'—as providing tools with which we can help to live our lives. It seems as though us humans often live on a knife edge. Mostly, unfortunately, it is a knife edge of emotion, conflict, wanting and debt while we deprive ourselves, others and the earth of our attention and care.
Most of the books here address this theme head-on and encourage a radically different approach from this; encourage each of us individually to take responsibility for our actions, speech, thoughts and emotions. And through taking responsibility, help us to make changes internally and externally. What I find inspiring is where I get a real sense the authors are writing from a basis of experience. In making, or having made, those changes and having 'walked the talk', they help us to take the same steps, steadily, towards ever more wisdom and compassion.
I hope you too find inspiration in these titles!
Ratnajyoti
Practical
Books on
Living the Dharma
Buddhism: tools for living your life by Vajragupta
Buddhism: tools
for living your life is a guide for those seeking a meaningful spiritual path
while living everyday lives full of families, work and friends. Vajragupta gives
clear explanations of Buddhist teachings and the necessary guidance on how to
apply these to enrich our busy and complex lives. The personal stories,
exercises, reflections and questions in this book help transform Buddhist
practice into more than a fine set of ideals. They make the path of ethics,
meditation and wisdom a tangible part of our lives. "In this book I am
attempting to give a feel for what a ‘Buddhist life’ might be like, for people
of all kinds of backgrounds and experience. The aim is to make the teachings as
accessible and relevant as possible, to give you the ‘tools’ by which to lead a
spiritual life."—Vajragupta
ISBN: 9781899579747 paperback 192 pp
210 x 164mm $32.95
Buddhism for Mothers with Lingering Questions: taking stock of what really
matters by
Sarah Napthali
For all mothers who loved the simplicity, clarity and warmth of the bestselling
Buddhism for Mothers, comes the book which answers the next lot of questions.
Now the mother of a toddler and a primary school-aged child, Sarah Napthali
writes of the next stage of the parenting journey. Juggling working from home,
managing a family and worrying about whether she'll ever have a future career,
Sarah is now the mother of seven-year-old Zac and the unrelentingly naughty
four-year-old Alex. While she's no longer changing nappies or carrying babies,
she is contending with the next lot of parenting challenges that every mother
will be able to relate to. Sarah takes us on a journey through the challenges
(and joys!) of raising children, using Buddhist teachings and principles to help
her answer the eternal questions of mothers everywhere: Who am I? Who are my
children? Where am I going? And how can I do my best by my children and myself?
Writing from personal experience, and weaving in stories from other mothers
throughout her narrative, Sarah shows us how spiritual and mindful parenting can
help all mothers to be more open, attentive and content.
ISBN: 9781741149074 paperback 272 pp
208 x 140mm $26.95
more info...
Buddhist Meditation
Joy
of Living: unlocking the secret and science of happiness by Yongey Mingyur
Rinpoche
For millennia, Buddhists have enjoyed the limitless benefits of meditation. But
how does it work? And why? The principles behind this ancient practice have long
eluded some of the best minds in modern science. Buddhist teacher, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, invites us to join him in unlocking the
secrets behind the practice of meditation. Working with neuroscientists at the 'Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior',
he investigates modern research indicating that systematic training in meditation
can enhance activity in areas of the brain associated with happiness and
compassion. He also works with physicists to develop a
fresh interpretation of the Buddhist understanding of the
nature of reality. With an infectious joy and insatiable curiosity, he weaves together the principles of Tibetan Buddhism, neuroscience, and
quantum physics in a way that will change the way we understand the
human experience.
“An extraordinarily clear book on the whys and the hows of cultivating
mindfulness effectively in our lives. It makes use of the idiom and exciting
discoveries of modern science in ways that are easy to understand and entirely
relevant to the meditation practices themselves.”—Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our Senses and vice-chair of the Mind and
Life Institute
ISBN: 9780307346254 hardcover 288 pp
240 x 162mm $46.95
Meditators Atlas: a roadmap of the inner world by
Matthew Flickstein
Meditation can seem a mystery: Where do you begin? Where will you end up? What
might you find along the way? Formerly titled "Swallowing the River Ganges" and
now totally revised, The Meditator's Atlas truly is a comprehensive and
trustworthy "roadmap of the inner world" for anyone who meditates. What makes
this book unique is the way Flickstein uses two classic Buddhist texts—the Path
of Purification, and the Four Foundations of Mindfulness—to help readers make
clear sense out of the new, fascinating, and sometimes frightening states that
one may encounter on the long journey to enlightenment. Readers will come away
from this book with their own insights clarified and with a helpful sense of
what lies ahead.
"A fresh, contemporary presentation of a venerable and ancient teaching. Readers
of this book will find that it profoundly deepens their practice."—from the foreword by Bhante Gunaratana, author of Mindfulness in Plain English
ISBN: 9780861713370 paperback 181 pp
225 x 150
mm $27.95
more info...
and other important teachings
Compassionate Action by Chatral Sangye Dorje
Rinpoche; Larson, Zach (tr.)
Chatral Rinpoche, now in his nineties, is one of the greatest meditation masters and most
compassionate Bodhisattvas in Tibetan Buddhism. Father Thomas Merton first met
him in 1968 and famously remarked that he was "the greatest man I ever met."
This is the first English-language book of this living legend and includes his
biography and autobiography, six of his essays, five prayers he composed, an
exclusive interview, and pages of photos from throughout his life. Here are
teachings from a man who walks the talk of compassion and wisdom!
"Here, in these poetic writings and recorded interviews, Rinpoche… reveals his
deep commitment to Buddhist ethics, his dedication to nonviolence and preserving
life, and above all, his total dedication to the authentic teachings of Lord
Buddha and Guru Padmasambhava."—Sogyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.
ISBN: 9781559392716 paperback 112 pp
216 x 140 mm $29.95
more info...
Now that I Come to Die by Longchenpa
The all-knowing Longchenpa (1308 - 1364) stands at the centre of the Nyingma
tradition. Acknowledged by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism as one of Tibet's
greatest masters, he wrote works that cover every aspect of the Buddhist path.
His writings, in clear and luminous verse and prose, have the power to awaken
our innermost knowing and inspire us to act on the knowledge we already have.
The first work in this collection contains Longchenpa’s heartfelt advice to his
closest disciples on how to make the teachings a path of transformation. The two
other works focus on the powerful practices of the Four Immeasurables: Love,
Joy, Compassion, and Equanimity. The final section, the commentary, never before
published in book form, shows how systematic practice of these “catalysts of
being” can up-end the usual routines of our daily existence and lead us beyond
the limits we have learned to take for granted. Worldliness is done with; this
life's show is over!
ISBN: 9780898003932 paperback 158 pp
228 x 150 mm $27.00
more info...
Practice of Lojong: cultivating compassion through
training the mind by Traleg Kyabgon
This book presents commentary, stories, and historical background on the lojong
slogans of Tibetan Buddhism, such as:
Don't wait in ambush.
Always maintain a cheerful outlook.
Don't attack others' vulnerable points.
Used by meditators through the ages to cultivate awareness and compassion, this
contemplation practice offers guidance for remaining receptive and wakeful amid
the ups and downs of daily life. These meditations have long been considered the
quintessence of Buddhist teachings for cultivating an awakened heart and a
compassionate mind. Traleg Kyabgon, author of The Essence of Buddhism, is
director of Kagyu E-Vam Buddhist Institute, in Melbourne. He has been teaching,
leading retreats, and travelling to lecture Buddhist groups and university
courses in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia since
1980. His new book, "The Practice of Lojong", will be of interest to all those
who want to explore how Buddhist teachings can help us find clarity and balance
in daily life.
ISBN: 9781590303788 paperback 304 pp 225 x 150 mm $37.95
more info...
buddhist writing
Available Truth: excursions into Buddhist wisdom and
the natural world by Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano
With his books "Landscapes of Wonder" and "Longing for Certainty", this American
monk led readers down literary trails, providing enlightening glimpses of the
natural world. In Available Truth, he guides us further along this path. He
expresses an unqualified embrace of the Buddha’s worldview in intelligent and
deeply thoughtful prose. Along with reflections on mindfulness, impermanence,
and the end of suffering, Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano is not afraid to delve into the
topics of rebirth, karma, non-virtue, and the roles of reasoned faith, ritual,
and monasticism, revealing their continuing relevance for today's seeker. His
patient awareness of the workings of the mind and the natural world will enable
readers to deepen both their practice and their lives.
ISBN: 9780861715190 paperback 192 pp 225 x 150 mm $29.95
more info...
She Still Lives: a novel of Tibet by Bill Magee
This is an action / love story set in a fictional
Tibet of the future. The beginning of the next century is a pivotal time for the
Land of Snows. A nascent freedom movement has been crushed by the Communists.
Tara Gyatso, beloved Dalai Lama, and her advisor Mila Lakpa, have been
imprisoned. Many years later Mila Lakpa emerges from jail. He is an aged remnant
of his former self, but he rallies for a final act of rebellion. Outwardly he
may appear to have forgotten the Dalai Lama, but inwardly a secret plan is
taking shape. The path to success is a razor's edge: on the one side, the Dalai
Lama's freedom; on the other, a life sentence and the annihilation of his hopes.
"Dr. Magee has written an original and compelling book
about a future female Dalai Lama and a man whose love for her is inspiring and
transcendent. The action is suspenseful and the characters are intensely human.
She Still Lives is both a grippingly-entertaining novel and an indictment of the
false gods of war, a reminder that love and non-violence are more powerful forces
than tyranny and oppression."—Jeffrey Hopkins, author of numerous books on Tibetan Buddhism
ISBN: 9781559392471 paperback 168 pp
216 x 140 mm $29.95
more info...
Pavement: reflections on mercy, activism, and doing
nothing for peace by Lin Jensen
Every day, Lin Jensen has gone down to the centre of his small town of Chico,
California, plopped down a meditation cushion, and sat "peace vigils" in protest
of the US invasion of Iraq - his honest effort to change the world. From his
knee-level spot on the pavement, he has encountered a wonderful array of what
Lin calls "uprights": a heart-breakingly generous homeless man who offers Lin
his only possession; hostile passers-by who shout "F@#k you, Peace Wimp!";
"White Wolf," who punctuates every comment (always SHOUTED!) with a sharp poke
to Lin's chest; compassionate soldiers, and more—all amid rain and bright sun,
exhaust fumes, and the scent of azaleas. Jensen, the author who so moved readers
with his acclaimed memoir Bad Dog!, here shares what sidewalk-dwelling has
taught him about humility, generosity, and what it really means to love our
neighbours. It's inspiring, good-humoured reading - especially for anyone who
might work or wish for change but doesn't want to be just spitting into the
wind.
ISBN: 9780861715220 paperback 160 pp
200 x 125 mm $22.95
more info...
titles newly arrived at special prices
Tibetan
Way of Life, Death and Rebirth: the illustrated guide to Tibetan wisdom by
John Peacock
This fascinating guide looks at key themes of Tibetan belief in relation to
life's vital issues: how to live (including meditation and devotion), how to
prepare for death, how to negotiate the terrifying intermediate state know as
bardo, how to escape from the endless cycle of rebirth. Also covered are the
teachings of Tantra and of the lamas, and sacred texts such as the Tibetan Book
of the Dead. Beautifully illustrated with images and photos, this would
make a great gift!
ISBN: 9781904292647 paperback 144 pp
240 x 194 mm special price: was $ 29.95, now $17.95
more info...
Essential Dalai Lama by HH Dalai Lama
The Essential Dalai Lama brings together the best of the Dalai Lama's writings
on all aspects of life from work to meditation. Divided into four sections - The
Vision, Buddhist Perspectives, Practice, A World in Harmony - The Essential
Dalai Lama contains eloquent applications of the principles of ancient Buddhist
thought to contemporary issues, all expressed in the Dalai Lama's uniquely
compelling voice. Covering topics such as the quest for human happiness,
foundations of Buddhism, Karma, focusing the mind, ethics and society, the
Buddhist perspective on the teachings of Jesus, and much more, The Essential
Dalai Lama is perfect for anyone who wishes to have one source for the Dalai
Lama's teachings or seeks an introduction to the philosophy and practice of
Buddhism.
ISBN: 9780670034444 hardcover 274 pp
236 x 160 mm special price: was $49.95, now $18.95 (please
note: there is a remainder mark on book's edge)
more info...
Tibetan Relaxation: kum nye massage and movement by
Tarthang Tulku
Tibetan Relaxation presents Kum Nye—a holistic healing system that traces to 8th
Century Tibetan Texts. Kum Nye aims to free the flow of the body’s energy to
achieve optimum health and vitality. Brought to the West and systematized by
Tarthang Tulku, the practice is a yoga–like tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
Suitable for all ages, these gentle exercises serve to relive tension, heighten
energy levels, improve concentration and enhance sensory awareness.
ISBN: 9781844830190 paperback 144 pp
280 x 232 mm special price: was $ 29.95, now $17.95
more info...
For more specials please go to our website more info...
Greeting Cards—In the Footsteps of the Buddha
Photographs and cards by Jamie Williams. A collection of handcrafted photographic greeting cards featuring the people, culture and landscape of the Himalaya. Images that capture the spirit of place, transcending borders and ethnicity.
The cards are made with durable matt photographic prints on chlorine-free, plantation-grown fibre card stock. The envelopes contain 70% recycled paper. Sales of each card go to supporting the Australia Tibet Council (a non-profit organisation working for a Free Tibet)! Cards are 125 x 175 mm and have no message printed inside. See the full range...