books

Zen Speaks: Shouts of Nothingness Tsai Chih Chung 
The book is one of my favorites. Short stories that always provide insights into Zen and meditation. Within a couple of drawings we have a glimpse of wisdom, a brief overview of Zen. It is one of the few books I read and re-read again and again.   -Adrien

Reconnecting to the Earth  Aaron Hoopes
A wake up call for anyone who is feeling that there is something not quite right with our world. Our all-consuming industrial civilization has led us down a destructive path that has compromised our soil, food, water, and atmosphere. While it seems our modern society does not need or want to connect to the natural world, there is a deep fundamental sustenance that comes from being nourished and inspired by nature. – Diane

The Wisdom of No Escape Pema Chödrön
There are good examples of people who never gave up on themselves and were not afraid to be themselves, who therefore found their own genuine quality and their own true nature. The point is that our true nature is not some ideal that we have to live up to. It’s who we are right now, and that’s what we can make friends with and celebrate. -Steve

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times  Pema Chödrön
The beautiful practicality of her teaching has made Pema Chödrön one of the most beloved of contemporary American spiritual authors among Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. A collection of talks she gave between 1987 and 1994, the book is a treasury of wisdom for going on living when we are overcome by pain and difficulties. – Steve

A reflection on Sailing Home: Using the Wisdom of Homer’s Odyssey to Navigate Life’s Perils and Pitfalls Norman Fischer
Until I read Norman Fischer’s book Sailing Home I had always thought of an odyssey as a long and adventurous journey away from home. I loved this book so much I have given it to several friends.
Norman Fischer is a Zen Master and poet who uses Ulysses’ difficult journeys across the wine-dark sea to illuminate the challenges we all face as we journey home to ourselves and the present moment. Fischer writes with compassion and great insight as he describes the obstacles Ulysses faces. He makes it easy to see that we all have to endure terrible storms, avoid being distracted by lotus eating, siren calls and other temptations. We endure great fatigue, face impossible choices and sooner or later have to visit the land of the dead. This book is easy to read in spite of the depth of the subject as the author includes reflections from his own life and those of his student’s lives as well as stories from many traditions. Above all it is deeply inspiring and reminds us of the many useful tools we have in our Zen practice that can help us navigate our way home.
-Penny