Buddhism Audiobooks | Religion & Spirituality

Modern Tantric Buddhism: Embodiment and Authenticity in Dharma Practice

This essential guide to socially engaged Tantric Buddhism reveals how modern practitioners can use the wisdom of the Vajrayana to confront systems of power and abuse. Today, a new generation of Buddhists searches for ways to adopt Vajrayana while staying true to its historical legacy. Modern Tantric Buddhism unpacks the principles and applications of this esoteric practice in an accessible and meaningful manner, connecting its roots to a socially engaged, modern-day dharma. Taking a traditional Tibetan pedagogical approach, Lama Justin von Bujdoss divides the book into 3 thematic sections: • Body, as it applies to physicality and embodiment • Speech, or ethical action • Mind, the context of awakening Von Bujdoss challenges assumptions about what it means to be a socially engaged Buddhist, and presents Tantra as an ideal vehicle for critically examining today's most pressing social issues while confronting the structural inequities of patriarchy, sexism, colonialism, and racism within Buddhist institutions.

Justin Von Bujdoss (Author), A'rese Emokpae (Narrator)

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Lotus Girl: My Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism and America

The daughter of an artist, Helen Tworkov grew up in the heady climate of the New York School of Abstract Expressionism; yet from an early age, she questioned the value of Western cultural norms. At the age of twenty-two, she set off for Japan, then traveled through Cambodia, India, and eventually to Tibetan refugee camps in Nepal. Set against the arresting cultural backdrop of the sixties and their legacy, this intimate self-portrait depicts Tworkov's search for a true home as she interacts with renowned artists and spiritual luminaries including the Dalai Lama, Pema Chödrön, Joseph Goldstein, Bernie Glassman, Charles Mingus, Elizabeth Murray, and Richard Serra. Interweaving experience, research, and revelation, Helen Tworkov explores the relationship between Buddhist wisdom and American values, presenting a wholly unique look at the developing landscape of Buddhism in the West. Lotus Girl offers insight not only into Tworkov's own search for the truth but also into the ways each of us can better understand and transform ourselves.

Helen Tworkov (Author), Helen Tworkov (Narrator)

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Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself

Mindfulness offers us a way to be fully in the present moment—and as we start to embrace this practice, we learn that our lives are made of present moments. That gift of presence is the palpable experience of awareness that appears when we remember to be mindful of those moments. In twenty short chapters, meditation teacher Tracy Cochran encourages us to see presence as a living force—and to recognize and explore how that shows up in our lives. She offers riveting and relatable stories from her life—a spiritually transformative wine-making trip in France, a near-death experience while being mugged, managing her feisty child while on a retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh, among many others—and Buddhist teachings to encourage us to see the power of presence to illuminate and transform our past, present, and future. Cochran's observations and reminiscences are wise and pithy, and she gives us plenty of encouragement to explore and reframe our own experiences.

Tracy Cochran (Author), Carrington Macduffie, TBD (Narrator)

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Buddhist Meditation: Classic Teachings from Tibet

A Tibetan Buddhist anthology of accessible and authentic contemplative exercises to help cultivate innate yet undeveloped powers of mind, emotion, and body. A Penguin Classic Drawn from Tibet's rich contemplative literature, Buddhist Meditation offers classic exercises focused on the opportunities and challenges of life; cultivating inner calm; fostering a wider perspective on oneself in relationship to others; working with negative emotions, and the highest values of the Buddhist tradition, love and compassion. Several dozen meditation instructions are collected in twelve chapters. All major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism are represented. The book is structured on 'foundation practices', practice manuals that immerse the reader in the search for meaningful and compassionate responses to the ubiquity of human suffering, and in the contemplative techniques that translate that search into consequential action. Spiritual exercises introduce 1) the opportunity for self-betterment and to be of benefit to other living beings; 2) the inescapable persistence of suffering in life, and the reality of death; 3) the workings of ethical cause and effect, otherwise known as karma; and 4) the ever-repeating succession of frustration known as cyclic existence, or samsara. The second set of foundation practices provide tools to build upon including: 5) taking refuge in Buddhism-a deep formal commitment to integrate Buddhist contemplative and ethical teachings into one's life; 6) cultivating love and compassion for all living beings; 7) clearing away cognitive, emotional, and behavioral impediments to actualizing love and compassion; 8) developing with wisdom and the experience and excellent qualities necessary to put love and compassion into practice; and 9) dedicating oneself to a spiritual mentor to serve as a guide through this intensive program of training. Part existential philosophy, part ethics, part self-help program, part cosmology-the foundation exercises present a complete Buddhist picture of life, the ethical universe, and the first steps in making a positive impact in life for ourselves and others, steps anyone can begin to take by dedicating themselves to train in contemplative exercises.

Penguin Random House (Author), Lee Osorio, TBD (Narrator)

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The When Things Don’t Go Your Way: Zen Wisdom for Difficult Times

Brought to you by Penguin. Every person's life is a journey toward themselves. The School for Broken Hearts, founded by bestselling mega-monk Haemin Sunim, provides a safe and caring space for people going through a difficult stage in life. Following on from his first two immensely successful books (where the first was about slowing down, and the second was about accepting imperfection), this time, it's about finding one's path. In this book, which offers ancient wisdom for modern living and embodies Haemin's trademark mixture of illustrations, narrative, quotes, poems, aphorisms, he shows how you too can find both inner tranquillity and 'small but certain happiness', whatever burden you are carrying - be that a broken relationship, an unmanageable work/life balance or a painful bereavement. Along the way there are chapters on Self-Knowledge, Family, Friends, and Loneliness, and as Haemin proves, when our minds grow tranquil, everything becomes clearer; we can be healed of our pain and live our best lives. © Haemin Sunim 2023 (P) Penguin Audio 2023

Haemin Sunim (Author), Lee Osorio, TBD (Narrator)

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The Dhammapada

Brought to you by Altrusian Grace Media and narrated by Matthew Schmitz. In more than 400 verses the Buddha clearly expounds his noble path of virtue for everyman. This foundation scripture teaches the supreme doctrine of nirvana and the way to the highest possible happiness for mankind. Translated by Oxford professor Dr. Max Muller, a great scholar and Orientalist with an introduction by Kevin Trainor, Associate Professor of Religion at the University of Vermont. The Dhammapada - the Path of Truth - is a beautiful anthology of proverbs and aphorisms which are considered to be as close to the Buddha's own words as we can ever reach. The work outlines the Buddha's Four Noble Truths: that life is full of suffering, which all of us must accept, that the cause of suffering is desirer, that the removal of desire removes suffering; and finally that deliverance might be obtained by following the Noble Eightfold Path. The Dhammapada is arranged in chapters which cover themes and topics such as Choices, Wakefulness, the World, the Awakened, Joy, Pleasure, Anger, Impurity, Justice, the Way, Desire, the Seeker and The True Master.

Max Muller (Author), Matthew Schmitz (Narrator)

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The Catholic Mass: Steps to Restore the Centrality of God in the Liturgy

We are going through a period of liturgical exile, explains Bishop Athanasius Schneider in this enlightening book, and the vast proliferation of modern abuses are crying out for liturgical reform. In what is one of the most impressive and authoritative books on the Catholic Mass, Bishop Schneider reestablishes what Catholics have known for centuries but have forgotten today: that the Mass is the highest form of Christian prayer. You'll come to understand why the rubrics are vital to preserving the authenticity of the liturgy, and you'll learn why architecture, music, sacred art, and even incense are vital symbols that direct our attention to Heaven. You'll also learn how to recollect and listen to God's Word properly; the keys to lifting your heart and surrendering to God's will at Mass; why it's essential to celebrate the Mass ad orientem; how following the rituals assists you in contemplating the spiritual. Bishop Schneider and coauthor Aurelio Porfiri encourage the revival of public prayers, such as the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharistic adoration. He explains how genuflecting, kneeling, and prostrating oneself are all outward signs of reverence that demonstrate this inward action.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider (Author), Jim Denison (Narrator)

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[German] - Der kleine Taschenbuddhist

Buddhas Lehren für den Alltag. Dieser kleine Ratgeber vermittelt grundlegende buddhistische Lehren auf einfache, verständliche Weise und bietet Inspiration sowie konkrete Hilfe für den Alltag. Lehrreiche Geschichten und kurze Zitate veranschaulichen die elementaren buddhistischen Prinzipien. Darüber hinaus zeigen viele praktische Ratschläge und Übungen, wie man gelassen »buddhistisch« im Alltag reagieren kann.

Bettina Lemke (Author), Karsten Kramer (Narrator)

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America's Racial Karma

Immediate, illuminating, and hopeful: this is the key set of talks given by leading Zen Buddhist teacher Larry Ward, PhD, on breaking America’s cycle of racial trauma. As an 11-year-old child, Zen Buddhist teacher Larry Ward was shot at by the police for playing baseball in the wrong spot. As an adult, he experienced the trauma of having his home firebombed by racists. At Plum Village Monastery in France—the home in exile of his teacher, Vietnamese peace activist and Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh—Dr. Ward found a way to heal. In these short reflective essays, he offers his insights on the effects of racial constructs and answers the question: How do we free ourselves from our repeated cycles of anger, denial, bitterness, pain, fear, violence? “I am a drop in the ocean, but I’m also the ocean,” he says. “I’m a drop in America, but I’m also America. Every pain, every confusion, every good and every bad and ugly of America is in me. And as I transform myself and heal and take care of myself, I’m very conscious that I’m healing and transforming and taking care of America. I say this for American cynics, but this is also true globally. It’s for real.” Here, Ward looks at the causes and conditions that have led us to our current state and finds, hidden in the crisis, a profound opportunity to reinvent what it means to be a human being. This is an invitation to transform America’s racial karma.

Larry Ward Ph.D. (Author), Larry Ward Ph.D., Sean Polite (Narrator)

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The Diamond Sutra: The Lost Knowledge Of The Buddha

The Diamond Sutra, also known as the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, is a significant Buddhist text that belongs to the Prajñāpāramitā genre, which emphasizes the perfection of wisdom. The Diamond Sutra is considered one of the earliest dated printed texts, dating back to 868 CE. The narrative within the Diamond Sutra revolves around a conversation between the Buddha and his disciple Subhuti. In this dialogue, the Buddha imparts profound teachings on the nature of reality, emphasizing the concept of emptiness (śūnyatā). The central theme is the transcendence of conventional understanding and the realization that all phenomena lack inherent existence. The title 'Diamond Sutra' suggests the sutra's ability to cut through illusion and delusion, much like a diamond's sharpness. The Buddha employs skillful means to guide Subhuti toward enlightenment, emphasizing the importance of cultivating a mind free from attachment and conceptual limitations. The text challenges conventional notions of self, perception, and reality, encouraging practitioners to go beyond dualistic thinking and recognize the interdependence of all phenomena. Throughout the narrative, the Buddha illustrates the nature of emptiness by deconstructing common concepts such as form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. The Diamond Sutra concludes with a reminder that the teachings are like a raft meant to help individuals cross the river of suffering, but once the other shore is reached, the raft is no longer needed. Overall, the Diamond Sutra serves as a guide to realizing the ultimate truth, transcending dualities, and attaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death (samsara). Its teachings have had a profound impact on Mahayana Buddhism, emphasizing the importance of wisdom, compassion, and the path to enlightenment.

Unknown (Author), Raj Rass, Sripad Jagannatha Das (Narrator)

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The Buddha: A Storied Life

To this day, Buddhist holidays and rituals are pinned to the arc of the Buddha's biography, celebrating his birth, awakening, teaching, and final nirvana. His story is the model that exemplary Buddhists follow. Often, there is a moment of insight akin to the Buddha's experience with the Four Sights, followed by a great departure from home, and a period of searching that it is hoped will lead to final awakening. The Buddha's story is not just the Buddha's story; it is the story of Buddhism. In this book, twelve leading scholars of South Asian texts and traditions articulate the Buddha-life blueprint-the underlying and foundational pattern that holds the life story of a buddha together. They retell the episodes of Buddha Gautama's extended life story, while keeping in mind the cosmic, paradigmatic arc of his narrative. The contributors have dedicated their careers to exploring hagiographical materials, each applying their own methodological and theoretical interests to shed new light on the enduring story of Buddhism. Using multiple perspectives, voices, and sources, this volume underscores the multivalent centrality of this story. The book will be an invaluable resource to practicing Buddhists and students of Buddhist Studies to help them engage in the most foundational story of the tradition.

Kristin Scheible, Vanessa R. Sasson (Author), Leslie Howard (Narrator)

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The Original Frontier: The Serious Seeker's Guide to Zen

This book is for those who have a serious interest in meditation. The Original Frontier is a thorough, yet uncomplicated guide for Zen practice: a unique resource for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike, as one of its reader's testimonials puts it. A unique approach to introducing Zen for both new practitioners, and for guiding maturing students in Zen. This is a book that simplifies the fundamentals of Soto Zen practice for new neophytes, and expands understanding of Zen for experienced practitioners, so that all can apply Zen in daily life. Written to be accessible, no matter the readers' experience level, the author guides them away from pitfalls and back toward the deep end of the pool.

Zenkai Taiun Michael J Elliston (Author), Zenkai Taiun Michael J Elliston (Narrator)

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Buddhism Audiobooks in Religion & Spirituality