Zen Buddhism Guides

Haiku: A Reader’s Guide

Haiku: A Reader’s Guide

Also see our Reader's Guide to Buddhist Poetry. Many know haiku as a three-line poem, the first and last lines five syllables long, and the second line, seven. But there is much more to what defines haiku, elements more subtle than prescribed syllable counts or line breaks. In fact, Japanese haiku are typically written in
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Samurai and Japanese Culture Reader’s Guide: The Works of Master Translator and Author William Scott Wilson

Samurai and Japanese Culture Reader’s Guide: The Works of Master Translator and Author William Scott Wilson

One of the greatest joys for me as an editor at Shambhala Publications is when I work on books by people I have long admired. This was most definitely the case when Shambhala had the good fortune to become William Scott Wilson’s publisher several years ago. I first encountered his work when I was a
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Pointing to the Heart of the Buddhadharma: An Interview with Guo Gu, author of The Essence of Chan

Pointing to the Heart of the Buddhadharma: An Interview with Guo Gu, author of The Essence of Chan

Shambhala: Can you tell us something about your background-how you encountered the Buddhadharma? Guo Gu: I first learned meditation when I was in Taiwan at age four. A meditation master named Guangqin taught me how to sit in meditation, and I thought it was fun to copy what he was doing. Later, my family immigrated
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About Kazuaki Tanahashi: An Interview with Roshi Joan Halifax

About Kazuaki Tanahashi: An Interview with Roshi Joan Halifax

Shambhala: How long have you known Kaz? Roshi Joan: I met Kaz in the mid 1980s when we invited him and other artists to the Ojai Foundation with Thich Nhat Hanh. I felt an instant connection with him, and since that time we have collaborated on many projects and have become good friends and allies
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Normalcy at Its Best: An Interview with David Chadwick, Biographer of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

Normalcy at Its Best: An Interview with David Chadwick, Biographer of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

Shambhala: Your teacher Shunryu Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind has now been in print for more than forty years, and is still often recommended as the best first book to read about Zen practice. Why do you think its popularity has endured throughout the explosion of Buddhist publishing the last few years? David Chadwick: Hard
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A New Perspective on an Ancient Practice: An Interview with Zoketsu Norman Fischer

A New Perspective on an Ancient Practice: An Interview with Zoketsu Norman Fischer

Shambhala: How did you first encounter Zen, and what was your introduction to practice like? Norman Fischer: I got involved at first through reading-reading and thinking about my life. This was in the very early days, when there were no Zen centers or practice centers of any kind (at least that I was aware of)
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