NCW Libraries

In the 1950s and 1960s, Americans combined psychedelics with Buddhist meditation to achieve direct experience through altered states of consciousness. As some practitioners became more committed to Buddhism, they abandoned the use of psychedelics in favor of stricter mental discipline, but others carried on with the experiment, advancing a fascinating alchemy called psychedelic Buddhism. Many think exploration with psychedelics and Buddhism faded...

"A lively exploration of contemporary Buddhism from one of its most admired teachers. Do you feel at home right now? Or do you sense a hovering anxiety or uncertainty, an underlying unease that makes you feel just a bit uncomfortable, a bit distracted and disconnected from those around you? In The Road Home, Ethan Nichtern, a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, investigates the journey each of us takes to find where we belong. Drawing...

How to grow our inner capacity to face racial ignorance and suffering with a wise and caring heart
"Racism is a heart disease," writes Ruth King, "and it's curable." Exploring a crucial topic seldom addressed in meditation instruction, this revered teacher takes to her pen to shine a compassionate, provocative, and practical light into a deeply neglected and world-changing domain profoundly relevant to all of us.
 
With

...

"Since its origins in India over two thousand years ago, Buddhism has not only spread throughout Asia, but also around the world. In this new edition of the Very Short Introduction to Buddhism, Damien Keown looks at how the tradition began and how it evolved into its present-day form. Explaining its central teachings and practices as well as key topics such as karma and rebirth, meditation and ethics, Keown also includes updates related to the evolution...

Originally published: London: Bantam, 2004.

"This original and provocative book presents a new framework for understanding the remarkable spread of Buddhism in today's globalized world. It also reminds us of what was so startling about the Buddha's vision of human flourishing,"--Amazon.com.

In her first new book of spiritual teachings in over seven years, Pema Chödrön offers a combination of wisdom, heartfelt reflections, and the signature mix of humor and insight that have made her a beloved figure to turn to during times of change. In an increasingly polarized world, Pema shows us how to strengthen our abilities to find common ground, even when we disagree, and influence our environment in positive ways. Sharing never-before told...

"Into the Mirror is an integrative presentation of the Mahayana Buddhist view of the nature of reality, combining insights from modern Western philosophy, science, and physics to guide the reader on an experiential journey. Andy Karr invites the reader to engage in complex Buddhist ideas with guided contemplations, such as how to bring awareness to the textures of thoughts and feelings that come and go in meditation practice, how to investigate the...

His Holiness provides step-by-step exercises to help readers shatter their false assumptions and ideas of the self and see the world as it actually exists, which is a prelude to right action.

"From The Budding Lotus in the West, readers will gain a fundamental understanding of key Buddhist concepts and which Buddhist traditions are commonly practiced in in the West. The book will speak to cultural expropriation of Buddhism, show why it is important to avoid misappropriation and misrepresentation of Buddhist spirituality, and explain ways white practitioners can be better allies to strengthen inclusivity, harmony, and solidarity across...