{"title":"John Daido Loori","description":"John Daido Loori (1931-2009) was one of the West's leading Zen masters. He was the founder and spiritual leader of the Mountains and Rivers Order and abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery. His work has been most noted for its unique adaptation of traditional Asian Buddhism into an American context, particularly with regard to the arts, the environment, social action, and the use of modern media as a vehicle of spiritual training and social change. Loori was an award-winning photographer and videographer. His art and wildlife photography formed the core of a unique teaching program that integrated art and wilderness training by cultivating a deep appreciation of the relationship of Zen to our natural environment. He was a dharma heir of the influential Japanese Zen master Taizan Maezumi Roshi and he authored many books.","products":[{"product_id":"invoking-reality-moral-and-ethical-teachings-of-zen-paperback","title":"Invoking Reality: Moral and Ethical Teachings of Zen - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere is a common misconception that to practice Zen is to practice meditation and nothing else. In truth, traditionally, the practice of meditation goes hand-in-hand with moral conduct. In \u003ci\u003eInvoking Reality\u003c\/i\u003e, John Daido Loori, one of the leading Zen teachers in America today, presents and explains the ethical precepts of Zen as essential aspects of Zen training and development. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Buddhist teachings on morality--the precepts--predate Zen, going all the way back to the Buddha himself. They describe, in essence, how a buddha, or awakened person, lives his or her life in the world. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLoori provides a modern interpretation of the precepts and discusses the ethical significance of these vows as guidelines for living. \"Zen is a practice that takes place within the world,\" he says, \"based on moral and ethical teachings that have been handed down from generation to generation.\" In his view, the Buddhist precepts form one of the most vital areas of spiritual practice.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51377595842783,"sku":"9781590304594","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/mei0k36z1B9781590304594.webp?v=1789236148"},{"product_id":"bringing-the-sacred-to-life-the-daily-practice-of-zen-ritual-paperback","title":"Bringing the Sacred to Life: The Daily Practice of Zen Ritual - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eZen rituals--such as chanting, bowing, lighting incense before the Buddha statue--are ways of recognizing the sacredness in all of life. A ritual is simply a deliberate and focused moment that symbolizes the care with which we should be approaching all of life, and practicing the Zen liturgy is a way of cultivating this quality of attention in order to bring it to everything we do. Here, John Daido Loori demystifies the details of the Zen rituals and highlights their deeper meaning and purpose. We humans are all creatures of ritual, he teaches, whether we recognize it or not. Even if we don't make ritual part of some religious observance, we still fall into ritual behavior, whether it be our daily grooming sequence or the way we have our morning coffee and paper. We run through our personal rituals unconsciously most of the time, but there is great value to introducing meaningful symbolic rituals into our lives and to performing them deliberately and mindfully--because the way we do ritual affects the way we live the rest of our lives. The book includes instructions for a simple Zen home liturgy, as it is practiced by students of the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51377643749599,"sku":"9781590305331","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/tXgILmCoQe9781590305331.webp?v=1789236271"},{"product_id":"the-zen-of-creativity-cultivating-your-artistic-life-paperback","title":"The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor many of us, the return of Zen conjures up images of rock gardens and gently flowing waterfalls. We think of mindfulness and meditation, immersion in a state of being where meaning is found through simplicity. Zen lore has been absorbed by Western practitioners and pop culture alike, yet there is a specific area of this ancient tradition that hasn't been fully explored in the West. Now, in \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eZen of Creativity, \u003c\/i\u003e American Zen master John Daido Loori presents a book that taps the principles of the Zen arts and aesthetic as a means to unlock creativity and find freedom in the various dimensions of our existence. Loori dissolves the barriers between art and spirituality, opening up the possibility of meeting life with spontaneity, grace, and peace. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eZen Buddhism is steeped in the arts. In spiritual ways, calligraphy, poetry, painting, the tea ceremony, and flower arranging can point us toward our essential, boundless nature. Brilliantly interpreting the teachings of the artless arts, Loori illuminates various elements that awaken our creativity, among them \u003ci\u003estill point\u003c\/i\u003e, the center of each moment that focuses on the tranquility within; \u003ci\u003esimplicity\u003c\/i\u003e, in which the creative process is uncluttered and unlimited, like a cloudless sky; \u003ci\u003espontaneity\u003c\/i\u003e, a way to navigate through life without preconceptions, with a freshness in which everything becomes new;\u003ci\u003e mystery, \u003c\/i\u003ea sense of trust in the unknown;\u003ci\u003e creative feedback, \u003c\/i\u003e the systematic use of an audience to receive noncritical input about our art;\u003ci\u003e art koans, \u003c\/i\u003e exercises based on paradoxical questions that can be resolved only through artistic expression. Loori shows how these elements interpenetrate and function not only in art, but in all our endeavors. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBeautifully illustrated and punctuated with poems and reflections from Loori's own spiritual journey, \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eZen of Creativity\u003c\/i\u003e presents a multilayered, bottomless source of insight into our creativity. Appealing equally to spiritual seekers, artists, and veteran Buddhist practitioners, this book is perfect for those wishing to discover new means of self-awareness and expression--and to restore equanimity and freedom amid the vicissitudes of our lives.\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor many of us, the return of Zen conjures up images of rock gardens and gently flowing waterfalls. We think of mindfulness and meditation, immersion in a state of being where meaning is found through simplicity. Zen lore has been absorbed by Western practitioners and pop culture alike, yet there is a specific area of this ancient tradition that hasn't been fully explored in the West. Now, in \"The \"Zen of Creativity, American Zen master John Daido Loori presents a book that taps the principles of the Zen arts and aesthetic as a means to unlock creativity and find freedom in the various dimensions of our existence. Loori dissolves the barriers between art and spirituality, opening up the possibility of meeting life with spontaneity, grace, and peace. \u003cbr\u003eZen Buddhism is steeped in the arts. In spiritual ways, calligraphy, poetry, painting, the tea ceremony, and flower arranging can point us toward our essential, boundless nature. Brilliantly interpreting the teachings of the artless arts, Loori illuminates various elements that awaken our creativity, among them \"still point, the center of each moment that focuses on the tranquility within; \"simplicity, in which the creative process is uncluttered and unlimited, like a cloudless sky; \"spontaneity, a way to navigate through life without preconceptions, with a freshness in which everything becomes new; \" mystery, a sense of trust in the unknown; \" creative feedback, the systematic use of an audience to receive noncritical input about our art; \" art koans, exercises based on paradoxical questions that can be resolved only through artistic expression. Loori shows how these elements interpenetrate and function not only in art, but in all ourendeavors. \u003cbr\u003eBeautifully illustrated and punctuated with poems and reflections from Loori's own spiritual journey, \"The \"Zen of Creativity presents a multilayered, bottomless source of insight into our creativity. Appealing equally to spiritual seekers, artists, and veteran Buddhist practitioners, this book is perfect for those wishing to discover new means of self-awareness and expression--and to restore equanimity and freedom amid the vicissitudes of our lives. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"From the Hardcover edition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51380285112543,"sku":"9780345466334","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/Cq-0_3wZ0N9780345466334.webp?v=1789275805"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/john-daido-loori.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}