Developments in Buddhist Meditation Traditions: The Interplay Between Theory and Practice by Bhikkhu Anālayo (2022)
In this book, Bhikkhu Anālayo, scholar and meditation teacher, examines four developments in Buddhist meditation traditions from the viewpoint of an apparently ongoing interaction between theory and practice: (1) a gradual reduction of the sixteen steps of mindfulness of breathing to just focusing on the breath; (2) an apparent fascination with light and fire imagery leading to investing the mind with intrinsic luminosity and purity; (3) a tendency to grant increasing importance to absorption as indispensable for the progress of insight or even as intrinsically liberating; and (4) a change of compassion meditation from a boundless radiation to directing this quality toward specific individuals and eventually just aiming it at oneself.
The Question of King Ajātasattu: Fractured Narratives of the Samaññaphala Sutta by Mu Soeng (2020)
The Samaññaphala Sutta (“Fruits of the Ascetic Life”) is one of the most hallowed discourses attributed to the Buddha in the Pali Canon. It is also a historical document of great significance which provides important details about daily life of the general population and the Buddhist monk in ancient India. This commentary takes a detailed look at two strands in the discourse—the historical and the doctrinal—and finds a number of fractures in the narrative.
The commentary’s exploration raises the possibility that the conversation between the Buddha and King Ajatasattu could not have happened the way it has been portrayed in the discourse. This raises the further possibility of significant alteration and editing in later generations in the narratives of the discourse.
Mindfully Facing Climate Change by Bhikkhu Anālayo (2020)
This book provides a unique contribution to the literature on Buddhism and the environment. It is unique in presenting a systematic analysis of climate change structured according to the four noble truths as presented in early Buddhist teachings and providing detailed meditation instructions for cultivating resilience and balance in an age of climate destabilization. In this framework, climate change becomes a field of practice. The book stands alone as a contribution to the literature on Buddhism and the environment and can also supplement Bhikkhu Anālayo’s online program (video lectures and guided meditations). All proceeds from the book and online program will be dedicated to reducing the BCBS carbon footprint through solar power generation and weatherization to reduce our heating needs.
Early Buddhist Meditation Studies (Volume 1) by Bhikkhu Anālayo (2017)
In this book, Bhikkhu Anālayo, scholar and meditation teacher, examines central aspects of Buddhist meditation as reflected in the early discourses of the Buddha, based on revised and reorganized material from previously published articles. The main topics he takes up are mindfulness, the path to awakening, absorption, and the brahmaviharas. He compares parallel versions of the discourses in a variety of languages which offers a window on the earliest stages in the development of these Buddhist teachings.
Older and Wiser: Classical Buddhist Teachings on Aging, Sickness, and Death by Mu Soeng, Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia, and Andrew Olendzki (2017)t
This book is offered as a support for all of us dealing with one very real question: How do we continue seeking and finding happiness, inner tranquility, and wisdom in our elder years? Through both scholarly examination and thoughtful reflection, these selected discourses guide us in how to apply the teachings of the Buddha to our daily life and practice. Embodying the teachings in this way, we find that even in our elder years it is still very much possible to find ease and joy, even while dealing with the inevitabilities of aging, sickness, and death.
