Robert Aitken

Examines the fundamental principles of Zen Buddhism, discusses how to put these beliefs in practice in everyday life, and describes Zen customs and ceremonies

Taking the Path of Zen

Essays discuss murder, theft, lying, vanity, anger, and drug taking and examines the elements of a virtuous life

Essays in Zen Buddhist Ethics

The Mind of Clover

The Gateless Barrier

“In this, his final work, American senior Zen Roshi Robert Aitken lovingly ties together two threads, Zen practice and haiku.” —Spirituality & Health Known to many as the study of quiet stillness and introspection, Zen Buddhism distinguishes itself through brilliant flashes of insight and its terseness of expression. In River of Heaven these concepts and pillars lend themselves to an exploration of Haiku, one of the most delicate and interpretive poetic forms in the world. The haiku verse form, with its rigid structure and organic description is a superb means of studying Zen modes of thought because its seventeen syllables impose a limitation that confines the poet to vital experience. In Haiku as in Buddhism, the silences are as expressive as the words. In this volume, American Senior Zen Roshi Robert Aitken gives new insight into Haiku by poetic masters Basho, Issa, Buson, and Shiki. In presenting themes from Haiku and from Zen literature, Aitken illuminates the relationship between the two. Readers are certain to find this an invaluable and enjoyable experience for the remarkable revelation it offers. “I am grateful for Robert Aitken’s enthusiastic sharing of poems in The River of Heaven, together with his rich personal and cultural perspectives. It is a book where the author joyfully calls each of us as readers to share in the transcendent joys of haiku.” —Juxtapositions “Aitken mines the meanings in these brief gems about nature, impermanence, travel, awareness, silence, beauty, being present, the turn of the seasons, and much more.” —Spirituality & Practice

The Haiku of Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki

The River of Heaven

Marilyn Aitken

From the divine right of Charles I to the civil rights struggle of Rosa Parks, 25 non-fiction stories provide a panorama of people whose actions helped form our legal system and our world. Constitution makers, Civil War enemies, Irish rebels, World War II Nazis, murder and passion, art and prejudice appear in a page-turner that reads like a mystery novel. Did Dr. Samuel Mudd participate in the Lincoln assassination? Was Captain Charles McVay III responsible for the sinking of the USS Indianapolis? Did Levi Weeks kill pretty Elma Sands? Read about unknown founder James Wilson and Hitler's lawyer, Hans Frank. Discover the back stories of landmark cases and enjoy the cross examination and trial skills of lawyers in top form.

Law Makers, Law Breakers, and Uncommon Trials

Since its introduction almost 20 years ago, phage display technology has revolutionized approaches to the analysis of biomedical problems, quickly impacting the fields of immunology, cell biology, biotechnology, pharmacology, and drug discovery. In Antibody Phage Display: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition, expert researchers explore the latest in this cutting-edge technology, providing an invaluable resource that will guide readers in the design and execution of experiments based around antibody phage display. Chapters present a wide range of methods of isolating recombinant antibodies from phage display libraries, examine how the targets recognized by antibodies of interest can be identified, discuss the identification and exploitation of antibodies that can enter cells and bind to cytosolic targets, and include novel approaches to the expression of recombinant antibodies. Composed in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, each chapter contains a brief introduction, step-by-step methods, a list of necessary materials, and a Notes section which shares tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Detailed and innovative, Antibody Phage Display: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition is a critical handbook on phage display technology which is certain to stimulate the reader’s imagination as much as it will guide future practice in the laboratory.

Methods and Protocols

Antibody Phage Display

Philippa M. O’Brien

The closing years of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century witnessed the emergence of microbiology and immunology as discrete sci- tific disciplines, and in the work of Roux and Yersin, perhaps the first benefits of their synergy—immunotherapy against bacterial infection. As we advance into the new millennium, microbiology and immunology again offer a c- ceptual leap forward as antibody phage display gains increasing acceptance as the definitive technology for monoclonal production and unleashes new - portunities in immunotherapy, drug discovery, and functional genomics. In assembling Antibody Phage Display: Methods and Protocols, we have aimed to produce a resource of real value for scientists who have followed the development of phage display technology over the past decade. The founding principles of phage display have always held an elegant simplicity. We hope that readers will find similar clarity in the technical guidance offered by the book’s contributors. In meeting our objectives, we have tried to cover the broad scope of the technology and the key areas of library construction, scre- ing, antibody modification, and expression. Of course, the technology cont- ues to advance apace, but we trust that readers will be able to gage the potential of phage display from our coverage, that some of its subtleties will emerge, and that our selection of methods will prove appealing. We are indebted to all the contributing authors for sharing their expertise with the wider scientific community.

In Zen Master Raven, Robert Aitken, one of America's best-known and most-respected Zen masters, presents an introduction to Zen Buddhist teaching through over 100 lessons told through the stories and voices of animals.

Sayings and Doings of a Wise Bird

Zen Master Raven

A uniquely playful and incisive collection of Zen teaching stories from a beloved American master. A Modern Classic. In the tradition of the great koan collections and the records of ancient masters, Robert Aitken distills a lifetime of teaching down to its essence. Intriguing and deceptively simple, Zen Master Raven is a brilliant encapsulation of Zen in over a hundred koan-like encounters alongside many charming illustrations. Featuring curious beginners like Mallard and Mole and profound teachers like Brown Bear, Moose Roshi, and Zen Master Raven himself, this classic of contemporary Zen and will inspire seekers for generations to come.

The Teachings of a Wise Old Bird

Georgia

Robert Watkins

George Watkins

From Its First Establishment as a British Province Down to the Year 1798, Inclusive, and the Principal Acts of 1799

A Digest of the Laws of the State of Georgia

Thích Nhất Hạnh

The Five Mindfulness Trainings -- to not kill, steal, commit adultery, lie, or take intoxicants -- are the basic statement of ethics and morality in Buddhism. In this fully revised edition, Zen master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh argues eloquently for their universal applicability in daily situations. Nhat Hanh discusses in depth the value and meaning of each precept, offering insights into the roles that they could play in our changing society. In a world marked by moral and spiritual emptiness, he says, The Five Mindfulness Trainings offer a path to the restoration of meaning and value. The author calls the trainings a diet for a mindful society that transcends sectarian boundaries, and he presents simple yet powerful ways that people can come together around them to explore and sustain a sane, compassionate, and healthy way of living.

Commentaries on the Five Mindfulness Trainings

For a Future to be Possible

The Dragon Who Never Sleeps is a collection of gathas--poetic vows for daily living in verse form--that are similar to prayers. Reciting these gathas can help us to face life's difficulties with understanding and humor. They serve as gentle reminders to live in the present, accept ourselves, and offer joy to others.

Verses for Zen Buddhist Practice

The Dragon who Never Sleeps

In this collection of twenty-three essays, Robert Aitken retraces the origins of American Zen Buddhism and provides readings of influential texts. Reflecting on death, on marriage, and on Zen practice, Aitken always points out the path to pleasure in the everyday dewdrop world. There is a fine art to presenting complex ideas with simplicity and insight in a manner that both shepherds and inspires. Robert Aitken's Original Dwelling Place: Zen Buddhist Essays succeeds in doing just this, offering twenty-three essays from Americas senior Zen roshi and author of the bestselling, groundbreaking primer Taking the Path of Zen. Just as Taking the Path of Zen is the definitive handbook for Zen practice, the essays gathered in Original Dwelling Place are essential for the light they shed on Aitken Roshi's own journey and the effect he has had on American Zen Buddhism. Gathered here are essays about the Zen texts Aitken has studied with avidity and close attention throughout the years; texts that were early and lasting influences.

Zen Buddhist Essays

Original Dwelling Place

Robert Aiken, author of Encouraging Words and Taking the Path of Zen, is America’s most senior Zen Roshi. In this new book he presents the Ten Pãramitãs, of Transcendental Perfections—namely, giving, mortality, forbearance, zeal, focused meditation, wisdom, compassionate means, aspiration, spiritual power, and knowledge—two-thousand-year-old ideals that can serve us as both methods and goals. The Pãramitãs are the “skillful means” a person may employ to nurture and develop his or her spiritual and moral life. In religious instruction we are often met be restrictions, and are told what not to do. The Pãramitãs, explained from a Zen perspective, offer the seeker ten positive means of action, ten ways to live a life of clarity and grace in a modern world where neither seems easy or even possible. The transcendental perfections can lead us toward a life that is both spiritually invigorated and socially engaged. Aitken Roshi’s way of teaching—anecdotal, careful, insightful, and easily accessible—leads us further along the path of harmony and balance. Each of the inspiring and instructional essays in this book is followed by a section in which Aitken answers questions most often asked by his own students in their course of study. The Practice of Perfection will be useful to seekers of all cultures and faiths.

The Paramitas from a Zen Buddhist Perspective

The Practice of Perfection

A collection of twenty-three essays examines the texts Aitken has studied over the years, discussing such topics as political evolution, ethics, the proper use of money, power, and sexual love, reflections on death and marriage, and more

In Taking the Path of Zen, Robert Aitken provided a concise guide to zazen (Zen meditation) and other aspects of the practice of Zen. In The Mind of Clover he addresses the world beyond the zazen cushions, illuminating issues of appropriate personal and social action through an exploration of the philosophical complexities of Zen ethics. Aitken's approach is clear and sure as he shows how our minds can be as nurturing as clover, which enriches the soil and benefits the environment as it grows. The opening chapters discuss the Ten Grave Precepts of Zen, which, Aitken points out, are "not commandments etched in stone but expressions of inspiration written in something more fluid than water." Aitken approaches these precepts, the core of Zen ethics, from several perspectives, offering many layers of interpretation. Like ripples in a pond, the circles of his interpretation increasingly widen, and he expands his focus to confront corporate theft and oppression, the role of women in Zen and society, abortion, nuclear war, pollution of the environment, and other concerns. The Mind of Clover champions the cause of personal responsibility in modern society, encouraging nonviolent activism based on clear convictions. It is a guide that engages, that invites us to realize our own potential for confident and responsible action.

"The Morning Star is a refinement of the thoughts of a Zen Buddhist writer and teacher known for his clarity, compassion and insight. The introduction to this volume offers Robert Aitken's latest presentation of Zen practice, addressing the great matter from a historical and personal perspective. This wonderful, long piece is followed by twenty-nine essays, gathered into three sections: "The Basics," "Commentaries," and "Reflections." Aitken has selected work from his previous books and added much new material never before available in book form. The resulting capstone becomes a book to cherish and study for all people interested in the spiritual path."--BOOK JACKET.

New and Selected Zen Writings

The Morning Star

Zicheng Hong

Danny Wynn Ye Kwok

An interpretation of the Ming Dynasty literary guide, The Caigentan, contains 360 observations about life from its exaggerations and absurdities to its grotesqueries and falsities, in a humorous treasury of epigrams that share Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucianist recommendations for tackling everyday challenges.

Wisdom from Ming China on Life and Living : Caigentan

Vegetable Roots Discourse

Hong Zicheng

This 16th century Chinese classic presents Neo-Confucian philosophical aphorisms on virtue, conduct, and inner peace.

Wisdom from Ming China on Life and Living

Opened in 1980, the West Highland way was Scotland's first long distance walking route. This text is a companion guide for those taking the walk from Glasgow to Fort William and provides Ordinance Survey maps. It has been revised to incorporate changes in the character of the route over the years.

Robert Aitken

About

Books

Join the club