Cleary Thomas

This samurai strategy books is the first widely available English translation of Yamamoto Kansuke's classic treatise on strategy and tactics. Secrets of the Japanese Art of Warfare is Thomas Cleary's translation of the seminal writings attributed to Yamamoto Kansuke on Japanese martial arts and military service. A mysterious man of humble origins, Yamamoto distinguished himself in the service of the redoubtable Takeda Shingen. Yamamoto was a career soldier and founder of the so-called "school of certain victory," from which the famous Miyamoto Musashi (The Book of Five Rings) emerged. His school developed the art of discerning situational combat advantage so that a warrior was able to commit to action only when success was virtually assured. Translated and accompanied with helpful insights by Thomas Cleary, one of the foremost translators of the martial wisdom of Asia, this book is for all persons engaged in military, law enforcement, or emergency response, as well as for martial artists, athletes, business executives, diplomats and politicians.

An audio collection exploring the fundamental principles of successful and enlightened leadership features readings based on Cleary's classic translations of the ancient Chinese texts of The Art of War, Zen Lessons: The Art of Leadership and The Book of Leadership and Strategy. Read by David Warrilow & Michael O'Keefe.

The Blue Cliff Record is a classic text of Zen Buddhism, designed to assist in the activation of dormant human potential. The core of this extraordinary work is a collection of one hundred traditional citations and stories, selected for their ability to bring about insight and enlightenment. These vignettes are known as gongan in Chinese and koan in Japanese. Secrets of the Blue Cliff Record is a fresh translation featuring newly translated commentary from two of the greatest Zen masters of early modern Japan, Hakuin Ekaku (1685-1768) of the Rinzai sect of Zen and Tenkei Denson (1648-1735) of the Soto sect of Zen. This translation and commentary on The Blue Cliff Record sheds new light on the meaning of this central Zen text.

"Zen Letters " presents the teachings of the great Chinese master Yuanwu (1063-1135) in direct person-to-person lessons, intimately revealing the inner workings of the psychology of enlightenment. These teachings are drawn from letters written by Yuanwu to various fellow teachers, disciples, and lay students--to women as well as men, to people with families and worldly careers as well as monks and nuns, to advanced adepts as well as beginning students. A key figure of Zen history, Yuanwu is best known as the author of "The Blue Cliff Record. " His letters, here in English for the first time, are among the treasures of Zen literature.

Here is a concise and user-friendly presentation of the ancient Chinese principles of leadership and strategy in the words of the masters themselves. Thomas Cleary has put together this collection of gems of wisdom from six of the great classics, including excerpts from his best-selling translation of The Art of War and other lesser-known but insightful texts.

Drawing from the wisdom of Chinese Zen masters, this unique collection of spiritual writings helps the reader understand the true nature of Zen. Original.

Insights from the Prajnaparamita (perfection of wisdom) sutras are shared here, with key selections from the sacred Mahayana texts translated for Western readers and practitioners. Original.

The benefits of sexual bliss were not lost on the ancients, who knew well its powers to enhance health, concentration, and peace of mind. These ancient Chinese Taoist texts explain the transformative effects sex can have when properly and wisely practiced, demonstrating Taoism's emphasis on cultivating life's three treasures--vitality, energy, and spirit--in all the activities of daily life. The texts are part of the famous Mawangdui finds, Han Dynasty tombs that yielded the richest cache of ancient medical manuscripts ever found in China. The first three texts, Ten Questions, Joining Yin and Yang, and Talk on Supreme Guidance for the World, deal with physical health and sex lore, including diet, exercise, sleep, and techniques of lovemaking. The last two, A Course in Effectiveness and A Course in Guidance, concentrate on the psychological factors of good health and well-being, especially the reduction of stress and cultivation of wholesome social relations.

Containing the entire text of the Shambhala Pocket Classics edition of the same title, a wide-ranging collection includes excerpts from the most popular classics of ancient Taoism, along with Taoist fables and stories. Original. 10,000 first printing.

The Ecstasy of Enlightenment is an inside look at the spiritual world of Tantraone of the most sophisticated, alluring, and controversial forms of Buddhism. Cleary unlocks the mysteries of the Carya-Giti, a collections of teachings by more than twenty famous Siddhas, or Tantric adepts, who lived during the illustrius Pala dynasty of old Bengal. These teachings emanate from one of the most dynamic sources of international Buddhism, at the height of its religious development, and as such, they are completely nonsectarian. Particularly noteworth is Cleary's demonstration of the parallels between Tantric Buddhism in Old Bengal and the original Zen Buddhism of China.

Geared to the modern reader, a collection of the most essential and inspiring writings from the tradition of Zen Buddhism, including sayings and records of revelatory experiences, illuminates the principles, purposes, and practices of Zen. Original. 15,000 first printing.

For all its emphasis on the direct experience on insight without reliance on the products of the intellect, the Zen tradition has created a huge body of writings. Of this cast literature, the writings associated with the so-called Five Houses of Zen are widely considered to be preeminent. These Five Houses--which arose in China during the ninth and tenth centuries, often referred to as the Golden Age of Zen--were not schools or sects but styles of Zen teaching represented by some of the most outstanding masters in Zen history. The writing of these great Zen teachers are presented here, many translated for the first time. These include: - The sayings of Pai-chang, famous for his Zen dictum A day without work, a day without food. - Selections from Kuei-shan's collection of Zen admonitions, considered essential reading by numerous Buddhist teachers. - Sun-chi's unique discussion of the inner meaning of the circular symbol in Zen teaching. - Sayings of Huang-po from The Essential Method of Transmission of Mind. - Excerpts from The Record of Lin-chi , a great classical text of Zen literature. - Ts'ao-shan's presentation of the famous teaching device known as the Five Ranks. - Selections of poetry from the Cascade Collection by Hsueh-tou, renowned for his poetic commentaries on the classic Blue Cliff Record. - Yung-ming's teachings on how to balance the two basic aspects of meditation: concentration and insight.

A study of the dynamics of Buddhist meditation explores the foundational principles of shamatha and vipashyana, or the process of stopping delusion and seeing truth, in a guide written by a sixth-century Buddhist master. Original.

Draws on Asian philosophical traditions to offer business executives and personnel managers insights on how to recognize, organize, and develop human resources

Of particular interest for its application to business strategizing, this edition of the well-known ancient Chinese classic I Ching (The Book of Changes) guides readers through the intricacies of group dynamics and relationships within organizations of all kinds. The root text is supported by a commentary from the eleventh-century scholar Cheng-Yi, founder of the movement known as Lixue, the "study of inner design." Cheng contended that by understanding the pattern of events--the inner design of nature--one can bring about mutual understanding and cooperation among people in groups, thus facilitating the accomplishment of any tasks they might undertake. The translator's extensive introduction gives specific, systematic guidelines for consulting the I Ching for greatest understanding and best results. Included in the afterward is a profile of the modern and Japanese organizational genius Matsushita Konosuke, founder of Panasonic and other multinational corporations, whose success has been built on the principles of the I Ching.

The brilliant new translation of the classic Taoist guide to meditation that Carl Jung made famous.'Thomas Cleary's translation is like an island of peace in the troubled sea of today's world. His beautifully lucid translation of the classic Chi

The "I Ching " is the most ancient and profound of the Chinese classics, venerated for over three thousand years as an oracle of fortune, a guide to success, and a dispensary of wisdom. This new translation, with commentary by Confucius, emphasizes applying practical wisdom in everyday affairs. Complete instructions for consulting the "I Ching " are included.