Cosmological Koans: A Journey to the Heart of Physical Reality

Cosmological Koans: A Journey to the Heart of Physical Reality
Author: Anthony Aguirre
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 333
Release: 2019-05-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0393609227

“Playful and enchanting.” —Priyamvada Natarajan, Wall Street Journal Could there be a civilization on a mote of dust? How much of your fate have you made? Using pleasingly paradoxical vignettes, known as Koans, that follow the ancient Zen tradition and have a flair for explaining complex science, physicist Anthony Aguirre tackles cosmic questions from the meaning of quantum theory and the nature of time to the origin of multiple universes.

The Koan

The Koan
Author: Steven Heine
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2000-04-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 019802780X

Koans are enigmatic spiritual formulas used for religious training in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Arguing that our understanding of the koan tradition has been severely limited, contributors to this collection examine previously unrecognized factors in the formation of this tradition, and highlight the rich complexity and diversity of koan practice and literature.

Nothing Dies

Nothing Dies
Author: J W Dunne
Publisher: Resonancebookworks
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2008-11-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780955989872

A new edition of J W Dunne's famous and brilliant time theory work. A short, no fuss account of the theory without mathematics. Also in the series; An Experiment with Time; The Serial Universe; The New Immortality

Shifting Shape, Shaping Text

Shifting Shape, Shaping Text
Author: Steven Heine
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Total Pages: 316
Release: 1999-01-01
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780824821975

Annotation Shifting Shape, Shaping Text examines the fox koan in relation to philosophical and institutional issues facing the Ch'an/Zen tradition in both Sung China and medieval and contemporary Japan.

Infinity and the Mind

Infinity and the Mind
Author: Rudy Rucker
Publisher: Bantam Books
Total Pages: 379
Release: 1983-01-01
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 5885010897

The book contains popular expositions (accessible to readers with no more than a high school mathematics background) on the mathematical theory of infinity, and a number of related topics. These include G?del's incompleteness theorems and their relationship to concepts of artificial intelligence and the human mind, as well as the conceivability of some unconventional cosmological models. The material is approached from a variety of viewpoints, some more conventionally mathematical and others being nearly mystical. There is a brief account of the author's personal contact with Kurt G?del.An appendix contains one of the few popular expositions on set theory research on what are known as "strong axioms of infinity."

The Ascent of Humanity

The Ascent of Humanity
Author: Charles Eisenstein
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Total Pages: 577
Release: 2013-02-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 1583946365

The author of The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible explores the history and potential future of civilization, tracing the converging crises of our age to the illusion of the separate self Our disconnection from one another and the natural world has mislaid the foundations of science, religion, money, technology, economics, medicine, and education as we know them. It has fired our near-pathological pursuit of technological Utopias even as we push ourselves and our planet to the brink of collapse. Fortunately, an Age of Reunion is emerging out of the birth pangs of an earth in crisis. Our journey of separation hasn't been a terrible mistake but an evolutionary process and an adventure in self-discovery. Even in our darkest hour, Eisenstein sees the possibility of a more beautiful world—not through the extension of millennia-old methods of management and control but by fundamentally reimagining ourselves and our systems. We must shift away from our Babelian efforts to build ever-higher towers to heaven and instead turn out attention to creating a new kind of civilization—one designed for beauty rather than height.

The Six Perfections

The Six Perfections
Author: Dale Stuart Wright
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
Total Pages: 299
Release: 2009
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0195382013

This book provides a guide to the six perfections, a set of Buddhist teachings designed to transform human character.

Marvels of Science

Marvels of Science
Author: Kendall F. Haven
Publisher:
Total Pages: 238
Release: 1994
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780585220710

Focusing on the characters, events, and moments of genius that comprise the story of science, these 50 short reads are ideal for both read-alouds and reading assignments. The tales take just minutes to read but amply illustrate scientific principles and the evolution of science through history. Discussion questions and additional references correlate each story with elements of the science curriculum and provide direction for students to pursue their own discoveries. Stories are cross-indexed by year of occurrence and by scientist.

Eloquent Zen

Eloquent Zen
Author: Kenneth Kraft
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Total Pages: 284
Release: 1997-01-01
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780824819521

Zen master Daito (1282-1337) played a leading role in the transmission of Zen (Ch'an) from China to Japan. He founded Daitokuji, a major monastery that has been influential for centuries, and he provided interpretations of Chinese texts. Daito's traditional biography is full of vivid episodes, including his years among the beggars of Kyoto and ending with his dramatic death in the meditation posture. Despite his importance, however, Daito has remained virtually unknown in the West. With the publication of Eloquent Zen Kenneth Kraft offers the first comprehensive account of the life and teachings of one of the greatest of Japan's Zen masters. Dr. Kraft begins with the foundations of medieval Japanese Zen. He shows that Daito's predecessors were concerned with clarifying the essentials of Zen as it began to take root in Japan. During this formative phase, the Zen pioneers embraced varied conceptions of enlightenment and divergent notions of authenticity. Kraft places Daito's contributions within this context, offering new insights about early Japanese Zen and about Zen itself. Throughout this study, Kraft looks closely at the complex role of language in Zen--a tradition supposedly distrustful of words. Daito wrote haiku-like poetry, participated in brilliant dialogues, and delivered powerful sermons. His virtuosity in articulating the way of Zen, "beyond words, beyond silence, " is nowhere more apparent than in his use of the capping phrase, an interpretive and commentarial device unique to Zen. Analyzing Daito's use of this device, Kraft elucidates the significance of the literary and aesthetic dimensions of the Zen tradition. Eloquent Zen includes valuable translations of Daito's poetryand other writings. Illustrations include three classic portraits of Daito and rare examples of his calligraphy. This lucid and engaging study will interest scholars and nonspecialists interested in Zen, Japanese culture, and Asian philosophy, poetry, and related fields.

The Hidden Lamp

The Hidden Lamp
Author: Zenshin Florence Caplow
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 473
Release: 2013-10-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1614291330

The Hidden Lamp is a collection of one hundred koans and stories of Buddhist women from the time of the Buddha to the present day. This revolutionary book brings together many teaching stories that were hidden for centuries, unknown until this volume. These stories are extraordinary expressions of freedom and fearlessness, relevant for men and women of any time or place. In these pages we meet nuns, laywomen practicing with their families, famous teachers honored by emperors, and old women selling tea on the side of the road. Each story is accompanied by a reflection by a contemporary woman teacher--personal responses that help bring the old stories alive for readers today--and concluded by a final meditation for the reader, a question from the editors meant to spark further rumination and inquiry. These are the voices of the women ancestors of every contemporary Buddhist.