Twenty-Five Hundred years ago, Sun Tzu wrote this classic book of military strategy based on Chinese warfare and military thought. Since that time, all levels of military have used the teaching on Sun Tzu to warfare and civilization have adapted these teachings for use in politics, business and everyday life. The Art of War is a book which should be used to gain advantage of opponents in the boardroom and battlefield alike. Read more

Classic writings from the great Zen master in exquisite versions by Thomas Merton, with a preface by his holiness the Dalai Lama, now in audio for the first time.Working from existing translations, Thomas Merton composed a series of his own versions of the classic sayings of Chuang Tzu, the most spiritual of Chinese philosophers. Chuang Tzu, who wrote in the fourth and third centuries BC, is the chief authentic historical spokesperson for Taoism and its founder, Lao Tzu (a legendary character known largely through Chuang Tzu’s writings). Indeed, it was because of Chuang Tzu and the other Taoist sages that Indian Buddhism was transformed, in China, into the unique vehicle we now call by its Japanese name: Zen.The Chinese sage abounds in wit and paradox and shattering insights into the true ground of being. Thomas Merton, no stranger to Asian thought, brings a vivid, modern idiom to the timeless wisdom of Tao. Read more

This book is a companion book for HSK 1 Standard Course Textbook and Workbook, designed to help learners to build a strong foundation in Mandarin Chinese Characters in each Lesson.It includes:6 Main Rules of Chinese Stroke Order & Example Characters8 Basic Chinese Character Stroke Groups, Writing Direction & Example CharactersNew Words from Each Lesson 1 - 7 from HSK 1 Standard Course Textbook 1Mandarin Characters in Large PrintPinyin with tonesEnglish MeaningsPopular Phrases in Simplified Chinese, Pinyin and English Definition.Stroke OrderExample Sentences with new WordsDaily Dialogues similar to the conversation of each LessonQuiz and Answers - With Pinyin and English MeaningIt is perfect for beginners who want to master the most important vocabularies of the Chinese Language easily and quickly. Read more

"A wonderful introduction the Japanese tradition of jisei, this volume is crammed with exquisite, spontaneous verse and pithy, often hilarious, descriptions of the eccentric and committed monastics who wrote the poems." —Tricycle: The Buddhist ReviewAlthough the consciousness of death is, in most cultures, very much a part of life, this is perhaps nowhere more true than in Japan, where the approach of death has given rise to a centuries-old tradition of writing jisei, or the "death poem." Such a poem is often written in the very last moments of the poet's life.Hundreds of Japanese death poems, many with a commentary describing the circumstances of the poet's death, have been translated into English here, the vast majority of them for the first time. Compiler Yoel Hoffmann explores the attitudes and customs surrounding death in historical and present-day Japan and gives examples of how these have been reflected in the nation's literature in general. The development of writing jisei is then examined—from the longing poems of the early nobility and the more "masculine" verses of the samurai to the satirical death poems of later centuries. Zen Buddhist ideas about death are also described as a preface to the collection of Chinese death poems by Zen monks that are also included. Finally, the last section contains three hundred twenty haiku, some of which have never been assembled before, in translated English and romanized Japanese. Read more

A lavish collector’s edition of the complete poems of eminent Japanese master of the haiku, Matsuo Bashō—​with a new index that contains the full Japanese text of the original poems. Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694) is arguably the greatest figure in the history of Japanese literature and the master of the haiku. Bashō: The Complete Haiku of Matsuo Bashō offers in English a full picture of the haiku of Bashō, 980 poems in all.   In Fitzsimons’s beautiful rendering, Bashō is much more than a philosopher of the natural world and the leading exponent of a refined Japanese sensibility. He is also a poet of queer love and eroticism; of the city as well as the country, the indoors and the outdoors, travel and staying put; of lonesomeness as well as the desire to be alone. Bashō: The Complete Haiku of Matsuo Bashō reveals how this work speaks to our concerns today as much as it captures a Japan emerging from the Middle Ages. For dedicated scholars and those coming upon Bashō for the first time, this beautiful collector’s edition of Fitzsimons’s elegant award-winning translation, with the original Japanese (including kanji, hiragana, and katakana), allows readers to enjoy these works in all their glory. Read more

Following the overwhelming success of "Petals of Haiku," which captured hearts and souls, we bring you “Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku.” This new anthology will enchant the readers with its delicate imagery and transitory moments, which inscribe themselves in eternity. It features nearly 240 talented authors, each bringing their talent and unique perspectives. Poets are prophets linked to nature and love. In this anthology haiku is there language. Tranquility also features a stunning cover art by Japanese painter Hikari and superb fine-art photography by Japanese artist Naoki Kimura. With each turn of the page, one can't help but feel awestruck by how these tiny poems resonate with universal truths. They invite contemplation and reflection, urging us to pause amidst our busy and sometimes not so happy lives and embrace tranquility. This anthology stands as a testament to the enduring power of Asian poetry, specifically haiku, celebrating its role in connecting us with nature's wonders, love and our own inner peace. Read more

Over 125 poetic companions, from Basho to Billy Collins, Saigyo to Shakespeare.The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy received the Spirituality & Practice Book Award for 50 Best Spiritual Books in 2017 by Spirituality and Practice Website. The poems expertly gathered here offer all that one might hope for in spiritual companionship: wisdom, compassion, peacefulness, good humor, and the ability to both absorb and express the deepest human emotions of grief and joy. The book includes a short essay on “Mindful Reading” and a meditation on sound from editor John Brehm—helping readers approach the poems from an experiential, non-analytical perspective and enter into the mindful reading of poetry as a kind of meditation. The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy offers a wide-ranging collection of 129 ancient and modern poems unlike any other anthology on bookshelves today. It uniquely places Buddhist poets like Han Shan, Tu Fu, Saigyo, Ryokan, Basho, Issa, and others alongside modern Western poets one would not expect to find in such a collection—poets like Wallace Stevens, Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, William Stafford, Denise Levertov, Jack Gilbert, Ellen Bass, Billy Collins, and more. What these poems have in common, no matter whether they are explicitly Buddhist, is that all reflect the essential truths the Buddha articulated 2,500 years ago. The book provides an important poetic complement to the many prose books on mindfulness practice—the poems here both reflect and embody the dharma in ways that can’t be matched by other modes of writing. Its unique features include an introduction that discusses the themes of impermanence, mindfulness, and joy and explores the relationship between them. Biographical notes place the poets in historical context and offer quotes and anecdotes to help readers learn about the poets’ lives. Read more

A world of dewAnd within every dewdropA world of struggle The iconic three-line haiku form is increasingly popular today as people embrace its simplicity and grace—and its connections to the Japanese ethos of mindfulness and minimalism. Say more with fewer words.This practical guide by poet and teacher Bruce Ross shows you how to capture a fleeting moment, like painting a picture with words, and how to give voice to your innermost thoughts, feelings, and observations. You don't have to be a practiced poet or writer to write your own haiku, and this book shows you how.In this book, aspiring poets will find: Accessible, easy-to-replicate examples and writing prompts A foreword that looks at the state of haiku today as the form continues to expand worldwide An introduction to related Japanese haiku forms such as tanka, haiga, renga, haibun, and senryu A listing of international journals and online resourcesDo you want to tell a story? Give haibun a try. Maybe you want to express a fleeting feeling? A tanka is the perfect vehicle. Are you more visual than verbal? Then a haiga, or illustrated haiku, is the ideal match. Finally, a renga is perfect as a group project or to create with friends, passing a poem around, adding line after line, and seeing what your group effort amounts to.Ross walks readers through the history and form of haiku, before laying out what sets each Japanese poetic form apart. Then it's time to turn to your notebook and start drafting some verse of your own! Read more

American readers have been fascinated, since their exposure to Japanese culture late in the nineteenth century, with the brief Japanese poem called the hokku or haiku. The seventeen-syllable form is rooted in a Japanese tradition of close observation of nature, of making poetry from subtle suggestion. Infused by its great practitioners with the spirit of Zen Buddhism, the haiku has served as an example of the power of direct observation to the first generation of American modernist poets like Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams and also as an example of spontaneity and Zen alertness to the new poets of the 1950's.This definite collection brings together in fresh translations by an American poet the essential poems of the three greatest masters: Matsuo Basho in the seventeenth century; Yosa Buson in the eighteenth century; and Kobayashi Issa in the early nineteenth century. Robert Haas has written a lively and informed introduction, provided brief examples by each poet of their work in the halibun, or poetic prose form, and included informal notes to the poems. This is a useful and inspiring addition to The Essential Poets series. Read more

'It was with awe That I beheld Fresh leaves, green leaves, Bright in the sun'   In his perfectly crafted haiku poems, Basho described the natural world with great simplicity and delicacy of feeling. When he composed The Narrow Road to the Deep North, he was an ardent student of Zen Buddhism, setting off on a series of travels designed to strip away the trappings of the material world and bring spiritual enlightenment. He wrote of the seasons changin, of the smells of the rain, the brightness of the moon, and beauty of the waterfall, through which he sense mysteries of the universe. There’s seventeenth-century travel writing not only chronicle Basho's perilous journeys through Japan, but they also capture his vision of eternity in the transient world around him.   In his lucid translation Nobuyuki Yuasa captures the Lyrical qualities of Basho's poetry and prose by using the natural rhythms and language of the contemporary speech. IN his introduction, he examines the development of the haibun style in which poetry and prose stand side by side. this edition also includes maps and notes on the texts.   For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.  Read more

The Book of Five Rings (五輪書, Go Rin no Sho) is a text on kenjutsu (sword fighting), and combat in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1645.The modern-day warrior employs it as a manual of technique and philosophy.Carefully adapted in to modern English for easy reading. ✓Enjoy ♥ Read more

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Sailing Alone Around the Room, by America’s Poet Laureate, Billy Collins, contains both new poems and a generous gathering from his earlier collections The Apple That Astonished Paris, Questions About Angels, The Art of Drowning, and Picnic, Lightning. These poems show Collins at his best, performing the kinds of distinctive poetic maneuvers that have delighted and fascinated so many readers. They may begin in curiosity and end in grief; they may start with irony and end with lyric transformation; they may, and often do, begin with the everyday and end in the infinite. Possessed of a unique voice that is at once plain and melodic, Billy Collins has managed to enrich American poetry while greatly widening the circle of its audience. Read more

Penguin’s landmark poetry anthology, perfect for learning poems by heart in the age of ephemeral media Recipient of the Academy of American Poets' Wallace Stevens Award (Dove) Rita Dove, Pulitzer Prize winner and former Poet Laureate of the United States, introduces readers to the most significant and compelling poems of the past hundred years in The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry. Now available in paperback, this indispensable volume represents the full spectrum of aesthetic sensibilities—with varying styles, voices, themes, and cultures—while balancing important poems with vital periods of each poet. Featuring works by Mary Oliver, Derek Walcott, John Ashbery, Gwendolyn Brooks, Kevin Young, Terrance Hayes, Li-Young Lee, Joanna Klink and A.E. Stallings, Dove’s selections paint a dynamic and cohesive portrait of modern American poetry. Read more

Do you want to find your place in the world, identifying what makes you unique and leading a harmonious, meaningful life?Would you like to discover how to live each day to the full, pursuing goals that truly resonate with who you are?Questions like What is the meaning of my life? and What is my place in this world? often stay with us for years, left unanswered.Living each day fully and serenely is the ideal we aspire to, without really believing in it. Reaching our goals can seem impossible, and even pursuing them feels challenging. The personal development advice and methods we have tried repeatedly haven’t proven convincing, to the point where leading a harmonious, meaningful, and fulfilled life may feel like an unreachable utopia.That was before we discovered ikigai.Originating in Japan, the Ikigai philosophy provides the tools and insight to find meaning in our lives. Rediscovered in recent years, it has proven its worth to thousands of people worldwide. The principle of Ikigai is to create symbiosis where there is usually opposition, contradiction and discontent. Ikigai allows a whole host of elements to converge, giving us the opportunity to live serenely at last. The harmony created by Ikigai is a source of fulfillment.The island of Okinawa is one of the world's five Blue Zones, and for a good reason: each of its inhabitants has an Ikigai, or a 'reason for living.' Knowing the meaning of one’s existence fosters health, and getting up each morning becomes a joy, with each day unfolding with enthusiasm and motivation. As you may have guessed, Okinawans have never heard of depression. Joy, happiness and prosperity reign in the Japanese archipelago."Ikigai and Japanese Philosophy" will introduce you to the wisdom of the Rising Sun, with themes such as:Finding the meaning of life and fully appreciating each day;Discover who you are and what your purpose is;Turning every daily activity into an opportunity for fulfillment;Self-discipline, both physical and mental;Avoid health problems with Shinrin-Yoku;Free your mind of emotional burdens and troubles, renew your spirituality;(Re)discover your passions to feel fully alive.With Ikigai and Japanese Philosophy, you'll also learn how to use Kaizen, the continuous improvement process, and apply it to many aspects of your life. This philosophy is the mainstay of many Japanese companies, helping them to achieve unhoped-for economic results.You'll also discover how Shinrin-Yoku, or "forest baths", catalyze obstacles and negativity. The forest has exceptional therapeutic properties, which the Japanese have put to good use in their quest for better health.Although personal development techniques have become widespread in recent years, the specifics of Japanese culture remain less known. However, they have proven effective, as Okinawa boasts one of the highest longevity rates on the planet. Ikigai, Kaizen and Shinrin-Yoku are undoubtedly the tools you need. Discover them now, and buy your copy now! Read more

The most comprehensive book on Kodojin's art ever published—beautiful and mysterious—a collection of more than 100 paintings with English translations of the inscribed poems.The Art and Life of Fukuda Kodojin is the first publication in English to offer an in-depth examination of Kodojin's life, painting, and poetry. This fully illustrated publication draws from institutions and private collections worldwide, and is the result of fifteen years of extensive research into almost eight hundred works of inscribed poetry, literati landscapes, brush paintings and calligraphy. A beautiful and contemplative look into the world of Kodojin, this coveted edition accompanies a special exhibition held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.Fukuda Kodojin (1865—1944) was a multifaceted artist, recognized for his poetry, painting and calligraphy, and is one of a handful of artists who continued the tradition of Japanese literati painting (nanga) into the twentieth century. Kodojin's painting style is characterized by bizarrely shaped mountain forms rendered in vivid color or monochromatic ink, often with a solitary scholar enjoying the expansive beauty of nature and bits of inscribed poetry. Creating over 700 works in his lifetime, he also made simple paintings of plants and flowers in his dramatic brushwork, and distinctive literati landscapes. Kodojin literally means "Old Taoist" which seems to reflect the path he chose of resilience of an old tradition facing new conditions and new challenges, and is theme felt throughout his art. There is both beauty and mystery in his life and work, and his landscapes can be rich in costly green and blue pigments, detailed layers of ink shading and strokes, or purely abstract. Unique, mysterious and distinctively expressive, The Art and Life of Fukuda Kodojin offers an unprecedented walk through the Old Taoist's mind, sure to both surprise and enlighten the curious reader, scholar, or literati enthusiast.Featuring works from museums, libraries, and private collections worldwide, including:Minneapolis Institute of ArtHarvard Art MuseumSeattle Art MuseumFreer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian InstitutionBachmann Eckenstein Japanese Art, SwitzerlandThe Kura Art Gallery, KyotoShingu City Museum of History and Folkloreand more Read more

A Zen-Taoist poetry classic, in a handsome Chinese-English formatThis definitive translation of Han Shan’s poetry appears in a bilingual Chinese-English format. Included are extensive notes, a preface by renowned translator Red Pine, a findings list, and photographs of the cave and surrounding area where Han Shan (“Cold Mountain”) lived.Cold Mountain is one of the most revered poets in China. He was a Taoist/Buddhist hermit who begged for food at temples, often sang and drank with cowherds, and became an immortal figure in the history of Chinese literature and Zen. His poems were written twelve-hundred years ago on the rocks, trees, and temple walls of China’s Tientai Mountains. This revised edition also includes poems by Han Shan’s colleagues, Pickup (Shih-te) and Big Stick (Feng-kan), translated here for the first time.As Red Pine begins his Preface, “If China’s literary critics were put in charge of organizing a tea for their country’s greatest poets of the past, Cold Mountain would not be on many invitation lists. Yet no other poet occupies the altars of China’s temples and shines, where his statue often stands alongside immortals and bodhisattvas. He is equally revered in Korea and Japan. And when Jack Kerouac dedicated The Dharma Bums to him in 1958, Cold Mountain became the guardian angel of a generation of Westerners as well.”Reviews of Red Pine's Collected Songs of Cold Mountain:”The translator’s preface describes his rendition of the life of Cold Mountain, offering an excellent historical and philosophical context for the simple yet profound poems attributed to the poet."—Library Journal“These are poems one must taste fully and drink whole... The poems of Han-shan read like a journal or memoir, and they often work as Zen koans, challenging the mind to go beyond the words and reason.”—Parabola“Red Pine... has given us the first full collection of Han Shan’s songs in an idiom that is clear, graceful, and neutral enough to last... His translations are accurate and mirror the music of the originals... The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain is a considerable performance and a truly valuable book. Thanks to Copper Canyon's high standards of bookmaking, it is beautiful to hold and behold; thanks to Red Pine’s care, it will survive as the definitive text of Han Shan in English for many years. It belongs on the shelf of everyone with an interest in poetry and... should be opened often."—The Bloomsbury Review“An exquisite publication that captures the Taoist practice of passionate attention, of being still inside and relaxed in the comforts and discomforts around you, going nowhere else... We discover this in the poet’s vision and spirit, in the precision and balance of the translator’s scholarship and heart, and in the elegant wilderness of the bookmaker’s art around them. On every level this is a beautiful book.”—Judges’ comments on awarding the WESTAF Award in Translation“Cold Mountain’s colloquial poetry...sound like inspired raps—marvelously direct, with skips, jumps, verbal nudges and abrupt revelations... The volume is beautifully produced, with a long and careful introduction... This is an indispensable book.”—The Berkeley Monthly“More than anyone else, Red Pine has made [Han Shan’s] spontaneous poems accessible to Western readers... In this new, expanded edition, invaluable notes and an extensive new critical preface provide a contextual awareness, not just for the poems, but for their sources in Buddhist and Confucian culture.”—Inquiring MindRed Pine is one of the world’s leading translators of Chinese literary and religious texts. His other translations include Lao-tzu’s Taoteching (isbn 9781556592904) and Poems of the Masters: China’s Classic Anthology of T’ang and Sung Dynasty Verse (isbn 9781556591952). Read more

Here are over 800 haiku by Richard Wright, one of the early forceful and eloquent spokesmen for black Americans, author of the acclaimed Native Son and Black Boy.Wright discovered the haiku in the last eighteen months of life. He attempted to capture, through his sensibility as an African-American, the elusive Zen discipline and beauty in depicting man’s relationship, not only to his fellow man as he had in the raw and forceful prose of his fiction, but to the natural world. In all, he wrote over 4,000 haiku.Here are the 817 he personally chose; Wright’s haiku, disciplined and steeped in beauty, display a universality that transcends both race and color without ever denying them. Wright wrote his haiku obsessively—in bed, in cafes, in restaurants, in both Paris and the French countryside. They offered him a new form of expression and a new vision: with the threat of death constantly before him, he found in them inspiration, beauty, and insights.Fighting illness and frequently bedridden, deeply upset by the recent loss of his mother, Ella, Wright continued, as his daughter notes in her introduction, “to spin these poems of light out of the gathering darkness.” Read more

31-Page Printable Workbook Included!If you’ve always wanted to wake up feeling energized, knowing exactly what drives you, and living a life filled with passion and purpose—but you’re stuck in an endless cycle of stress, burnout, and uncertainty—then keep reading…Are you sick and tired of feeling lost, unfulfilled, and disconnected from what truly makes you happy?Have you tried goal-setting and self-help books, but nothing brings lasting change?Do you want to finally break free from the daily grind and discover a simple, time-tested method to create a life you love?If so, you’re in the right place.You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight to find purpose and fulfillment. By applying the Japanese philosophies of Ikigai and Kaizen, you can achieve extraordinary results through small, intentional steps.A 2019 study from the National Institute on Aging found that people with a strong sense of purpose had a 15% lower risk of early death. Another Stanford University report revealed that implementing small, incremental habits (Kaizen) can increase success rates by over 80% compared to drastic life changes.Which means you can create a meaningful, balanced life—without wasting time on ineffective self-help trends or feeling overwhelmed by drastic changes.Inside this book, you’ll discover:The 4-Step Ikigai Blueprint – Learn how to align your passion, mission, vocation, and profession to unlock your true purpose.The Kaizen Method for Continuous Growth – Apply small, daily improvements that lead to powerful, long-term transformation.How to Build Lasting Habits That Stick – Stop relying on willpower and use science-backed techniques to create habits effortlessly.The 21-Day Ikigai & Kaizen Plan – A step-by-step daily guide to integrate these principles into your life and see real results.The Science of Purpose and Happiness – Discover how neuroscience and psychology validate the effectiveness of Ikigai and Kaizen.How to Overcome Mental Blocks and Self-Doubt – Break free from fear, procrastination, and negative thought patterns.Daily Routines and Checklists for Success – Practical, easy-to-follow frameworks to help you track progress and stay on course.The Role of Mindfulness and Reflection – Guided exercises and journaling prompts to help you gain clarity and confidence in your journey.The Secret to Balancing Work and Personal Life – Strategies to harmonize productivity, personal well-being, and joy.Practical Exercises and Worksheets – A hands-on workbook section to take action immediately and create long-lasting change.And much, much more!To make your journey even easier, you’ll receive a complementary, downloadable 31-page workbook with:✔️ A Habit Tracker to monitor your daily and weekly progress with ease.✔️ The Ikigai 4-Circle Diagram to visually map your passions, skills, and purpose.✔️ Daily & Weekly Reflection Pages to reinforce your new habits and track your mindset shifts.✔️ A 21-Day Guided Action Plan to implement Ikigai and Kaizen into your life step by step.Imagine how it would feel to wake up excited every day, knowing you’re working toward something meaningful. Picture the joy of finally breaking free from confusion and doubt, stepping into your full potential with clarity and confidence.Even if you’ve struggled for years to find your purpose or maintain positive habits, this book will give you a clear, actionable roadmap to transform your life—one step at a time.If you’re ready to align your work and personal life, build habits that stick, and experience true happiness, scroll up and click “Buy Now” today! Read more