The Way of the Heart, by Dharma Master Hsin Tao, is the first book in English that contains the life story of Shifu (born 1948), as he is referred to by his disciples, told in his own words. The book is based on the structure of the Four Noble Truths taught by the Buddha, and offers a very engaging and vivid account of the fact of suffering that every human being on this Earth undergoes in some form or other, as exemplified in Shifu’s own life experience. It presents reflections on the origins of suffering, and on the way to overcome it, thus enabling one to lead a life of genuine wisdom and deep joy. Ven. Dharma Master Hsin Tao is internationally renowned for having established the Museum of World Religions located in Taipei, Taiwan, and for his sustained efforts to bring about world peace through mutual understanding and cooperation among religions. With his core message deriving from Chan (Zen) Buddhism, Master Hsin Tao leads his disciples and students through all Three Vehicles of Buddhism in teaching and practice. The Master’s greatest aspiration is to help bring about a multifaceted and mutually cooperative global family, overcoming the current state of fragmentation in our contemporary global society. In addition to being a pragmatic peace advocate, he is also a dynamic and inspiring Chan Master, holding retreats in Asia, Europe, and the USA, with disciples spread out across the world. Ven. Master Hsin Tao has published more than thirty books in Chinese, some of which have been translated into English and German over the years. The Way of the Heart is edited and translated with a personal introduction by Maria Reis Habito, a disciple of Ven. Hsin Tao for more than 30 years now.
In The Buddhist Voyage Beyond Death: Living Nirvana, Ven. Master Hsin Tao, a distinguished Mahayana and Vajrayana monk from Taiwan (founder of the Museum of World Religions; honored guest of the Parliament of World Religions and the World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders) offers the cure for the innate human dread of death. The Master’s teachings aim to alleviate readers’ dread of death, to illuminate the sources of their daily distress, and to empower their emotional lives as well as personal happiness. The Buddhist Voyage Beyond Death provides an answer to those grappling with their life difficulties amid negative emotions of fear, anxiety, anger, and insecurity.
Ven. Master Hsin Tao’s The Buddhist Voyage Beyond Death is exceptional in its philosophical richness and comprehensiveness and its unique style. Integrating the wisdom of a living Buddhist Master--his cosmological vision, the philosophy of both Mahayana and Vajrayana, and deep meditative practice— The Buddhist Voyage Beyond Death offers readers not only a rewarding understanding of the Buddhist cosmos, but also distinctive insights into the esoteric concepts of karma, memory matrix, the dying process, and transmigration. The approach is both poetic and philosophical, simple yet profound.
If you’re reading this, it’s no accident: It’s time to enjoy some serious Zen enlightenment!
There’s no one better to guide you than Dharma Master Hsin Tao, whose very name (“Hsin” means “heart” and “Tao” means “path”) signals what to expect from the spiritual journey you’ll embark on with this book.
Bring clarity to your mind, gain a true sense of inner sacredness, and embrace boundless love and profound peace with The Power of Zen Meditation.
Many different peoples and beliefs exist in the world. They are formed by various natural settings， cultural styles， and historical backgrounds. Every culture is a constituting part to the wonderful world. If people could love and help each other， it would make human world a paradise.
Dharma Mater Hsin Tao once said: 「When the mind is at peace， the whole world is at peace.」 Hopefully， these words will give readers encouragement and peace will pervade the entire world.
In this book the concept of “mountain, sea, sky, man” is used to express the “four realms of reality” of the Huayan school of Buddhism. Mountain corresponds to the realm of individual phenomena; sea corresponds to the realm of nonobstruction
between principle and phenomena; sky corresponds to the realm of the one principle (śūnyatā) ; and man corresponds to the realm of nonobstruction between phenomena, The same correspondence is expressed in the following verse:
Mountain:
From the sacred mountain of Huayan, entering the realm of reality; conventional truth is spoken in the realm of individual phenomena.
Sea:
Returning to the essence through the sea of Vairocana; Buddha is the realm of nonobstruction between principle and phenomena.
Sky:
The universal Dharmakaya is ineffable; in the realm of the one principle the essential nature is emptiness itself.
Man:
The vows of Samantabhadra span the three times; the realm of nonobstruction between phenomena—this is the Bodhisattva practice.
