News from Windhorse Publications

Sagaraghosa, one of the Trustees of Windhorse Publications, the FWBO's publishing house, writes with some of their news.  She says -

"There are several changes afoot at present with Windhorse Publications, so it seems like an appropriate time to write with news. First, I am very pleased to be able to announce that Priyananda has been appointed as Publishing Director. He has already started and is working three days a week. His work includes developing the publishing strategy, commissioning new books and liaising with the rest of the movement. I am delighted that we have managed to find someone so experienced and skilled to do this work.

I shall be continuing in an advisory role, and Vidyadevi will be continuing to help with books by Bhante and some of the other books for the movement. Caroline and Sarah will be continuing to manage the office, production, marketing and sales. In addition, Lee Walford now works one day a week looking after the finances. So we are well placed with staffing for 2010 and have a strong team to take us forward.

"By the time you read this, Windhorse will have moved offices out of the Cambridge Buddhist Centre and into rented office accommodation in nearby Mill Road. The Buddhist Centre did not have enough room for the additional staff and needed more space themselves. The new office has much more space and is conveniently situated quite close to the station (and a rather good cafe!) The telephone number and email address stay the same.

"You may have noticed that we have recently published a batch of books for newcomers to Buddhism:

Life with Full Attention by Maitreyabandhu,
Meaning in Life by Sarvananda,
Vegetarianism by Bodhipaksa and
Saving the Earth by Akuppa.

"These books have made a promising start and have been received enthusiastically by book shops during sales visits.

"Bhante's new book, Living Ethically, needs a reprint shortly, which is also very pleasing. Our other recent title is 'Visions of Mahayana Buddhism' by Nagapriya which is a great introduction to this inspiring tradition. You should find it in most FWBO Centre bookshops - or you can order it direct from us.

"Looking forward to 2010, we shall be publishing 'The Story of the FWBO' by Vajragupta, starting to publish books to use with the new FWBO-wide Dharma Study Course for mitras, and reissuing some of Bhante's books with new introductions in a new 'Sangharakshita Classics' series, as well as hopefully some other new titles. Also we shall be revamping the web site.

"Our main challenge is still money. It takes a lot of juggling to pay the bills. So we shall be exploring ways to increase our sales and funding. Of course donations are always welcome, but you can also help by buying books from your Centre book shop or directly from us at www.windhorsepublications.com . Also if you have ideas for new books, please get in touch.

"With your help we can thrive in 2010 and beyond.

Sagaraghosa

Windhorse Publications move to larger offices

Sarah Ryan, from Windhorse Publications, the FWBO’s publishing house, writes to say -

“Dear all,

"After lots of preparation we are finally moving office to a larger space on Mill Road here in Cambridge, UK. This will be great as we will have more space and light, which we definitely need. It’s also going to be wonderful to be located on one of the most vibrant and independent streets in Cambridge.

"Having said this, our time at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre has been wonderful and we will miss sharing the space with such cheerful and friendly people – thank you very much to everyone there.

"From Tuesday 15th December our new address is:

Windhorse Publications
169 Mill Road
Cambridge
CB1 3AN

"Our telephone numbers and email addresses will be staying the same, and of course our website www.windhorsepublications.com .

"Wishing you all a warm winter
Sarah”

An invitation - to Windhorse Publications' first day-long book-launch party...

Sarah from Windhorse Publications, the FWBO’s publishing house, writes with some news - and an invitation… She says -

“We're very excited... about our brand new series, ‘A Buddhist View’!

“This series examines key issues in life from a Buddhist perspective, offering practical points on living in the 21st century. The first three books, by Akuppa, Bodhipaksa and Sarvananda, deal with our relationships with the environment, food and our perception of life respectively”.

To celebrate, we’d like to invite you to our first day-long book-launch party - on-line! It's TOMORROW FRIDAY 13th.

Whether you're Buddhist or not, vegetarian or not, feel free to drop in on Bodhipaksa, who’ll be online all day, on Facebook, Twitter (@bodhipaksa), and on his blog www.bodhipaksa.com, talking about the second edition of his book, which explains why he thinks Buddhists should be vegetarian.

“Come join the conversation! You can just drop by and say "hi" if that's all you have time for. Or read an article, enjoy the quotes he’ll be posting, watch a video, or join a conversation…

“To get you started, check Bodhipaksa’s video invitation to the event...

"Oh, and don’t forget to buy the book(s)! Available from your Centre bookshop, our website www.windhorsepublications.com, or your local High Street.

Much metta,
Sarah

Windhorse Publications: Books on Buddhism, Dharma, meditation from an FWBO Right Livelihood business

Windhorse Publications launch new book series 'A Buddhist View'

Sarah Ryan from the FWBO’s publishing house ‘Windhorse Publications’ (www.windhorsepublications.com) writes -

“I’ve got some news from WP for you!

“First of all, the first three books in our new series ‘A Buddhist View’ are now available – we’re really thrilled with how they’ve turned out. They are -

Meaning in Life by Sarvananda
Saving the Earth by Akuppa and
Vegetarianism by Bodhipaksa.

This brand new series from Windhorse Publications examines key issues in life from a Buddhist perspective, offering practical points on living in the 21st Century. The three books available so far deal with our relationships with the environment, food and our perception of life.

There’s various book launches going on - Sarvananda has been to the Cambridge and Ipswich Buddhist Centres.

Less conventionally Bodhipaksa is going to be launching Vegetarianism online on Friday 13th with a marathon 12-hour drop in discussion on his blog , Twitter and Facebook. We’re hoping FWBO News readers will drop in - I’ll write again with more details nearer the time.

Thank you very much for all of your help,
Best wishes,
Sarah Ryan
Windhorse Publications Ltd
t: 01223 911997

New book from Windhorse: Life with Full Attention

Windhorse Publications, the FWBO’s main publishing business, are proud to announce their new title ‘Life with Full Attention: A Practical Course in Mindfulness’.

Sarah Ryan from Windhorse writes to say “Maitreyabandhu’s new book has just come out and we’re really proud of it! A lot of work went in from a lot of people but it’s finally here. Can you please do a piece on it in the FWBO News next week?”

We’re happy to oblige...

The book’s blurb goes on to say -

Don’t live on automatic pilot – live life with full attention.


In this eight-week course on mindfulness, Maitreyabandhu gently guides readers, teaching them how to pay closer attention to their experience. Each week, he introduces a different aspect of awareness – such as mindfulness of the body, feelings, thoughts and the environment – and recommends a number of easy practices; from trying out a simple meditation to reading a poem.


Featuring personal stories, examples and tempting suggestions, Maitreyabandhu shows how by applying mindfulness we can steal back the lost moments of life.

Sarah ends by saying -

“Here the yellow leaves are just starting to drift across the street and even on sunny days the wind has a tooth in it – autumn is such a beautiful season.

Best wishes,

Sarah

Coming soon is Bodhipaksa's well-known exploration of vegetarianism. Click the image to find out more!

'Visions of Mahayana Buddhism' - new book by Windhorse

Sarah Ryan from the FWBO's Windhorse Publications writes with new of a new book, 'Visions of Mahayana Buddhism' -

“Mahayana means 'Great Way' or ‘Great Vehicle’ and refers to a powerful current of Buddhist thought, practice, and culture. Mahayana Buddhism spread across Asia, settling deeply in China, Korea, and Japan in particular. Its emphasis on wisdom and compassion continues to be deeply felt today.

"In a unique overview of this inspiring tradition, Nagapriya introduces its central themes and huge spectrum of practices, literature, and movements. Charting the evolution and expression of the Mahayana as a whole, he tracks its movement across South and East Asia, uncovering its history, culture, and doctrines. In doing so, he blends extensive knowledge with a strong element of lived practice.

"Ideal for both educational and personal use, this far-reaching and imaginative guide provides a solid foundation for any study in Buddhism and a valuable perspective on Asian history.”

"I hope you’re well and congratulations on the anniversary of FWBO News – long may it continue! Sarah

Nagapriya is already well-known as an author thanks to his critically-acclaimed 'Exploring Karma and Rebirth'. He lectures in Buddhist studies at Manchester University in the UK, specializing in Mahayana Buddhism.

Living Ethically: latest book by Sangharakshita

Sangharakshita's latest book has been released by Windhorse Publications, his publishers. It's entitled ‘Living Ethically: advice from Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland’ and is based, like many of his recent books, on edited transcripts of a seminar held many years ago. That's not as simple as it might sound - the seminar would have recorded, - probably at Padmaloka in 1975 or 1976, onto reel-to-reel tapes, painstakingly transcribed some years later using a typewriter, scanned still later - and now, finally, edited...

In this particular case what survived to be edited was only a single carbon-copy. Silabhadra, who did the scanning in 2004, commented as he began it "The only remaining original was just a carbon copy of the original typescript of the seminar. Much of what follows will, I predict, be totally incomprehensible!"

To illustrate just how true his prediction was, we copy below the first few lines of the scan of transcription:

All flght, let's go
on to Chapter One
and read a verse at
a time, going round the circle
and
t4~l
-
~
)
Chapter One
I bow down to theA i~~a;-2+. fre~from all defects,
... adorned with all virtues, the sole
friend o~~beings.
S.
There's quite a number of points to go into here.
Tho is being
saluted here, who is the author bowing down to?
The Pu-ddha.

From such unpropitious ingredients, we are fortunate indeed to have the book itself! Even the process of editing was not easy: Sangharakshita is now in his 84th year and has for some years suffered with little or no eyesight. The book was therefore produced in collaboration with Samacitta, chair of the nearby Birmingham Buddhist Centre, who visited him most days over the past year, reading him the manuscript and writing down his responses.

She writes - " I have been delighting in my contact with Bhante recently. Since he can no longer read with his own eyes, I was asked to help him edit his next book by reading the manuscript to him. The decline of his eyesight is obviously a great loss, not only for him personally but also indirectly for us, but for me it has led to a situation which is giving me a great deal of spiritual nourishment and inspiration".

On the book itself, Windhorse, his publishers, say –

“In a world of increasingly confused ethics, Living Ethically looks back over the centuries for guidance from Nagarjuna, one of the greatest teachers of the Mahayana tradition. Drawing on the themes of Nagarjuna’s famous scripture, Precious Garland of Advice for a King, this book explores the relationship between an ethical lifestyle and the development of wisdom. Covering both personal and collective ethics, Sangharakshita considers such enduring themes as pride, power and business, as well as friendship, love and generosity”.

‘Living Ethically' should be available in FWBO Centre bookshops - but can also be obtained on-line via Windhorse.

"The Essential Sangharakshita" launched, available through Windhorse

‘The Essential Sangharakshita’, a major new title showcasing 50 years of Sangharakshita's writings, has just been published by Wisdom Publications. It is available via Windhorse Publications.

Drawing on no less than 38 of Sangharakshita’s books, and totalling 792 pages, it’s a very substantial resource for anyone interested in his teaching, his life, his poetry, and the Dharmic influences behind the FWBO. In fact, it’s a must-buy!

A full review of the book is available on FWBO Features.

The book’s organising principle is based on the Mandala of the Five Buddhas - the central concerns of Buddhism in the central realm of Vairocana; material on ‘Buddhism and the Mind’ in the realm of Aksobhya; ‘Art, Beauty, and Myth in the Buddhist Tradition’ under Ratnasambhava; faith, devotion, friendship and meditation in the Western realm of Amitabha, and finally a lengthy final section on ‘Buddhism and the World’ in the realm of Amoghasiddhi. A major work indeed.

Vidyadevi, the book’s editor, is an Order Member of many years’ standing and has lived and breathed the project for much the past 5 years – she told FWBO News that she’d started by re-reading all Sangharakshita’s books!

For some, ‘The Essential Sangharakshita’ will suffice, and may even be the only book of his they ever need. Certainly it is a more-than-adequate introduction to Sangharakshita’s thought and teaching – if not to the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order itself. For others, it will be a gateway, a taster, to the 38 works from which it is drawn, even to those not represented, and they will be led through it deeper into Sangharakshita’s thought – and perhaps into the spiritual community he has founded and nurtured for he past 40 years.

‘The Essential Sangharakshita’, ISBN 0-86171-585-3, is available from Windhorse Publications (www.windhorsepublications.com) in the UK or Wisdom Publications (www.wisdompubs.org) in the US, and Windhorse Books (www.windhorse.com.au) in Australia and New Zealand . For other countries please contact your nearest bookstore.

Click here for the full review – other reviews are welcome (just email FWBO News) and will be added as received.

Windhorse Publications releases 2009 catalogue

Windhorse Publications, the FWBO’s main publisher, have released their 2009 catalogue – and very handsome it is!

There's lots on Buddhist practice, for instance Paramananda’s pocket guide to meditation focusing on ‘The Body’ – the third book in Windhorse’s best-selling series, which includes ‘The Heart’ and ‘the Breath’, both by Vessantara.

There’s a new edition of Transforming Self and World, Sangharakshita’s guide to the Sutra of Golden Light, aand new edition of the Dhammapada.

Windhorse don’t simply publish books – there’s a growing collection of multi-media introductions to meditation.

To be released are ‘Life with Full Attention’, an 8-week course on mindfulness by Maitreyabandhu; which will accompany the FWBO’s first International Urban Retreat in June 2009, and Nagapriya’s second book ‘Visions of Mahayana Buddhism’, which looks set to be as popular as his ‘Exploring Karma and Rebirth’.

Sangharakshita’s ‘Living Ethically – Advice from Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland’, also due for release during 2009, will join his existing books ‘Living with Awareness and ‘Living with Kindness’.

The catalogue is available on-line or to download from Windhorse’s very handsome new blog, which you'll find at windhorsepublications.blogspot.com.

They are also taking advance orders for ‘The Essential Sangharakshita’, just published by Wisdom. This eagerly awaited selection of Sangharakshita’s writings, edited by Vidyadevi, is available for pre-order now through Windhorse Publications for the bargain price of £16.99.

They say, "Due for release in January 2009, The Essential Sangharakshita is the culmination of over fifty years of one man's study, practice, and personal experience of Buddhism".

And we say, "Enjoy!"

New edition of FWBO Puja Book now available

Windhorse Publications, for many years the FWBO's principle publisher, have just released their new and updated edition of the FWBO Puja book. Among other things the translation of the Heart Sutra has been revised and the typeface made easier to read for shrine-room use. Also, for the first time, it is available in paperback.

Copies may be ordered via your local FWBO Centre or directly from Windhorse – both hardback or paperback . In Australia and New Zealand, contact Windhorse Books Australia.

Their website also carries extracts from the book, notably the Introduction, where Dhammadinna has beautifully written -

"Imagine a world without colour, beauty, poetry, myth, celebration, or ritual. Such a world would be a very dull, drab, dead world indeed. Such experiences are essential to human life; they cultivate our emotions, refine our senses, and enrich our imaginations. Poetry, symbol, myth, and ritual carry us – as Shelley suggests in his Defence of Poetry – 'to regions of light and fire, where the winged faculty of calculation dare not ever soar'. We cannot live in the realm of rational thought alone. To feel fully and vibrantly alive, we must feel in touch with all the different aspects and levels of our being.

"Buddhism is a spiritual tradition, and as such speaks to us in our wholeness. Its various practices can help us to bring into being a harmony of body, speech, and mind. Throughout its history, therefore, many forms of ceremony and ritual have been developed. These range from the simplest recitation of a few verses to the most complex andd lengthy rituals".

Highly recommended. Those interested in an introduction to the Puja as practiced in the FWBO will find several relevant talks at FreeBuddhistAudio.

New reading lists available from Windhorse Publications

Windhorse Publications have for many years been the main publisher of FWBO books, at least in English, with some 140 books currently on offer. With so many to choose from, where to start...?

Happily, they have just released four new reading lists - one each for those seeking an introduction to Buddhism, those wanting to go deeper, those interested in meditation, and those thinking of taking up the FWBO Mitra Study course (which can be found on the new website www.fwbomitracourse.com).

FWBO News hopes to bring you more news of their Autumn publications soon - starting with the new edition of the FWBO Puja Book.
Enjoy...