Ayya Khema(1923–1997)

12 Steps on Buddha's Path is an inspiring firsthand account of what happens when life seems hopeless, and the miracle of finding out that it's anything but. The author describes her own journey of recovery from alcoholism - an astonishing passage through strange and frightening territory - and marks out the path that allowed her to emerge from that darkness as a wise and compassionate person living a life that is joyous and free. This book is a powerful and enriching synthesis of the 12-Step recovery programs and the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism. It is sure to appeal to anyone touched by addiction, including those looking for new ways to understand and work with the tried-and-true 12-Step system. Tens of millions of Americans suffer from Alcoholism and other forms of dependence, and 12 Steps on Buddha's Path offers hope and help for any one of them. Though writing anonymously out of deep respect for 12-Step policies, the author is in fact a well-known professional author, deeply involved in the recovery and meditation communities

From the best-selling author of Being Nobody, Going Nowhere, Ayya Khema's Be an Island guides us along the path of Buddhist meditation with direct and practical advice, giving us contemplative tools to develop a healthy sense of personal being. Be an Island is at once an introduction to the teaching

In this new edition of her classic best-selling book, Ayya Khema gives clear, practical instruction on meditation and techniques for overcoming counterproductive mental habits and beliefs. Through the simple practices detailed here, you will develop deeper insight, a sense of calm well-being, and a

Wie können wir mehr Ruhe, Freude und Harmonie in unseren oft stressigen Alltag bringen? Die Lehre des Buddha mit den ewig gültigen Wahrheiten über die menschliche Existenz, ist von ungebrochener Aktualität und stößt auf immer größeres Interesse in der westlichen Welt. Die Meditationsmeisterin Ayya Khema gibt in "Buddha ohne Geheimnis" eine umfassende und anekdotenreiche Einführung in die Buddhalehre. Mit praktischen Beispielen zeigt sie uns, wie wir die östlichen Weisheiten für uns verwenden können.

Ayya Khema (1923-1997) was the first Western woman to become a Theravadan Buddhist nun. As such, she has served as a model and inspiration for women from all the Buddhist traditions who have sought to revive the practice of women's monasticism in modern times. Though her renown as a teacher is widespread, few know the truly amazing details of her life before her monastic ordination at the age of fifty-eight. And what a life it was. Born Ilse Kussel in Berlin, Germany, she grew up in a prosperous Jewish family that was broken up by Nazi terror in 1938. The story of her escape alone to Scotland, and her journey to rejoin her family in China, would be enough for a thrilling adventure novel in itself—but it is only the beginning of the story. Her later adventures included—but were not limited to—surviving the Japanese invasion of China; living the life of a suburban housewife in Los Angeles, California; journeying up the Amazon; studying in a Bolivian university; building a power plant in Pakistan; and establishing the first organic farm in Australia. Her Buddhist practice was a result of a pursuit of the spiritual life that began in her forties when she encountered spiritual teachers in India. She eventually founded a monastery in Sri Lanka, from where, through her books and her teaching travels, she became one of the most widely respected of contemporary teachers, particularly skilled in interpreting the Buddhist teachings for her fellow Westerners.

Experience a complete meditation course with one of the West’s most renowned Buddhist teachers. Know Where You're Going provides a full course of instruction in Buddhist meditation and reflection, and contains a wealth of exercises and advice to help the reader grow. As we put these teachings into practice over time, we learn to see things as they really are and discover transcendence right here in our everyday lives. Ayya Khema shows us how to live a wholehearted spiritual life, even amid our day to day concerns and responsibilities. Her teachings unfold simply, free of jargon, and are ideal for the contemporary world. Grounding the practice of more advanced meditations in a deeply cultivated sense of mindfulness, love, and altruism, Khema shows us, step by step, how to access to liberation and freedom. Know Where You're Going was previously published under the title When the Iron Eagle Flies.

In diesem Buch stellt Ayya Khema eingehend die Grundlagen der Ruhe- und der Einsichtsmeditation dar, erläutert, wie wir uns von festgefahrenen Denkmustern und Gefühlen befreien können, und gibt wertvolle Ratschläge für unsere alltägliche Übung. "Meditation ist das notwendige Mittel, den Geist zu reinigen und zu läutern, damit wir eines Tages in die Tiefe schauen und erkennen können, wozu wir auf der Welt sind. Was könnte interessanter sein, als sich selbst zu erforschen?" (Ayya Khema)

Beloved Buddhist nun Ayya Khema expertly guides the reader through ten meditations on generating loving-kindness and cultivating the fifteen wholesome qualities necessary for igniting compassion and boundless love. Having escaped Nazi Germany in 1938, Ayya Khema has singularly profound perspective on creating peace, unconditional love, and compassion. She gently teaches that inner peace is not necessarily natural or innate. Instead, peace should be considered a skill that needs intentional practice—every day. Peace is the sum of many parts, namely the fifteen wholesome qualities the Buddha himself noted in the Metta Sutta, including usefulness, mildness, humility, contentment, receptivity, and others. Ayya Khema expertly guides us through each individual condition, using her trademark humor and personal narrative, to help each reader shape their own path to self-transformation. The second part of the book includes an eye-opening discussion of metta (loving-kindness) as both a morality and concentration practice, as well as ten meditation practices that use visualizations rather than more traditional mantra repetition. These visualizations include your heart as a "Fountain of Love," reaching those close to you and those far away, and a "Flower Garden," where we tend to the blooms in our hearts through love and compassion and share them with others. Edited by her student and retreat leader, Leigh Brasington, this book is a complete course in practical ways to calm and brighten our minds.

This practical commentary on one of the most important scriptures of the Pali canon will provide essential sustenance for Buddhist practitioners. Ayya Khema is a mountain of strength, encouragement, and tough love as she pours out down-to-earth practical instruction on the journey to enlightenment, following the framework set forth in the Samannaphala-sutta, the Buddha's discourse on the rewards of spiritual life. The sutta—included here in the translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi—contains the Buddha's teachings in response to questions posed by King Ajatasattu. Why, the king asked, should we give up the satisfactions of worldly life and devote ourselves to meditation? What are the tangible benefits to be gained from following the Buddha's way? In answering this question, the Buddha provides a compact synopsis of the entirety of the spiritual path, and Ayya Khema expands on this with her characteristic approach—simple, direct, experiential, and loving. An important aspect of the sutta is an account of the eight meditative absorptions, or jhanas—states of mind that bring joy, serenity, and peace and that open the way to clarity and liberation. Ayya Khema, who was herself adept at the eight absorptions, confidently leads the reader to, through, and beyond the jhanas, following the Buddha's plan. Her words have the effect of inspiring us to roll up our sleeves and get to work so that we may grasp the insights, accomplish the meditative goals, and become enlightened to the highest extent of our talents and efforts.

When the Iron Eagle Flies is a complete meditation course from one of the West's most beloved Buddhist teachers. In her usual direct style, Ayya Khema points us toward the middle path — a path of simplicity. Her teachings unfold simply, free of jargon, and are ideal for a contemporary world where the fevered pursuit of pleasure and comfort leaves us "like children playing in a house on fire, refusing to let go of our toys." A practical guide to building meaning through awareness, When the Iron Eagle Flies contains a wealth of exercises and advice to help the reader along the path. Ayya Khema grounds her teaching in ordinary, everyday experiences, and gradually reveals how to gain access to liberation and freedom.

This little volume of Dhamma talks offered here to show a way out of our problems and sufferings, to give an idea of the Buddha’s way to reach ultimate peace and happiness. It anyone becomes inspired to practice this path of moral conduct, meditation and insight, our world will be so much the better for it. This inspiring book is based on twelve talks given at the Parappaduwa Nuns Island in Sri Lanka. Ayya Khema insists that the Buddha’s teachings, though profound, are simple and can be realized within our own hearts.