Samuel Bercholz – författare

Originally published as Entering the Stream, this book offers a simple and inspiring answer to the question "What is the Buddha''s teaching?" primarily in the words of the Buddha and other masters. This anthology draws on traditional Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan sources as well as teachings by contemporary Buddhist masters. Among the contributors, both classical and modern, are: Ajahn Chah, Pema Chödrön, The Second Dalai Lama, Dogen, S.N. Goenka, Dainin Katagiri, Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi, Milerepa, Padmasambhava, Reginald Ray, Shunryu Suzuki, Nyanaponika Thera, Thich Nhat Hanh, Chögyam Trungpa, and Burton Watson.

Take a trip through the realms of hell with a man whose temporary visitor’s pass gave him a horrifying—and enlightening—preview of its torments. This true account of Sam Bercholz’s near-death experience has more in common with Dante’s Inferno than it does with any of the popular feel-good stories of what happens when we die. In the aftermath of heart surgery, Sam, a longtime Buddhist practitioner and teacher, is surprised to find himself in the lowest realms of karmic rebirth, where he is sent to gain insight into human suffering. Under the guidance of a luminous being, Sam’s encounters with a series of hell-beings trapped in repetitious rounds of misery and delusion reveal to him how an individual’s own habits of fiery hatred and icy disdain, of grasping desire and nihilistic ennui, are the source of horrific agonies that pound consciousness for seemingly endless cycles of time. Comforted by the compassion of a winged goddess and sustained by the kindness of his Buddhist teachers, Sam eventually emerges from his ordeal with renewed faith that even the worst hell contains the seed of wakefulness. His story is offered, along with the modernist illustrations of a master of Tibetan sacred arts, in order to share what can be learned about awakening from our own self-created hells and helping others to find relief and liberation from theirs.

From the founder of Shambhala Publications, a no-nonsense, occasionally irreverent field guide to busting out of your own neuroses—mixing Buddhist wisdom and a dash of mischief to help you wake up (even in the middle of work, sex, and your bank account).In this refreshingly unfiltered guide, Sam Bercholz—founder of Shambhala Publications and a lifelong student and teacher of Buddhism—invites you to drop the pretense, roll up your sleeves, and get real about waking up.Drawing on decades of firsthand experience with some of the most influential Buddhist teachers of our time, Sam serves up the full spectrum of Buddhist teachings with a healthy dose of humor and zero sugarcoating. This isn’t about sitting on a cushion and pretending you’re above it all. It’s about wrestling with your own distractions, addictions, and neuroses—right in the middle of your messy, beautiful, everyday life.From meditation and tonglen to the everyday chaos of work, sex, and money, Sam gets his hands dirty with the real challenges of being human—no spiritual bypassing required. He dives into the gritty details of breaking free from habitual patterns, finding flashes of clarity in the chaos, and discovering your own basic goodness—even when you feel like a total mess.You’ll get the inside scoop on Vajrayana teachings, the power of lineage, and the Shambhala path of warriorship, all delivered with Sam’s trademark irreverence and honesty. If you’re looking for a guide who’s been through the wringer and come out laughing—and who’ll urge you to live the teachings, not just read about them—this is your invitation to wake up, lighten up, and join the dance.Also available in paperback.