There's no doubt cats are a meaningful feature of Japanese life: from folklore to fashion, they've left a giant paw print on the culture. It's believed that felines first appeared in Japan with the arrival of Buddhism via China in around 552, when their main role was to stop vermin from damaging scriptures. But what can we learn from these philosophical felines? Surely they can teach us a thing or two, through the wisdom gleaned over the centuries residing in ancient temples and co-existing with artists, courtesans, monks and writers. The Zen of Cat is interwoven with stories and facts about cats, Japan and Zen philosophy. Carla Francis includes discussions with Japanese cat lovers, and invites reflection and 'mindful mewsings' on life through an A-Z of Japanese words to inspire. Cats are unburdened by worry. They maintain an enviable equilibrium. Maybe we can too?

Going for a walk is no longer just for the dogs! Experienced cat owner Clifford Brooks is here to teach you and your cat how to enjoy a stroll together. Cats are naturally adventurous creatures, and with the help of a leash and Brooks’s tips, you can indulge those instincts with a sense of security. As any animal trainer will tell you, the magic is in your attitude and sensitivity to your kitty’s needs and subtle reactions to new things. With that in mind, Brooks encourages cat owners to embrace Zen meditation as the foundation for leash training. Benefitting both you and your furry friend, practicing mediation will: • Provide a calm atmosphere in which to learn an enjoyable skill and explore new environments together. • Foster a positive energy between the two of you. • Cultivate patience and appreciation for simple accomplishments. With step-by-step instructions, meditation guidance, and interviews with other successful cat walkers, you’ll learn how cat walking can have a healthy impact on your life and the life of your feline companion. Essentially, you will become a more sensitive cat owner, able to detect when your own presence is affecting your cat’s behavior. Combining a practical skill with a thoughtful approach, Brooks’s advice will do wonders for the time you spend together.

"Does a cat have a Buddha-nature?" "Mew!" "What is the sound of one can opening?" "Door open--stay in! Door close--go out!" "Fur is emptiness, & emptiness is fur." These are just a few of the Zen riddles that any cat solves with an insouciant flick of the tail as he pads down the path to Enlightenment. With chapters such as "Zen Fish, Zen Bones," "The Ten Sacred String-Chasing Pictures," "Nine Lives of Buddha," & "The Secret Transmission of Bodhipurrma," ZEN FOR CATS will delight all those who've survived the strict master-disciple relationship that cats use to lead us humans to the Truth. Deft ink-wash paintings capture the essence of cats in contemplation: practicing the "three pillars" of Za-Zen, Za-Snack, & Za-Nap; & reveal the best-kept secrets of the esoteric art of litter-box sand raking. Whether you are the Host or the Guest to a feline follower of the Way, you will find ZEN FOR CATS transcendent.

Steven Heine offers a compelling examination of the Mu Koan, widely considered to be the single best known and most widely circulated and transmitted koan record of the Zen school of Buddhism.

From one of America's bestselling humor writers comes a New Age take on our feline friends that is destined to become a classic. A must for cat owners who yearn to understand the feline psyche, this witty and laugh-out-loud funny book is Henry Beard at his best.

"When a Zen master puts brush to paper, the resulting image is an expression of the quality of his or her mind. It is thus a teaching, intended to compassionately stop us in our tracks and to compel us to consider ultimate truth. Here, forty masterpieces of painting and calligraphy by renowned masters such as Hakuin Ekaku (1685–1768) and Gibon Sengai (1750–1837) are reproduced along with commentary that illuminates both the art and its teaching. The authors’ essays provide an excellent introduction to both the aesthetic and didactic aspects of this art that can be profound, perplexing, serious, humorous, and breathtakingly beautiful—often all within the same simple piece."--Publisher description.

The greatest marvel of the universe is the human brain, but it comes without an instruction manual. The Zen Brain tells the compelling story of the human brain, from its astonishing appearance in evolution to its perplexing present form, with all its extraordinary abilities as well as its sorry penchant for aberration. If left uncultivated, the human mind grows like a weed garden. But when disciplined in the natural way, the human mind is the finest prize of nature. Such a mind also tends to be more effective, resilient, and happy. Part I, Foundations, begins with the origins of life that have moved relentlessly in one biological direction, a better brain. But the human brain appeared with abilities that far outstripped the environments that spawned it. It mediates between stimulus and response in a new way. It thinks. Oddly, we can all drive cars, yet there were no cars present when we emerged. Just as oddly, we can go insane without any apparent organic reason. Part II, Applications identifies and explains in depth the conditioning methods of self-betterment. With cultivation, the human brain becomes the natural mind that performs better, feels better, and simply works better in adapting us to the many strange, new environments we have created for ourselves. The potential for a finer mental life, a finer quality in experience, exists in all humans. But without discipline, you have to live in the weed garden all your life.

Robert Buswell, a Buddhist scholar who spent five years as a Zen monk in Korea, draws on personal experience in this insightful account of day-to-day Zen monastic practice. In discussing the activities of the postulants, the meditation monks, the teachers and administrators, and the support monks of the monastery of Songgwang-sa, Buswell reveals a religious tradition that differs radically from the stereotype prevalent in the West. The author's treatment lucidly relates contemporary Zen practice to the historical development of the tradition and to Korean history more generally, and his portrayal of the life of modern Zen monks in Korea provides an innovative and provocative look at Zen from the inside.

Black-and-white photograhs and illustrations combine with simple, inspirational quotes to reveal how cats exemplify the essential principles of Zen philosophy and to explore the special bonds between humans and their feline companions. 30,000 first printing.

In her fascinating exploration of feline history, Georgie Anne Geyer explores the connections between the royal and sacred felines of ancient civilizations and the beloved domestic cats of today. Chasing an irresistible mystery across the globe, Geyer conducts exhaustive research into the little-known puzzle of how cats came to occupy their unique position in the lives of humans. Treated with the tenacity, resourcefulness, and narrative instinct of a seasoned foreign correspondent, the investigation yields unexpected answers and poses tantalizing new questions. It was Geyer's curiosity about her own cats that inspired her to study the history of human-feline relations and especially the exalted status of cats among the ancients as royal or sacred beings. In Egypt, Geyer learned of the cat-goddess Bastet and of the cat's role in the transmigration of souls. In Myanmar she saw Leonardo DiCaprio, Ricky Martin, and the other incongruously named cats of the Nga Phe Kyaung monastery, trained by the monks to jump through hoops. She even met a family who dutifully guards the heritage of the Japanese Bobtail, cultivating the line in?of all places?rural Virginia. Richly illustrated with photographs of Geyer's journeys and historical cat images, When Cats Reigned Like Kings describes forty-one recognized modern cat breeds plus other popular cats. Every cat lover can, thus, trace his or her cat to these breeds and their many relatives. The result is a remarkable book, bound to delight and amaze cat fanciers and adventure seekers.