A Zen Life of the Buddha

Zen Buddhism begins with the Buddha’s enlightenment. While the word, “enlightenment” suggests there is something you get and that once have it you are “enlightened,” “intimacy” comes closer to the truth. We gain nothing. Rather, through attention to counting the breath, experiencing the breath, or putting our attention into a koan, we become of less interest to ourselves and, in this losing is finding. The world steps in — trees, mountains, bugs, rivers, people — and we rediscover our original, undiminished intimacy with all things. No longer strangers to this Earth, to others, or to ourselves, such intimacy has healing power. This is to live our own Zen life of Buddha.

"Should be required reading for all Zen students. Rich in the insight and detail that can only emerge from years of dedicated Zen practice and teaching." —Sunyana Graef Roshi, Dharma Heir of Roshi Philip Kapleau and Abbot of Vermont Zen Center

"I love this book, so deeply important for beginners and experienced practitioners alike!” —Taigen Henderson Roshi, Abbot of the Toronto Zen Centre

"It rescues the Buddha from the prison of unapproachable myth, revealing him to be utterly human, utterly you, utterly me. Short and eminently readable, it is the fruit of Martin Roshi’s half-century deep dive into Zen practice and teaching.” —Hoag Holmgren, author of No Better Place: A New Zen Primer

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The Buddha's Birth

In this delightful book for children, Zen teacher and master storyteller Rafe Martin brings to life the magical story of The Buddha’s Birth. Rafe originally created a longer version for the Rochester Zen Center’s Vesak celebrations, when Rafe was a student of Roshi Philip Kapleau. In 1980 Rafe collaborated with illustrator Vicki Wehrman to publish a small commemorative booklet of The Buddha’s Birth with Vicki’s line illustrations.

Here in a newly revised version for children, Rafe’s loving retelling of the inspirational story of the infant Buddha’s birth is joined with Vicki’s colorful and exuberant illustrations to create an honoring of the Buddha and the heritage of peace, love and awakening he brought into the world.

Before Buddha Was Buddha

Discover how ordinary beings—a deer, a robber, a monkey, a parrot, and more—make up the past lives of the Buddha before he was Buddha. See excerpt in “Tricycle” magazine.

Praise for Before Buddha Was Buddha: Learning From the Jataka Tales

Before Buddha Was Buddha: Learning From the Jataka Tales was featured in Forbes (!!) in an article on how to deal with Trump's war on Truth! How's that for the very contemporary relevance of the jataka tales and of ongoing Zen practice! 

Review: Before Buddha Was Buddha: Learning From the Jataka Tales—108ZenBooks

Review: Before Buddha Was Buddha: Learning From the Jataka Tales—Book Pleasures

Interview: Before Buddha Was Buddha: Learning From the Jataka Tales—Spiritual Media Blog

The Banyan Deer

A moving story of compassion The Banyan Deer highlights courage, triumph, and the meaning of wisdom. Beautifully illustrated by Richard Wehrman, and elegantly told, this book makes an ideal gift for anyone facing transitions or rites of passage.

The Hungry Tigress

In this definitive edition, completely updated and rewritten with expanded commentaries and two new sections, Rafe Martin brings together a fascinating array of stories from the Buddhist tradition.

Endless Path

Ten ancient stories and new commentary reveal the practical power of imagination in spiritual development and everyday life.

Further Zen Conversations

This latest addition in Rick McDaniel’s valuable series of works on the transmission of Zen Buddhism to the West. Thematically organized, these interviews with contemporary North American Zen teachers, including several with Roshi Martin, are honest, revealing, and offer quite a variety of perspectives — Soto, Rinzai, lay, ordained, experienced and new teachers, large and small centers and zendos—on North American Zen. Here’s a link to Roshi Martin’s complete foreword.

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One Hand Clapping

The stories in this collection come from the Zen Buddhist tradition, from tales told by the Buddha himself to anecdotes from the lives of the Zen masters of China and Japan who helped pass on the Buddha’s teachings.

Straight to the Heart of Zen

One of the greatest aids to spiritual advancement was invented in China over a thousand years ago. We know it by its Japanese name, the koan, which Zen master Philip Kapleau describes as a direct and profound presentation of the truth.

The Monkey Bridge

In this traditional Buddhist folktale from India, humans learn from the animals: the monkey king’s action and wisdom serve as a model for the king of the humans.

Awakening to Zen

“True awakening,” Roshi Kapleau has said, “is not a ‘high’ that keeps one in the clouds of an abstract oneness, but a realization that brings one solidly down to earth into the world of toil and struggle.”

Foolish Rabbit's Big Mistake

Rafe’s retelling of a well-known jataka tale which illustrates how jumping to conclusions can lead to trouble. It is the story of how a little rabbit misinterprets a loud crash, and how a brave lion’s common sense restores order to chaos.

The Brave Little Parrot

In this traditional Buddhist folktale from India, humans learn from the animals: the monkey king’s action and wisdom serve as a model for the king of the humans.