Books published by publisher Parallax Press

An invitation to young readers to roll up their sleeves, get inspired, and take action to build a sustainable, just, and loving world.Peace, Love, Action! is an illustrated, illuminated A-Z of everyday actions that directly make a peaceful, fun, and vibrant world. With original artworks bringing each action to life, "make friends," "go local," "cooperate," "forgive" --seemingly small deeds can really add up! Illustrated by Tanya Zabinski in her characteristic earthy style, each action comes with an inspirational mini-bio of a real hero who exemplifies that action, from Thich Nhat Hanh ("breathe") to Wangari Maathai ("plant"), and follows with a set of "What You Can Do" prompts. With a foreword by singer-songwriter and activist legend, Ani DiFranco.

Inspired by a grandmother's bedtime story and the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, Meow Said the Mouse is a delightful and whimsical tale of a mouse that turns into a cat. Instead of being afraid, the mouse learns to appreciate her new appearance and realizes that she is a part of everything else on earth. Told as an endless loop (the end of the story becomes the beginning again), the story serves as a metaphor for change, and presents an original example of the Buddhist idea of interdependence.Philippe Ames combines paper cutout and collage techniques with Indonesian shadow puppet esthetics. These illustrations perfectly complement the intimate, handcrafted character of the story, resulting in contemporary original art rooted in an ancient tradition.

Written in the non-traditional, humorous, and slightly irreverent tone of books like Sit Down and Shut Up, and Dharma Punxs, Wonderlandis a highly original riff on Alice in Wonderland, using the classic story as a jumping off point for conveying the Zen concept of ‘One Mind’. Daniel Silberberg’s first book is a unique contribution to contemporary American Zen, which honors its historic roots and yet strikes out into fresh areas. It presents a lively mix of tone and quotation and levels of discourse, from citing Timeless Spring or the Diamond Sutra to Kill Bill and ketchup. With stories from his own life as well as from the larger cultural swirl around him, Daniel Silberberg reflects on the differences between how we perceive the world around us and the way it actually is. Daniel Silberberg’s take on a variety of Buddhist ideas and concepts are immediately useful and relevant. The reader will find that it addresses directly some of the issues they are dealing with in their own practice.The author’s insights and experiences come from his experience leading a large Zen community and from his almost thirty years of Zen Training in the lineage of the highly revered teachers Genpo Roshi and Maezumi Roshi.

Quotes from the Buddha are everywhere: on Facebook, Instagram, coffee mugs, posters. There's only one problem: the Buddha didn't actually say most of them. This humorous and informative book takes these fake Buddha quotes as a launching point for a discussion on what the Buddha really did say, and is a great entry point for those interested in learning more about Buddhism--what it is, and what it isn't.Bodhipaksa, a well-known Buddhist teacher and the founder of fakebuddhaquotes.com, takes a look at some of the quotes that are erroneously attributed to the Buddha, explains the ways in which these disagree (or sometimes agree) with Buddhist teachings, and offers some genuine examples of the Buddha's words.The perfect gift for the Buddhist in your life and an essential addition to any Buddhist library, I Can't Believe It's Not Buddha! is at once humorous and scholarly, and a timely antidote to the "fake news" that can surround some of the Buddha's teachings.

Quotes from the Buddha are everywhere: on Facebook, Instagram, coffee mugs, posters. There's only one problem: the Buddha didn't actually say most of them. This humorous and informative book takes these fake Buddha quotes as a launching point for a discussion on what the Buddha really did say, and is a great entry point for those interested in learning more about Buddhism--what it is, and what it isn't.Bodhipaksa, a well-known Buddhist teacher and the founder of fakebuddhaquotes.com, takes a look at some of the quotes that are erroneously attributed to the Buddha, explains the ways in which these disagree (or sometimes agree) with Buddhist teachings, and offers some genuine examples of the Buddha's words.The perfect gift for the Buddhist in your life and an essential addition to any Buddhist library, I Can't Believe It's Not Buddha! is at once humorous and scholarly, and a timely antidote to the "fake news" that can surround some of the Buddha's teachings.

An invitation to young readers to roll up their sleeves, get inspired, and take action to build a sustainable, just, and loving world.Peace, Love, Action! is an illustrated, illuminated A-Z of everyday actions that directly make a peaceful, fun, and vibrant world. With original artworks bringing each action to life, "make friends," "go local," "cooperate," "forgive" --seemingly small deeds can really add up! Illustrated by Tanya Zabinski in her characteristic earthy style, each action comes with an inspirational mini-bio of a real hero who exemplifies that action, from Thich Nhat Hanh ("breathe") to Wangari Maathai ("plant"), and follows with a set of "What You Can Do" prompts. With a foreword by singer-songwriter and activist legend, Ani DiFranco.

Jennifer Howd had been building a mindfulness practice for a few years before taking on the challenge of her first nine-day silent meditation retreat. In this debut memoir, she chronicles the humorous--and often harrowing--adventures of the dueling inner voices that emerge in the silence: one intent on focusing on the seemingly negative aspects of her experiences, and the other on helping her see the positivity that can come from them.Illuminating for those who are new to mindfulness and resonant for those with established practices, Sit, Walk, Don’t Talk: How I Survived a Silent Meditation Retreat also includes a helpful appendix listing tips for preparing for a silent meditation retreat, including a section for undertaking a retreat on your own.Sit, Walk, Don't Talk is written from a secular perspective and will appeal to folks who've never attended a residential retreat but are curious about the experience and want to get a taste of what to expect before possibly taking the plunge. Practitioners who dream of going on retreat but cannot make the time will also get a lot out of Howd's story, as well as folks who've been on many retreats and want to recapture the feeling without leaving home.

These stories explore Buddhist themes, while introducing the Western reader to the richness of Vietnamese culture. Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the world’s most popular teachers of Buddhism and meditation. He is also the author of many works of poetry and fiction. The Stone Boy is a new collection of his short fiction. Thich Nhat Hanh’s clear, contemplative spirit illuminates these stories, which are mostly of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people. Combining traditional Vietnamese tales with accounts of the contemporary suffering of the Vietnamese people. Now, at a time when America has opened up again to Vietnam, this important collection can inform and illuminate readers. Seven of the stories have appeared in previous collections, The Moon Bamboo and The Pine Gate, which are both now out of print.

A 1991 bestseller in South Korea, where it was serialized in that country's largest newspaper, Little Pilgrim is a tale of adventure and self-discovery in the tradition of Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. Based on the Gandavyuha, one of Buddhism's deepest and most challenging scriptures, Ko Un's Little Pilgrim relates the heroic journey of Sudhana, who sets out to discover what is truth. Throughout 20 years of fantastic travels, Sudhana encounters teachers that are human, animal, and spirit as he navigates mountain vistas, lush valleys, and remote villages. Drawing from his own 20-year journey, as well as first-hand experiences with war and monastic life, Ko Un infuses his book with reflections and memories, creating fascinating characters and a vibrant story. The pinnacle of Ko Un's career as a writer and as a man in search of truth, as well as the first of Ko Un's works of fiction to be translated into English, Little Pilgrim is a poignant voyage that resonates on many levels. "A man of great insight." —Thich Nhat Hanh

In this memoir of upward mobility through an unexpected route, a young black American woman signs up for lessons in yoga and clean eating as signifiers of her new middle class status, little realizing that her new lifestyle will bring her face to face with the inner demons fed by the domestic violence, addiction, and poverty she witnessed as a child.Graduating, getting established in your career, and dating another professional are things many young middle-class women expect to do and take for granted. But when your parents don't support you and you have siblings in prison, those milestones seem monumental. What does growing up poor do to your self-esteem? How do patterns of stress and family violence, poor diet and poor health continue to affect you even after you escape to a higher income bracket? And what can one woman do to turn around the cycle of racism, poverty, and intergenerational suffering? Hafiz gives a frank account of the anxiety and rewards of becoming "middle class" through a complete change of diet and adopting habits such as traveling and doing yoga. While her peers pursue one kind of African American dream by climbing the corporate ladder, Hafiz finds meaning in learning to cook macrobiotic food and practice meditation. By doing so, she recovers from chronic health conditions and heals from the family trauma she has inherited.

Written in the non-traditional, humorous, and slightly irreverent tone of books like Sit Down and Shut Up, and Dharma Punxs, Wonderlandis a highly original riff on Alice in Wonderland, using the classic story as a jumping off point for conveying the Zen concept of ‘One Mind’. Daniel Silberberg’s first book is a unique contribution to contemporary American Zen, which honors its historic roots and yet strikes out into fresh areas. It presents a lively mix of tone and quotation and levels of discourse, from citing Timeless Spring or the Diamond Sutra to Kill Bill and ketchup. With stories from his own life as well as from the larger cultural swirl around him, Daniel Silberberg reflects on the differences between how we perceive the world around us and the way it actually is. Daniel Silberberg’s take on a variety of Buddhist ideas and concepts are immediately useful and relevant. The reader will find that it addresses directly some of the issues they are dealing with in their own practice.The author’s insights and experiences come from his experience leading a large Zen community and from his almost thirty years of Zen Training in the lineage of the highly revered teachers Genpo Roshi and Maezumi Roshi.

On an early morning on a cloudy day, Jenny and her friend Molly play ball in a meadow. Somehow they begin to fight over the ball, and Molly storms off. Both are unhappy in their separate worlds, but Jenny looks up and suddenly feels happy as the sun breaks through. Soon Molly returns and the friends forgive each other, strolling through the meadow to observe nature’s beauty — a beauty that they see in themselves too. Sister Susan’s sensitive text introduces young readers to the Buddhist idea of “Interbeing” — that everything is connected. Sister Rain’s simple, colorful illustrations bring Jenny's and Molly’s new world to life.