Despite that, words on this site will help you get some idea of what Zen is about. It's not a concept that can be described in words. Zen - the essence and the difficultyĬhristmas Humphreys, one of the leading pioneers in the history of Buddhism in Britain, wrote that 'Zen is a subject extremely easy to misunderstand.' He was right. 'Ch'an' is the Chinese pronunciation of the Sanskrit word Dhyana, which means (more or less) meditation. 'Zen' is the way the Chinese word Ch'an is pronounced in Japan. This natural spontaneity should not be confused with impulsiveness. Zen often seems paradoxical - it requires an intense discipline which, when practised properly, results in total spontaneity and ultimate freedom. Zen techniques are compatible with other faiths and are often used, for example, by Christians seeking a mystical understanding of their faith. The essence of Zen is attempting to understand the meaning of life directly, without being misled by logical thought or language. It began in China, spread to Korea and Japan, and became very popular in the West from the mid 20th century.

A pretty good secondary source for reading Dogen might be Hee-Jin Kim’s Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist.Zen Buddhism is a mixture of Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism. I would also advise a simple anthology of Eihei Dogen, perhaps Moon in a Dewdrop. Again no one book is the best, but within a Soto context I think maybe Reb Anderson’s Being Upright is a good read. I strongly recommend reading into the precepts as well. It has companion volumes, Sitting With Koans also edited by the roshi and The Book of Mu, edited by Melissa Myozen Blacker and myself. A a particularly good one for the Soto style is John Daido Loori’s Art of Just Sitting. There are several important anthologies of writings on Zen meditation. Shunryu Suzuki’s Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind is not an introduction but once one has began the practice it should prove useful. I have a soft spot in my heart for Maezumi & Glassman’s On Zen Practice. Its strong emphasis on koan introspection and awakening has proven controversial, especially among some Soto practitioners. Similarly Philip Kapleau’s Three Pillars of Zen is very important but of a complicated parentage.

Robert Aitken’s Taking the Path of Zen represents the Sanbo Zen style which rests on a Soto fountain but introduces koan introspection as well as an emphasis on lay practice. Out of print but available used through Amazon or Abe Books. Me, I’m mostly interested in a practice oriented perspective.And, in my view, the best of the brief overviews of Zen writ large is Martine Batchelor’s Principles of Zen.

Red Pine’s version is particularly accessible.Īnd while speaking of context, from a more academic perspective rather than a practitioners view John McRae’s Seeing Through Zen is probably essential reading for anyone hoping to situated the Zen schools within Buddhist and East Asian thought. The first is an accessible read and the second, while controversial in some circles for modernist inclinations is clean and straightforward.įor a sense our spirituality as a living thing I recommend reading the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Ancestor, which lays our our mythic place as well as the fracture lines of our tradition.

A small but for anyone at all serious accessible library.įor Buddhist fundamentals I recommend Karen Armstrong’s Buddha and Walopla Rahula’s What the Buddha Taught.

Soto zen quotes on mind