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In this classic work of spiritual guidance, the founder of the Rochester Zen Center presents a comprehensive overview of Zen Buddhism. Exploring the three pillars of Zen-teaching, practice, and enlightenment-Roshi Philip Kapleau, the man who founded one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States, presents a personal account of his own experiences as a student and teacher, and in so doing gives listeners invaluable advice on how to develop their own practices. Revised and updated, this edition features a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede, who succeeded Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center. A moving, eye-opening work, The Three Pillars of Zen is the definitive introduction to the history and discipline of Zen.… (more)
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This is by far the most useful book
convincing in its easily readable exposition of Zen BR> Buddhism, it's methods and goals. Practices of Japanese
Zen masters, both modern and historic,
are set forth as they were actually spoken to Zen
in Japanese temples. It is easily the best book I have read on meditation generally or Zen specifically
It is most suitable as a work of reference and is not to be read cover to cover. It needs to be owned and I don’t own it so I didn’t get far with it, having to return it quickly to the library, since there
It’s a book for the serious student of Zen, and can in no way be called an easy read.
We are told in detail how to practice zazen, a form of Zen meditation.
Part two deals with enlightenment and contains “eight contemporary enlightenment experiences of Japanese and Westerners”. In one experience a Japanese executive realized clearly “that Mind is no other than mountains and rivers and the great wide earth, the sun and the moon and the stars”. Later he seemed to be struck by lightning and the next instant heaven and earth crumbled and disappeared”.
The various enlightenment experiences are described in detail, including the events leading up to them, Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to read much of any of them.
I’m pretty much an ignoramus as regards Zen, but it seems to me that for the serious student this book is an absolute must and contains about everything you could need to know.
The book contains valuable illustrations of zazen postures.