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What Is Zen?
What Is Zen? examines Zen's religious roots, its influence on Eastern and Western culture, its transcendent moments, and the methods of Zen meditation that are currently practiced.
Paperback, 96 pages
Published
October 5th 2000
by New World Library
(first published September 10th 2000)
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I started reading this book right after finishing Shogun by James Clavell. I was so impressed by samurai attitude towards life and death so I had to know more.
This book is a nice start for someone who wants to understand what zen is all about. Some parts (specifically the chapter on space) are more difficult to comprehend then the others but in overall you get the gist.
It's quite short too so you don't get lost as I would usually do in such types of books. Although there definitely are some len...more
This book is a nice start for someone who wants to understand what zen is all about. Some parts (specifically the chapter on space) are more difficult to comprehend then the others but in overall you get the gist.
It's quite short too so you don't get lost as I would usually do in such types of books. Although there definitely are some len...more
I read this is keen anticipation, having heard so much of Alan Watts. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed that it didn't really tell me much about Zen - the philosophy or the practice. I think even for a novice (me), you need to understand the journey of Zen and what it is different to some of the other Buddhist traditions. The trouble is with all the information that now exists on the Web this book feels quite shallow. It would have nice to have had a follow up too - something where the...more
If you are interested at all in Zen Buddhism, I would recommend this book. I am becoming a fan of Alan Watts and just started another Zen book by him afterwards because this one was so good. It will make you think.
The authority on ancient eastern religions, Alan Watts, presents a conversational approach to zen buddhism while providing a historical overview. Great book to own and reread. You'll be surprised at the ending.
Great book on zen. Explains everything in his Watts way. The best way it can be explained.
The best way for western minded folk to intro to zen
Essential information, clearly and cleverly explained.
Digging it so far, or is it digging me?
Pretty good intro to the concept of Zen philosophy, some of its teachings, and its history. You will definitely come away knowing whether or not Zen would be the right philosophy for you.
Pretty good intro to the concept of Zen philosophy, some of its teachings, and its history. You will definitely come away knowing whether or not Zen would be the right philosophy for you.
What can you even say about a book like this? Watts is an excellent teacher and lecturer. Thanks to him I have a fairly solid conception of Zen. The hard part is working to obtain such a state or awareness.
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Alan Wilson Watts was a British philosopher, writer, speaker, who held both a master's degree in theology and a doctorate of divinity. Famous for his research on comparative religion, he was best known as an interpreter and popularizer of Asian philosophies for a Western audience.
He wrote more than 25 books and numerous articles on subjects such as personal identity, the true nature of reality, hi...more
More about Alan Wilson Watts...
He wrote more than 25 books and numerous articles on subjects such as personal identity, the true nature of reality, hi...more
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“Here's an example: someone says, "Master, please hand me the knife," and he hands them the knife, blade first. "Please give me the other end," he says. And the master replies, "What would you do with the other end?" This is answering an everyday matter in terms of the metaphysical.
When the question is, "Master, what is the fundamental principle of Buddhism?" Then he replies, "There is enough breeze in this fan to keep me cool." That is answering the metaphysical in terms of the everyday, and that is, more or less, the principle zen works on. The mundane and the sacred are one and the same.”
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13 people liked it
When the question is, "Master, what is the fundamental principle of Buddhism?" Then he replies, "There is enough breeze in this fan to keep me cool." That is answering the metaphysical in terms of the everyday, and that is, more or less, the principle zen works on. The mundane and the sacred are one and the same.”
“We think that the world is limited and explained by its past. We tend to think that what happened in the past determines what is going to happen next, and we do not see that it is exactly the other way around! What is always the source of the world is the present; the past doesn't explain a thing. The past trails behind the present like the wake of a ship and eventually disappears.”
—
10 people liked it
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