The Path of the Human Being: Zen Teachings on the Bodhisattva Way

by Dennis Genpo Merzel

Dennis Genpo Merzel Roshi, one of the most highly regarded American Zen teachers, demystifies the experience of enlightenment, teaching that it is none other than the awakening to our true nature, which is ever present and inherent in all of us. Through the practice of meditation, one is able to turn the light of inquiry inward and discover this for oneself. Genpo Roshi lays out this journey of discovery for us—from the first tentative glimpses of Buddha Mind to the full flowering of realized life. Always practical and down-to-earth, Genpo Roshi shows that following the Buddha Way does not require us to leave behind our ordinary lives. Instead it is a process of integration, learning to flow freely between the many dimensions of our lives so that our existence becomes more meaningful and joyous, and so that we are able to carry the wisdom and compassion we have realized into daily life.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Religion

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Kerri]

I didn’t realize this was a compilation of discourses gathered into a book. There was a lot of interesting points made but it didn’t have any direction or thread of building through the book. Also, strangely, I would read about 20 pages and then want to take a nap. Kind of a weird reaction.

[Adrian Colesberry]

This might be a great book. I just find spiritual writings to be boring. Not dense enough to keep up my interest. But I pushed through and there were a few interesting things. These might be quotes or paraphrases, I don't know. I'll mark them as quotes to be safe.

"The Oryoki is a Japanese word meaning "contains just the right amount." It is the biggest of the Buddha monk begging bowls. Our lives can also be thought of as a begging bowl, which holds just the right amount.

"The illusion that you have destroyed your ego is very dangerous. Instead of vainly trying to destroy the ego, better to keep the ego in plain view."

That last one is pretty genius.

[Jack]

Enjoyable and useful, though its usefulness declines somewhat in the latter half of the text. Merzel's authorial voice tends to be more colloquial and, I think, straightforward than Bernie Glassman's, but he at times falls into the same trap of overly abstract language. All in all, though, I found this to be a decent overview of core Zen concepts and practices. Not to be read as a standalone authority, but a good supplement.

[Cindywho]

A pile of talks from an enthusiastic teacher. Nice and short for my attention span. Not much new except for a decent attempt to explain being and not-being - how everything exists and doesn't exist at the same time.

[Joseph Harriott]

modern, to the point advice for us to get down to what matters.

[Brendan]

Only read 3/4ths of this. There's not a lot of point in reading about Zen ( especially other people's ) ~ does make the point of hammering on zazen ( over and over and over ) ~

[Dale]

There are a lot of books containing collections of talks given by Buddhist teachers. This is one of them.

[Velvetea]

This was wonderful~ so many subjects are covered and all around, it makes you feel at peace. A beautiful lesson in how to look inside yourself.