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The Golden Age of Zen
Has lengthy introduction by Thomas Merton.
Back cover torn.
Back cover torn.
- GenresBuddhismZenSpirituality
333 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
25 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
John C.H. Wu
11 books14 followersJohn went by the name of Wu Ching-hsiung until his conversion, when he was baptized John.
Graduating with honors from the Suzhou Comparative Law School of China in Shanghai, in 1920, Mr. Wu went to the University of Michigan Law School, where he received the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1921. Later he did graduate work at the Sorbonne, the University of Berlin and Harvard University Law School. He maintained a correspondence with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., from his time as a student, and later produced scholarly work examining Holmes' legal thought.
He has honorary degrees from Boston College, St. John's University and the University of Portland.
Previously a Methodist, he was a convert to Roman Catholicism after reading Thérèse of Lisieux's biography.
Wu served as an adviser in the Chinese delegation to the 1945 United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco and served as the Chinese ambassador to the Vatican in 1947-49. In 1957, Wu was appointed a judge of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. After the Chinese Communist Revolution, Wu worked as a professor at the Seton Hall University School of Law in New Jersey until retiring to Taiwan in 1967.
Graduating with honors from the Suzhou Comparative Law School of China in Shanghai, in 1920, Mr. Wu went to the University of Michigan Law School, where he received the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1921. Later he did graduate work at the Sorbonne, the University of Berlin and Harvard University Law School. He maintained a correspondence with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., from his time as a student, and later produced scholarly work examining Holmes' legal thought.
He has honorary degrees from Boston College, St. John's University and the University of Portland.
Previously a Methodist, he was a convert to Roman Catholicism after reading Thérèse of Lisieux's biography.
Wu served as an adviser in the Chinese delegation to the 1945 United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco and served as the Chinese ambassador to the Vatican in 1947-49. In 1957, Wu was appointed a judge of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. After the Chinese Communist Revolution, Wu worked as a professor at the Seton Hall University School of Law in New Jersey until retiring to Taiwan in 1967.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 4, 2011
It's an ok book but with such a naive and romantic understanding of Chan. I don't think it helped much in terms of understanding Chan. Mostly it is propagating the romanticized image of Chan, so maybe is even harmful for people who wants to understand. Yet, it's a good book to read if you keep a critical mind and NOT falling for the rosy images.
October 25, 2016
Good to know about many Zen Masters of old, but not through this book. This book is written with a very biased view. The basic idea of Zen is to look at the world with awareness without bringing any philosophy in between. But the author is so biased towards Christianity, that he keeps on bringing Christianity every now and then. In the book he has many times said about the stories related to Bodhidharma and few others that they are legends (without any basis). But in the whole book, he never says that many stories of Jesus Christ are also legends. He cannot say.
Another thing is he is too biased towards Hui Neng, the sixth patriarch of Zen.
When one writes on Zen, one should be unbiased and try to do justice to Zen without bringing his own doctrines in between. The author has clearly failed in his endeavour.
What is good about the book is that it talks about many Zen masters and their anecdotes, which is of course helpful for any interested student of Zen. He has brought materials from different sources, that too is commendable.
Another thing is he is too biased towards Hui Neng, the sixth patriarch of Zen.
When one writes on Zen, one should be unbiased and try to do justice to Zen without bringing his own doctrines in between. The author has clearly failed in his endeavour.
What is good about the book is that it talks about many Zen masters and their anecdotes, which is of course helpful for any interested student of Zen. He has brought materials from different sources, that too is commendable.
May 20, 2023
As someone without a background in ancient Chinese history and geography, I found this book incredibly hard to penetrate. Because the author does not make an attempt to place the Zen patriarchs in their larger historical context, and does not provide a map of their locations relative to each other, all I really got out of the book is that a bunch of Zen Buddhist monks used to go around insulting and slapping each other a lot.
September 15, 2017
All the cha'n masters of china during the T'ang period (618-906)
are adequately covered here.One chapter for each master.Historical,biographical and doctrinal facts as well as legends are woven together in a very readable and light hearted narrative.
are adequately covered here.One chapter for each master.Historical,biographical and doctrinal facts as well as legends are woven together in a very readable and light hearted narrative.
April 17, 2019
Not an easy book
Yes is not an easy book. Chinese philosophy as simple as may seem is very deep for westerners readers and scholar
Yes is not an easy book. Chinese philosophy as simple as may seem is very deep for westerners readers and scholar
December 13, 2020
Important work on the great lineages, masters, and important early history of Chinese Ch'an - Zen.
January 6, 2022
Too Christian centered, but ok
September 20, 2008
The 'text' for my Introduction to Zen class.
June 2, 2014
One of the best texts on classic Zen that you can grab.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews