The Zen Teachings of Jesus

by Kenneth S. Leong

"I left Jesus to search for the Tao when I was sixteen," writes Kenneth Leong. "Now I am forty and realize that I could have found the Tao in Jesus." This is an intriguing book that reveals how Zen philosophy parallels the core message of the gospel.




It is the spiritual side of Zen, the art to trust and accept life that coincides with the core of the Gospel message. For power, dogma and doctrine were not Jesus' passion, but the mystery of life and the possibility of love. Sometimes people have overlooked the joy, the humor and the depth of Jesus' teachings—often because they could not surmount the narrow confines of openness to the scripture's power to transform our lives.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Spirituality, Zen, Buddhism, Theology

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Doug Piero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leong has written a book with chapter topics one would expect to find in any Christian spirituality book, e.g. Hell, Heaven, Faith, etc. He quotes Jesus, but then presents the sayings of Jesus in light of Zen Buddhism. Much in the New Testament is made clearer in this way.

I confess that part of what I enjoyed in this book was the author's understanding agreeing with mine so often. I am used to keeping my thoughts about Jesus or the apostles to myself, because they don't fit in with the Scofield Reference Bible brand of church we have around here. This made finding a kindred soul in the author very pleasant. A-ha, so somebody else thinks these bible verses can be understood the way I understood them! Jesus did speak in koans at times, and the Zen viewpoint sees these more clearly than your typical Ohio pig farmer. (It was also nice to see some shared background, e.g. The Importance of Living by Lin Yutang, a favorite from junior high days.)

If you think the entire Christian Bible is literally true, do not waste your time with this book. On the other hand, if you enjoy reading in the "historical Jesus" genre, or are trying to compare Jesus with Gautama Buddha or Bodhidharma in some way, this book would be very rewarding.

The best insight for me was how one may reconcile 2 sayings-types from Jesus, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out," vs. "My yoke is easy, my burden light." Extremist obedience to every law vs. restful joy in Jesus... Which is it? Read the book.

[Briens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really expands your perspectives on the bible and Jesus and shows just how limited and weak current Christian ideologies are.
This book would be a nice companion to Joseph Campbell interviews/books.

[Alaa Jerbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterpiece!

[Michael Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Take away everything orthodox about Jesus (think Nicene Creed), reinterpret his parables in a Zennie way, and you have this book. Good start, maintained for first third of book, but then the author wanders around and stretches his arguments to the breaking point. I would love to believe all this, but it just seems a little pat. Maybe JC did spend 10 years learning pragmatic Buddhism and wanted to share his knowledge with the poor and uneducated through koan-like parables. Anyone seen "The Man From Earth?"

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all it is readable, enlightening, well done. It isn't overly impressive in the amount of material it cites to make a compelling case for the parallels between zen and Christian teaching but one has to wonder whether that was in intentional so as not to overwhelm the reader.

[Sonia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh. Not a good book. The author was definately "reaching".

[Dave Lindley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun though references and conecting the dots were not strong. Fun yes.

[Dri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Zen Teachings of Jesus has helped me calm my heart and relax my soul. I have questioned the bible deep within my thoughts but afraid to ask because Christianity says I'll go to hell for even questioning the Bible.
Jesus I believed was a fun and great teacher, although growing up I didnt quite understand what he was talking about but there were some parables I found funny. when I would laugh or giggle I was scolded and how dare I make fun of the Lord and needed to repent for my ultimate sins.
i didnt get this.. repent? for being a child? repent for not really understanding? How was I supposed to be kid but also be raised in such strict conditions?
I've fought so long with my inner self. telling my mind to let go of Christianity. thank them for the basics of life by being a good person but seek different teachings. there is more to God and Jesus was a brotheren who was trying to show us a different way.
This book has given me so much clarity and I appreciate and enjoyed reading.

[Brandon Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Gave me a lot of new perspective on the Bible and the words of Jesus. Recommend this for people who may have gone away from traditional American Protestantism, but might not want to totally "throw away" Jesus and the Bible completely. I'm happy that I can look upon those old scriptures with fresh eyes.

[Larry Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christ the Guru by Swami Muni Narayana Prasad and The Zen Teachings of Jesus by Kenneth S. Leong are two books that examine Christianity from an Eastern perspective. They show that Jesus’ message is universal and that it has been subsumed by Christian theology (Augustine, Aquinas, Anselm) and Greek philosophy (Aristotle, Plato). Can we follow Jesus without following Aristotle or Augustine?

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book showed how Jesus used Zen principles in his teachings. I found it repetitive, as the author tried to show his idea in many different ways.

[Dana Yim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keep an open mind.

[Amos Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that gives a fresh angle on Jesus as a teacher of non-dual awareness. Leong rightly perceives that there are many corollaries between Zen and the teachings of Jesus, especially the parables. Jesus and Zen are not about dualistic black and white absolutes. Jesus and Zen are about holding the creative tensions between opposites. That's where we find creativity, energy, and dynamism! Leong apprehends the holistic flavor of Jesus' parables, which don't settle for simplistic either/or sound bites. Jesus is about complex dynamism!
-Amos Smith (author of Healing The Divide: Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots)

[Michael Gajda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! One of those books I marked up with yellow hi-liter all over the text and will have to go back through it more than once not only for its enlightening and nourishing insights but for the pure joy of reading. A book to be read slowly and to be carried around to be pulled out and browsed through and hung onto for its warm and wise comfort especially as we wander about in these cold and trying times full of so much foolishness.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful dive into the teachings of Jesus by a former buddhist. He marries the teachings of Buddhism and Christianity beautifully while never doubting the divinity of the Christ. This is great for people that find themselves drawn to eastern philosophies and may have had a bad experience in formal or structured religious environments. It focuses on the spiritual side of Jesus' teachings.

[David Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book served as a foundation for me to write The Enlightenment of Jesus and For the Love of Sophia. The book raised new questions when I was stuck on old answers. David W. Jones

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[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fully amazing. I loved it. I thought he did a marvelous job distilling Zen in a way that is immediately familiar and approachable to a western audience. There were a few conclusions I disagreed with, but for the most part, I thought the book was on point. Loved.

[Heather Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, and very eye opening.