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Product Description
Product Description
This reissued introduction presents the nature, technique and practice of Zen. A Japanese Zen master, Dr Suzuki taught regularly in the USA and Europe.
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First Sentence
BUDDHISM in its course of development has completed a form which distinguishes itself from its so-called primitive or original type-so greatly, indeed, that we are justified in emphasizing its historical division into two schools, Hinayana and Mahayana, or the Lesser Vehicle and the Greater Vehicle of salvation. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
BUDDHISM in its course of development has completed a form which distinguishes itself from its so-called primitive or original type-so greatly, indeed, that we are justified in emphasizing its historical division into two schools, Hinayana and Mahayana, or the Lesser Vehicle and the Greater Vehicle of salvation. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Zen is possibly one of the most difficult things to describe in words, yet Suzuki manages to do just that. The texts are thoroughly enlightening, well-structured and thought-provoking. The introduction by C.G. Jung to me seems superfluous and awkward and I still cannot understand why it is there; skip it the first time you read the book, and as I am sure you'll return to this book after a while, you can glance over it while re-reading the book. Then you'll understand why I think it is totally out of place in this otherwise magnificent book.
My overall advice is simple: if you are reading this review, you care enough about Zen to buy a book about it. This is the one you should be going for.
And trust me: you'll learn why you care about Zen.
My overall advice is simple: if you are reading this review, you care enough about Zen to buy a book about it. This is the one you should be going for.
And trust me: you'll learn why you care about Zen.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a short (Suzuki's part of the book is almost exactly 100 pages) collection of essays which first appeared during the First World War. The age of the collection may put some people off - more hip and contemporary writers are, of course, far more attractive to us modern readers, despite the fact that what Suzuki is writing about extends back hundreds of years. To disregard this book on those grounds would be a mistake. Suzuki's style is excellent, he writes clearly, simply and eloquently and there is plenty of freshness in what he has to say.
The essays themselves are all fascinating and certain to interest any serious student of Zen, as well as being a good introduction to many Zen principles for the less dedicated reader. Suzuki addresses familiar questions - "What is Zen?" and "Is Zen Nihilistic?", for example - and also expounds on practical Zen and the essential aim of Zen ("to acquire a new viewpoint"), among other things. His longest essay is devoted to an excellent discussion of the koan and there is a short but fascinating article on the traditional Zen meditation hall and the life of a monk.
Suzuki's contribution to the book, then, is a beautiful one, and I would say an excellent and accessible introduction to his works. What makes the book that little bit different for me, however, is the foreword, a 20-page essay by Carl Jung. In this, Jung writes "Great as is the value of Zen Buddhism...its use among Western people is very improbable". I wonder what he would have to say if he could see the world today.
So, in a nutshell - rather short, but worth a look.
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was interested in Zen before I read this book and now I am fascinated by it. The book is clearly written by a good authority on the subject and for once by a practitioner of Zen! I found it an engrossing read as it manages to convey the spirit of what to many Westerners appears to be a completley mystifying philosophy. This is a must for those who are interested in Zen or have an intrest in Oriental philosophy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great read
I wanted to read this for a while so I was very excited when I got it. I was not disappointed, it made a very good read and the book really gets you to think over many things in... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Olga
Excellent introduction to Zen Buddhism!
This is an outstanding book on the field. Suzuki's expounding of the discipline (if it could be called that) is marvellous and full of detail. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Castor
A Classic Begining
With an introduction from Dr. Jung, a small text in itself. To Suzuki's brilliant text. It is my understanding that this introduction by Dr. Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2007 by M. A. Ramos
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