- Paperback: 510 pages
- Publisher: Lindisfarne Books (25 April 1991)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0940262258
- ISBN-13: 978-0940262256
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 17.8 x 3.8 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,802,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Book of Serenity is a translation of Shoyo Roku, a collection of one hundred Zen koans with commentaries that stands as a companion work to the other great Chinese koan collection, The Blue Cliff Record (Pi Yen Lu). Both works are classics of Chan (Chinese Zen) Buddhism—and both have now been rendered into English by the renowned translator Thomas Cleary. Compiled in China in the twelfth century, the Book of Serenity is, in the words of Tenshin Reb Anderson, "an auspicious peak in the mountain range of Zen literature, a subtle flowing stream in the deep valleys of our teaching, a treasure house of inspiration and guidance in studying the ocean of Buddhist teachings." Each of the hundred chapters begins with an introduction, followed by the main case, or koan, taken from Zen lore or Buddhist scripture. Then follows commentary on the main case, verses inspired by it, and, finally, further commentary on all. The book contains a glossary of Zen/Chan terms and metaphors.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Amazon.com:
4 reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Master Fa-yen Points to a Blind
17 Dec 2008
Format:Paperback
I bought this book long ago and Amazon's systems keep pestering me to review it, although I haven't read it properly. I had previously bought the "Blue Cliff Record", and unless you can devote your whole day to koan study, that by itself will see you out of this world. Buying this as well was like the man who wins a lifetime's supply of free beer and is so excited he goes out and buys a second lifetime's supply.
But who can resist endless computer nagging? Besides, the reviewer below, who seemed to like the book in so far as you can tell, yet only gave it one star, has skewed the ratings. (He gets "wandering in samara" confused with "Appointment in Samsara", so maybe he was just ignoring the Precept about Not Using Intoxicants.)
These hundred "cases" were collected by Master Hung-chih; the prose commentaries were added by Master Wan-sung Hsing-hsiu, playing the role that Master Yüan-wu did in the "Blue Cliff Record". Thomas Cleary's Introduction is a useful brief history of Zen. "Serenity" isn't quite the word: "The Book of Equanimity" says it exactly. Equanimity is a deep perception of Oneness, or of the Indescribable beyond even Oneness: if you realise it with heart, soul and body, you know that water can't drown you, that fire can't burn you.
So what is a Koan? An IQ puzzle? A logical enigma that enables you to see the limits of rational thought? A mysterious aphorism that you should just Be With, not try to solve? Heck no! A Koan Is A Plain, Clear Statement About Something You Are Quite Capable Of Understanding. Laughter is the usual response when you see into a koan ("solve" is misleading.) I'm not entirely sure what's so funny. Partly it's that it was all so obvious: something insanely wonderful was right there in front of you all the time.
Koan-study is easy. All you have to do is give up all interest in everything else, abandon all plans for the future and throw away your body and life itself. No-one can help you: you have to see for yourself. Pick a koan from the "Mumonkan", the "beginners" koan collection, pick one that intrigues and puzzles you.
Do you feel utterly, hopelessly baffled? You can't figure out even how to begin thinking about it? You can't see how anyone could solve it, how there could possibly be a solution? When you try to think about it, you feel as if your head has been wrapped in several layers of cling-film? Great! You're on the right track already. Pretend that somebody inside you understands perfectly. If you try to think it out for yourself, he or she will fold his or her arms and say, "Fine, you can do without me." But if you feel thoroughly baffled, so lost in bafflement that you can hardly recognise your own name or words like "soap-dish" or "pillow-case", he or she will say, "Oh, you need my help. Sure. Watch this."
But who can resist endless computer nagging? Besides, the reviewer below, who seemed to like the book in so far as you can tell, yet only gave it one star, has skewed the ratings. (He gets "wandering in samara" confused with "Appointment in Samsara", so maybe he was just ignoring the Precept about Not Using Intoxicants.)
These hundred "cases" were collected by Master Hung-chih; the prose commentaries were added by Master Wan-sung Hsing-hsiu, playing the role that Master Yüan-wu did in the "Blue Cliff Record". Thomas Cleary's Introduction is a useful brief history of Zen. "Serenity" isn't quite the word: "The Book of Equanimity" says it exactly. Equanimity is a deep perception of Oneness, or of the Indescribable beyond even Oneness: if you realise it with heart, soul and body, you know that water can't drown you, that fire can't burn you.
So what is a Koan? An IQ puzzle? A logical enigma that enables you to see the limits of rational thought? A mysterious aphorism that you should just Be With, not try to solve? Heck no! A Koan Is A Plain, Clear Statement About Something You Are Quite Capable Of Understanding. Laughter is the usual response when you see into a koan ("solve" is misleading.) I'm not entirely sure what's so funny. Partly it's that it was all so obvious: something insanely wonderful was right there in front of you all the time.
Koan-study is easy. All you have to do is give up all interest in everything else, abandon all plans for the future and throw away your body and life itself. No-one can help you: you have to see for yourself. Pick a koan from the "Mumonkan", the "beginners" koan collection, pick one that intrigues and puzzles you.
Do you feel utterly, hopelessly baffled? You can't figure out even how to begin thinking about it? You can't see how anyone could solve it, how there could possibly be a solution? When you try to think about it, you feel as if your head has been wrapped in several layers of cling-film? Great! You're on the right track already. Pretend that somebody inside you understands perfectly. If you try to think it out for yourself, he or she will fold his or her arms and say, "Fine, you can do without me." But if you feel thoroughly baffled, so lost in bafflement that you can hardly recognise your own name or words like "soap-dish" or "pillow-case", he or she will say, "Oh, you need my help. Sure. Watch this."
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
A timeless classic
24 Dec 2004
Format:Hardcover
This book contains profound wisdom, but it is still fun to read..Read it if you are at all interested in classic zen tales. The accompanying commentary makes it very accessible. The guy who gave this one star probably made a mistake or has a weird sense of humor.
2 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Got me half-way there!
4 Jan 2009
Format:Paperback
The monkey said to the mantis... "you have a nose, therefore you must be a buddha!"
the mantis replied "i do not have a nose, but i am a buddha!"
the monkey replied..."were you to have a nose you would still be a buddha!"
"rightly said replied the mantis, rightly said"
the peach blossom monk said to the pear blossom monk... "you are a human and therefore you must be a buddha"
"yes, thats true said the pear blossom monk... all humans are buddhas but not all humans know this! not knowing this, they are not buddhas. is it not so?"
"just so, just so?"
master tortoise said to master hare...
"Are you a buddha?"
master hare replied: "i am not a buddha"
master tortoise said: "are you not awake?"
master hare replied: "of course i am awake!"
master tortoise retorted wisely: "why then thou who professes to be master, do you think you are asleep?"
hare quickly replied "nonsense!, nonsense!"
(they both laughed together, but one longer than the other).
the divine joke! is it not?
ps. the six thieves will seek to stop you from realizing the truth about your true nature and your original face. it must be said that unless you are ready for these words you will not have the faith to activate the transmission. simple. but perhaps later on in the path you will rememeber them and they will help in enforcing your transmission.tc.
the mantis replied "i do not have a nose, but i am a buddha!"
the monkey replied..."were you to have a nose you would still be a buddha!"
"rightly said replied the mantis, rightly said"
the peach blossom monk said to the pear blossom monk... "you are a human and therefore you must be a buddha"
"yes, thats true said the pear blossom monk... all humans are buddhas but not all humans know this! not knowing this, they are not buddhas. is it not so?"
"just so, just so?"
master tortoise said to master hare...
"Are you a buddha?"
master hare replied: "i am not a buddha"
master tortoise said: "are you not awake?"
master hare replied: "of course i am awake!"
master tortoise retorted wisely: "why then thou who professes to be master, do you think you are asleep?"
hare quickly replied "nonsense!, nonsense!"
(they both laughed together, but one longer than the other).
the divine joke! is it not?
ps. the six thieves will seek to stop you from realizing the truth about your true nature and your original face. it must be said that unless you are ready for these words you will not have the faith to activate the transmission. simple. but perhaps later on in the path you will rememeber them and they will help in enforcing your transmission.tc.
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