Hoofprint of the Ox: Principles of the Chan Buddhist Path as Taught by a Modern Chinese Master - Softcover

Chang, Mast Sheng-Yen; Stevenson, Dan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195152484 ISBN 13: 9780195152487

Publisher: Oxford University Press USA, 2001

Synopsis

Revered by Buddhists in the United States and China, Master Sheng-yen shares his wisdom and teachings in this first comprehensive English primer of Chan, the Chinese tradition of Buddhism that inspired Japanese Zen. Often mistunderstood as a system of mind games, the Chan path leads to enlightenment through apparent contradiction. while demanding the mental and physical discipline of traditional Buddhist doctrine, it asserts that wisdom (Buddha-nature) is innate and immediate in all living beings, and thus not to be achieved through devotion to the strictures of religious practice. You arrive without departing.

Master Sheng-yen provides an unprecedented understanding of Chan, its precepts, and its practice. Beginning with a basic overview of Buddhism and meditation, 'Hoofprint of the Ox' detials the progressive mental exercises traditionally followed by all Buddhists. Known as the Three Disciplines, these procedures develop moral purity, meditiative concentration, and enlightening insight through the 'stilling' of the mind. Master Sheng-yen then expounds Chan Buddhism, recounting its centuries-old history in China and illuminating its fundamental tenets. He contemplates the nature of Buddhahood, specifies the physical and mental prerequisites for beginning Chan practice, and humbly considers what it means to be an enlightened Chan master.

Drawing its title from a famous series of pictures that symbolizes the Chan path as the search of an ox-herd for his wayward ox, 'Hoofprint of the Ox' is an inspirational guide to self-discovery through mental transformation. A profound contribution to Western understanding of Chan and Zen, this book is intended for practicing Buddhists as well as anyone interested in learning about the Buddhist path.

About this title

Review:

"Master Sheng-Yen has written another inspiring introduction to the Chan buddhist tradition in China, more familiar to Americans as Zen, its incarnation in Japan.... Aided by a masterful introduction by well-known scholar Dan Stevenson, this book brings introductory books on Chan/Zen to a new level of sophistication, accuracy and relevance to both the more advanced and the novice American practitioner."--Publishers Weekly "In this illuminating treatise readers will discover a Chan practice that is marvelously alive.... A very special book; highly recommended."--Library Journal

About the Author:

Master Sheng-yen is an expatriate monk from mainland China who has been teaching in Taiwan and the United States for over two decades. He is the author of numerous popular and academic works and leads Dharma Drum Mountain, one of the three largest organizations in Taiwan.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press USA
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0195152484
• ISBN 13: 9780195152487
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256