Buddhism and Zen

Senzaki, Nyogen; McCandless, Ruth Strout

ISBN 10: 0865473153 / ISBN 13: 9780865473157

Published by North Point Press, 1988

Seller Inventory # BSM.YPOC

Synopsis:

This primer, first published in 1953 and long out of print, is a concise compendium of essential information for the seeker who wishes to explore Zen Buddhism.

Written for the neophyte who has no prior knowledge of the subject, Buddhism and Zen defines basic terms, translates key words, and answers the ten most frequently asked questions that are posed by Westerners interested in Zen Buddhism.

Much of the Western world's interest in Zen is based on our growing awareness that the literal, the pragmatic, and the rational, while useful, often fail to explain the phenomena of the emotions, the unconscious, and the subconscious. Insights gleaned from psychoanalysis and various other forms of therapy have better prepared us for noncognitive enlightenment and paradox and non sequitur--it is no longer an unthinkable step from "The first shall be last and the last shall be first" to "The way that can be described is not the true way" and "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" The Buddha said, "If you try to see me through my form, or if you try to hear me through my voice, you will never reach me and will remain forever a stranger to my teaching."

About the Authors:

Nyogen Senzaki, a colleague of Dr. D.T. Suzuki, was one of the first Zen masters to come from Japan to the United States. He is the author of Like a Dream, Like a Fantasy.

Ruth Strout McCandless was a student of Senzaki and his collaborator in translating a series of Buddhist texts over many years.

Robert Aitken (1917-2010) was Roshi of the Diamond Sangha in Honolulu and the author of Taking the Path of Zen and The Mind of Clover. His introduction to Zen came in a Japanese prison camp during World War II, after he was captured as a civilian in Guam. R. H. Blyth, author of Zen in English Literature, was imprisoned in the same camp, and in this unlikely setting Aitken began the first of several important apprenticeships. After the war Aitken returned often to Japan to study. He became friends with D. T. Suzuki, and studied with Nagakawa Soen Roshi and Yasutani Hakuun Roshi. In 1959 Robert Aitken and his wife, Anne, established a Zen organization, the Diamond Sangha. Aitken was given the title "Roshi" and authorized to teach by Yamada Koun Roshi in 1974.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Buddhism and Zen
Publisher: North Point Press
Publication Date: 1988
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: very_good