roderic@vicom.com (Roderic Taylor) (03/19/90)
Tom Simmonds (simmonds@demon.siemens.com) writes: =I have done extensive reading on the topic of Zen. Here is a list of some =of my favorite books on zen. All are/were available in paperback. I would like to add my favorite Zen book to the list: Bankei Zen: Translations from the record of Bankei --by Peter Haskel Bankei is unique among the zen masters of old in that he regularly preached to large crowds of ordinary people (as opposed to monks in monasteries). As a result, his writings are relatively approachable for someone who knows nothing of zen or Buddhism. --Roderic T ------------------------------ | All the Buddhas | and all sentient beings | are nothing but the One Mind, | beside which nothing exists. --from the Zen Teachings of Huang Po
AWHJ@VAX5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU (Tom Fredericks) (10/16/90)
I'm looking for a really good book on Zen. There are scores of them out there. Can anyone recommend an outstanding Zen book? - Tom Fredericks Ithaca, New York
tilley@cs.rochester.edu (Dave Tilley) (10/17/90)
In article <1990Oct16.053102.5066@nas.nasa.gov> AWHJ@VAX5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU (Tom Fredericks) writes: > > I'm looking for a really good book on Zen. There are scores of them out >there. Can anyone recommend an outstanding Zen book? > > - Tom Fredericks > Ithaca, New York Gosh there ARE so many aren't there. So here are some: BY THICH NHAT HAHN -------------------- Being Peace The Sun My Heart The Miracle of Mindfullness Zen And The Art Of Motercycle Mantenance (sp?) - Robert Persig Nine Headed Dragon River - Peter Mathessin (sp?) Mind of Clover - Robert Aitkin A Second Zen Reader - Leggit BY D.T. Suzuki --------------- Zen and Japanese Culture Essays on Zen Budhism A Zen Manual Zen Awakening Cloud Hidden Whereabouts Unknown (and many other books) - Alan Watts That should do ya for starters. Lots more where that came from. Also Check out Roshi Phillip Kapleau (sp?) From Rochester NY. Three Pillars of Zen Zen; Dawn In The West The Wheel of Life and Death Each Life Is Precious (I think thats the name, about vegitarianism) Dave Tilley -- +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Dave Tilley cs.rochester.edu
david@star2.cm.utexas.edu (David Sigeti) (10/17/90)
In article <1990Oct16.053102.5066@nas.nasa.gov>, AWHJ@VAX5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU (Tom Fredericks) writes: I'm looking for a really good book on Zen. There are scores of them out there. Can anyone recommend an outstanding Zen book? - Tom Fredericks Ithaca, New York I recommend "The Iron Cow of Zen" by Albert Low. It's a serious (and partially successful, I think) attempt to get at the *human* meaning of the classic koans. Quite surprising for people who have been led to believe that the koans are somehow supposed to be mind-boggling nonesense. Don't worry, it doesn't "answer" the koans for you---you can still do zazen on them. -- David Sigeti david@star2.cm.utexas.edu cmhl265@hermes.chpc.utexas.edu
ramanath@unix.cis.pitt.edu (J Ramanathan) (10/17/90)
AWHJ@VAX5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU (Tom Fredericks) writes: > > I'm looking for a really good book on Zen. There are scores of them out >there. Can anyone recommend an outstanding Zen book? I've always enjoyed reading books by Rajneesh (yep, the much-maligned "Bhagwan"), so I'll recommend any book by him on the topic. In particular, I'd suggest the following books: 1. Zen: The Path of Paradox (this is a 3-volume set) 2. This Very Body the Buddha: Hakuin's Song of Meditation There are tons more, but these will be enough for a start. I've found his style of presentation so refreshingly enjoyable. Please note that almost all his books are based on discourses he gave, so tend to be pretty informal in format. -jayaram -- Jayaram Ramanathan ramanath@unix.cis.pitt.edu Graduate School of Business / University of Pittsburgh / Pittsburgh / U.S.A.
mayne@vsserv.scri.fsu.edu (William (Bill) Mayne) (10/18/90)
In article <1990Oct17.041532.27945@nas.nasa.gov> tilley@cs.rochester.edu (Dave Tilley) writes: [several book recommendations omitted] >Also Check out Roshi Phillip Kapleau (sp?) From Rochester NY. >Three Pillars of Zen >Zen; Dawn In The West >The Wheel of Life and Death >Each Life Is Precious (I think thats the name, about vegitarianism) >Dave Tilley The actual title of the last one, about vegetarianism, is actually "To Cherish All Life". This is taken from Kapleau's version of the precepts (from "Zen: Dawn in the West", I think). In his version he adds a positive aspect to the traditional prohibition for each precept. Thus the first precept becomes "Not to kill, but to cherish all life." It is a good book, though as Dave Tilley says it is about vegetarianism, with emphasis on the moral considerations from a Buddhist perspective. It has relatively little about Zen per se. Also worth reading, and I think not on Dave's list, is "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by S. Suzuki. Bill Mayne Florida State University mayne@nu.cs.fsu.edu
courtney@inmet.inmet.com (10/18/90)
I am no expert in Zen but people I respect a lot have told me that the book "Zen mind Beginners Mind" by Suzuki Roshi is considered a classic.
dgross@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Dave Gross) (10/21/90)
There's also "Zen Flesh; Zen Bones" (I forget the author) that is short on analysis, but has enough "zenny" anecdotes to make your mind roll. Also, to see where it all began, you can look for "The Sixth Patriarch's Sutra," which for several people, was the "last straw" that made them decide on Buddhism. -- <^><v><^><v><^><v><^><v>- dgross@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU -<v><^><v><^><v><^><v><^> The Buddhadharma is subtle, wonderful and difficult to measure. All words and phrases cannot come up to it... What he practices is fearlessness, apart from the path or words -- {Avatamsaka Sutra}
tilley@cs.rochester.edu (Dave Tilley) (10/21/90)
In article <1990Oct18.061252.19494@nas.nasa.gov> mayne@vsserv.scri.fsu.edu (William (Bill) Mayne) writes: > >In article <1990Oct17.041532.27945@nas.nasa.gov> tilley@cs.rochester.edu (Dave Tilley) writes: >[several book recommendations omitted] >>Also Check out Roshi Phillip Kapleau (sp?) From Rochester NY. >>Three Pillars of Zen >>Zen; Dawn In The West >>The Wheel of Life and Death >>Each Life Is Precious (I think thats the name, about vegitarianism) >>Dave Tilley > >The actual title of the last one, about vegetarianism, is actually >"To Cherish All Life". This is taken from Kapleau's version of the >precepts (from "Zen: Dawn in the West", I think). In his version >he adds a positive aspect to the traditional prohibition for each >precept. Thus the first precept becomes "Not to kill, but to cherish >all life." > >It is a good book, though as Dave Tilley says it is about vegetarianism, >with emphasis on the moral considerations from a Buddhist perspective. >It has relatively little about Zen per se. > >Also worth reading, and I think not on Dave's list, is "Zen Mind, >Beginner's Mind" by S. Suzuki. > >Bill Mayne >Florida State University >mayne@nu.cs.fsu.edu Ah yes! "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind", is a very nice book as well. The list of books goes on and on. This was one of my first books about Zen. This week I read "The Unfettered Mind". It is a translation of 3 letters from a Zen Master (Takuan Soho) to a Sward Master (Miyamoto Musashi). Great Book (Trans. William Scott Wilson, Pub. Kodansha International) ISBN 0-87011-851-X Dave -- +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Dave Tilley cs.rochester.edu
dadler@milton.u.washington.edu (David Adler) (10/22/90)
One of my favorites: "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" Compiled by Paul Reps, with Nyogen Senzaki Doubleday Anchor Book This one was so tasty that one of my dogs chewed on its corner.
gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us (Gary S. Trujillo) (10/24/90)
In article <1990Oct16.053102.5066@nas.nasa.gov>, AWHJ@VAX5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU (Tom Fredericks) writes: > I'm looking for a really good book on Zen. There are scores of them out > there. Can anyone recommend an outstanding Zen book? A few days ago I received a new catalogue in the mail from North Point Press. It advertises "Savings from 10% to 75% on Selected Titles in Zen Buddhism and Asian Literature in Translation." Readers of this newsgroup might care to write for a copy of the sale catalogue: North Point Press 850 Talbot Avenue Berkeley, CA 94706 There's a phone number listed for "purchasing premiums or bulk quantities:" 415-527-6260. The "Special Offer" sale runs through 30 November. All North Point books are printed on acid-free paper and have sewn bindings. I have no association with this company, and had not even been aware of their existence prior to receiving this item in the mail. -- Gary S. Trujillo gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us Somerville, Massachusetts {wjh12,bu.edu,spdcc,ima,cdp}!gnosys!gst