ED, You certainly don't need an entire book to represent the essence of zen. You don't even need a chapter. It has been very completely represented in one word: 'Mu!'; and better yet with no words: 'Gutei smiled and held up his finger.'
The essense of zen is very, very simple. Any koan reveals that to you. The problem is that zen is SO SIMPLE that most people just won't accept that naked fact. They go on and on and on and on about just what zen is and about what a certain koan means,etc... ...BIll! --- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote: > > ED, > > Wouldn't it be great to find a book on Zen "dumbed down" enough for readers > to > be enlightened in just one sentence! Unfortunately, the opposite is the > usually > the case. To be honest tho, I've no complaints about the book so far > especially > as I'm not reading the book to 'get to know' Hakuin in any way. What I do > like > about the book tho is that it gives us Hakuin's own text only later > followed by > Low's commentary, therefore allowing us to skip the commentary if we want. > I'll > finish it a couple of days if you'd like my own opinion. > > Mike > > > > ________________________________ > From: ED <seacrofter001@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Mon, 28 March, 2011 12:25:04 > Subject: Re: [Zen] Hakuin's Zen > >  > > Mike, > Thanks. I was considering a purchase too earlier today until I noticed this > paragraph below in one of the Amazon reviews of the book. > "In all fairness, of course, Low accomplishes what he explicitly sets out to > do > here and speaks clearly to his intended audience, but somehow in the process > Hakuin seems to be getting Americanized and dumbed down and ultimately lost > in > the shuffle. Still, I would highly recommend this book to today's serious > Anglophone Zen practitioner if only for the excellent advice and insight Low > offers, but for getting to know Hakuin himself far better books are out there > (such as Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin) that more skillfully ply > the > middle path between inspirational and educational." > --ED >  > --- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@> wrote: > > > > ED, > > > > 'Hakuin on Kensho' edited with commentary by Albert Low. > > > > Mike >  > > Mike, > > Which book about Hakuin are you currently reading? > > --ED > >  > > > ED, > > > > > > I'm reading a book right now about Hakuin and his focus on the kensho > > > experience. Certainly makes sense to me. It could also be argued, > > > however, > >that > > > > > > > > for some people that relentless pursuit of kensho pushes them ever > > > further > >from > > > > > > > > it. I also notice that D. T. Suzuki was of the same mind as Hakuin: > > > > > > According to D. T. Suzuki, "Satori is the raison d'etre of Zen, without > > > which > > > > > > > Zen is no Zen. Therefore every contrivance, disciplinary and doctrinal, > > > is > > > directed towards satori." (Wiki search for 'satori'). > > > > > > Mike > > > > ED posted: > > > > "For Hakuin, what was most important was the breakthrough *kensho* > > >experience, reached after years of rigorous meditation practice; apart > > >from > > >*kensho*, the words and ideas of Zen are worthless and meaningless. > > Hakuin's Zen represents a level of authenticity consonant with the height > > of > > Zen in the T'ang Dynasty." > > > > > "It is a Zen that focuses on the central matter relentlessly, and has > > >absolutely no use for anything that serves to distract from this." > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
