The highly influential book that helped bring Eastern spiritual principles to the Western world. One of the world’s leading authorities on Zen Buddhism, and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, D. T. Suzuki was the author of more than a hundred works on the subject in both Japanese and English, and was most instrumental in bringing the teachings of Zen Buddhism to the attention of the Western world. Written in a lively, accessible, and straightforward manner, An Introduction to Zen Buddhism is illuminating for the serious student and layperson alike. Suzuki provides a complete vision of Zen, which emphasizes self-understanding and enlightenment through many systems of philosophy, psychology, and ethics. With a foreword by the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Carl Jung, this volume has been acknowledged a classic introduction to the subject. It provides, along with Suzuki’s Essays in Zen Buddhism and Manual of Zen Buddhism, a framework for living a balanced and fulfilled existence through Zen.

Illustrations: 16 B/w Illustrations Description: This book is of a historical Nature and is intended to give readers a faithful Account of the historical development of Zen Buddhism. However Zen is not merely of historical interest; it has Importance for the present day. History reveals the form and leads to the essence of things. In historical Research we are guided by the Things themselves, and we try to comprehend their response and their teaching. The object of the book is to put the reader into a close contact with Zen as possible to elucidate its inner form from History and make its living Values apparent. Contents Preface I. THE MYSTICAL ELEMENT IN EARLY Buddhism AND HIHAYANA : 1. Buddhism and Mysticism 2. Shakyamuni, the Enlightened One 3. Hinayanist Meditative Exercises 4. Nirvana as the God of the Mystic Way II. Mysticism WITHIN Mahayana : 1. Perception of Life and Mysticism 2. The Beginnings of Mahayana 3. The Bodhisattva Ideal 4. Buddhoiogy and Nirvana III. THE MAHAYANA SUTRAS AND Zen : 1. The Position of Zen in Intellectual History 2. Prajnaparamita - Transcendental Wisdom 3. Religious Cosmotheism in the Avatamsaka Sutras 4. The Vimalikirti Sutra - The Way of Enlightenment for All 5. The Psychological View of the Process of Enlightenment in the Lankavatara Sutra IV. THE ANTICIPATION OF ZEN IN Chinese BUDDHISM : 1. The Historical Understanding of Zen 2. The Introduction of Buddhist Meditation into China 3. Kumarajiva and Buddhabhadra 4. Wisdom Not Being Knowledge 5. The Suddenness of Enlightenment V. ZEN PATRIARCHS OF THE EARLY PERIOD : 1. Bodhidharma 2. Disciples and Followers 3. Schisms and Oppositions VI. THE HIGH PERIOD OF CHINESE ZEN : 1. The Sixth Patriarch 2. To See into One's Nature and Become a Buddha 3. Zen Masters of the T'ang Period 4. The Monastic Life VII. PECULIARITIES OF THE FIVE HOUSES : 1. The Circular Figures (Wei-yang Sect) 2. The Pass of a Single Word (Yiin-men Sect) 3. The Interpenetration of the Attributes of Being (Fa-yen Sect) 4. The Five Ranks (Ts'ao-tung Sect) 5. Shouting and Beating (Lin-chi Sect) VIII. SPREAD AND METHODOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT DUNNG THE SUNG PERIOD : 1. Zen and the Spirit of the Age 2. The Rise of the Koan in the Lin-chi Sect 3. The Psychological Structure of the Koan 4. The Two Main Streams of Zen IX. THE TRANSPLANTING OF ZEN TO Japan : 1. Preliminary Developments 2. Eisai 3. The Flowering of Rinzai Zen in the Kamakura Period X. THE ZEN MASTER DOGEN : 1. His Life and Work 2. Zazen 3. Religious Metaphysics XI. THE Cultural INFLUENCE OF ZEN IN THE MUROMACHI PERIOD : 1. The Spread of Zen Under the Rule of the Ashikaga 2. Approaches to the People 3. The Unfolding in Japanese Culture XII. THE FIRST ENCOUNTER BETWEEN ZEN AND Christianity : 1. Friendly and Hostile Contacts 2. Doctrinal Disputes 3. Cultural Adaptations and Influences 4. The Christian Daimyo and the Way of Tea XIII. ZEN IN THE MODERN JAPANESE AGE : 1. The Obaku Sect 2. Renewal of Zen 3. Basho and Zen's Love of Nature XIV. THE ZEN MYSTICISM OF HAKUIN : 1. Life and Work 2. Mystical Experiences 3. The Great Doubt and the Great Enlightenment 4. Zen Sickness 5. Personality and the Japanese Character XV. THE ESSENCE OF ZEN : 1. History and Form 2. The Experience of Satori 3. The Psychological Interpretation of Satori 4. Natural Mysticism

Buddhism and psychedelic experimentation share a common concern: the liberation of the mind. Zig Zag Zen launches the first serious inquiry into the moral, ethical, doctrinal, and transcendental considerations created by the intersection of Buddhism and psychedelics. With a foreword by renowned Buddhist scholar Stephen Batchelor and a preface by historian of religion Huston Smith, along with numerous essays and interviews, Zig Zag Zen is a provocative and thoughtful exploration of altered states of consciousness and the potential for transformation. Accompanying each essay is a work of visionary art selected by artist Alex Grey, such as a vividly graphic work by Robert Venosa, a contemporary thangka painting by Robert Beer, and an exercise in emptiness in the form of an enso by a 17th-century Zen abbot. Packed with enlightening entries and art that lie outside the scope of mainstream anthologies, Zig Zag Zen offers eye-opening insights into alternate methods of inner exploration.

Zen is the essence and value of life, that which makes life worth living. Being that which uses and discards all forms, whether of thought, words or material substance, it cannot be described in material form. Yet to get it across some form is necessary, and in this book which is not merely about Zen but which attempts to transfer the life of Zen to the receptive reader, a style must be devised for the occasion.

This book is the first to engage Zen Buddhism philosophically on crucial issues from a perspective that is informed by the traditions of western philosophy and religion. It focuses on one renowned Zen master, Huang Po, whose recorded sayings exemplify the spirit of the 'golden age' of Zen in medieval China, and on the transmission of these writings to the West. The author makes a bold attempt to articulate a post-romantic understanding of Zen applicable to contemporary world culture. While deeply sympathetic to the Zen tradition, he raises serious questions about the kinds of claims that can be made on its behalf.

For over thirty years, Opening the Hand of Thought has offered an introduction to Zen Buddhism and meditation unmatched in clarity and power. This is the revised edition of Kosho Uchiyama's singularly incisive classic. This new edition contains even more useful material: new prefaces, an index, and extended endnotes, in addition to a revised glossary. As Jisho Warner writes in her preface, Opening the Hand of Thought "goes directly to the heart of Zen practice... showing how Zen Buddhism can be a deep and life-sustaining activity." She goes on to say, "Uchiyama looks at what a person is, what a self is, how to develop a true self not separate from all things, one that can settle in peace in the midst of life." By turns humorous, philosophical, and personal, Opening the Hand of Thought is above all a great book for the Buddhist practitioner. It's a perfect follow-up for the reader who has read Zen Meditation in Plain English and is especially useful for those who have not yet encountered a Zen teacher.

The perfect gift for fans of The Big Lebowski, Jeff Bridges's "The Dude", and anyone who could use more Zen in their lives. Zen Master Bernie Glassman compares Jeff Bridges’s iconic role in The Big Lebowski to a Lamed-Vavnik: one of the men in Jewish mysticism who are “simple and unassuming,” and “so good that on account of them God lets the world go on.” Jeff puts it another way. “The wonderful thing about the Dude is that he’d always rather hug it out than slug it out.” For more than a decade, Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges and his Buddhist teacher, renowned Roshi Bernie Glassman, have been close friends. Inspiring and often hilarious, The Dude and the Zen Master captures their freewheeling dialogue and remarkable humanism in a book that reminds us of the importance of doing good in a difficult world.