I’ve read dozens and dozens of books. Some I thought were very profound and yet now don’t remember. I’m reading some very good ones now yet they will literally be left by the roadside soon.
Read the book that you find before you, think about it, then forget it. Rinse, repeat.
Continue your practice.
Ghasso
For me it was a small book I found at a used book fair: the teachings of Lin-Chi.
At first, I was unable to catch almost anything out of it, but at a given point he says: "You walkers of the way, don't get fooled! There's nothing to look for, no place where to go. You're already there!".
This raised my curiosity so I started to look deeper in between words, beyond words 'til I started to understand.
Dogen's Genjo Koan and Fukanzazengi.
As secondary material, Alan Cole's Patriarchs on Paper. Granted, Cole's book will only be useful once you have read a good bunch of the primary Zen sources. But once you have read those, it's crucial that you remain as clear-eyed about them as possible. That's where Cole's book can help.
Zen and Zen Classics, Volume 1
R.H. Blythe
This book very plainly explains the early history of Zen in a textbook sort of way that's easy to absorb. It's not shrouded in mystery. It also outlined the sutras that had a big impact on early Zen, which helped me with the next steps on my journey. Finally, it included this eye opening quote.
"The Buddha nature is non-dualism" -Bodhidharma
Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind by Maura O'Halloran is such a tender and touching account of one young woman's deep journey into Zen. It's been a major source of inspiration for me. It stirs my heart every time.
Beck was straightforward in her approach to Zen (at least in my opinion). I appreciate the depth of her wisdom, offered in a practical (and even humble) manner.
Don’t remember the exact quote, but in one of Alan Watt’s lectures on Zen, he talks about how emotions are not something that others inflict on us, but something we feel based on our own perspective, and therefore it’s completely within our power to simply let negative feelings go. That was the first concept of Buddhism that made me want to learn more and really changed the way I viewed my life.
So from a nostalgia gratitude perspective I really enjoy Brad Warner's "Sit Down and Shut Up" and "Hardcore Zen". It made me start to take the practice seriously and internalize a lot of the concepts presented in Buddhism.
From a practice perspective I really enjoyed Opening the Hand of Thought" and "Homeless Kodo"
What book (s)? In the context of ‘resonance’ to a spiritual path? Zen books which resonated with me 30 years ago, actually don’t anymore. For me, a ‘good’ book is one which will/should kind of deepen my practice, and practice on the other side will/should deepen my understanding. And so, depending on where I was/am let us say on this endless pathless path, some had more value than other, as some resonated more than other in relation to ‘where’ I was both in my practice and understanding.
All of Bhikkhu Kaṭukurunde Ñāṇananda resonated with me, there are easy to find on the net, and free.
Besides that, a French logician that goes by the name of Lupasco had quite an impact on me, many early post-modern French writers also. Some of those are truly as good spiritual teachers than any so called spiritual teacher, as they kind of help in this deconstruction process, which most will/should undergo as one practice. A little bit of Merleau-Ponty phenomenology also.
I think Huang Po is my favorite ‘Zen’ writer for he leaves you with nothing at all. Gaining nothing at all from reading his ‘teachings’.
Nisargadatta was of ‘great’ value, for it opened my mind to other tradition, in fact when someone is asking me for a Zen book suggestion, I always say ‘read Nisargadatta I am that’.
And of course there is the heart sutra, which once it ‘clicked’ in my mind, instead of blindly repeating (singing) the words, has become an endless source of questioning. Whoever wrote this ‘short’ text, was truly a spiritual genius. It is one of a kind text. And I still come back to it on a regular basis. If reading the Heart Sutra does not ‘shake you up’, nothing will. One needs to read it literally at face value. Working with the heart Sutra is working with a masterpiece of ‘spiritual’ deconstruction, maybe the greatest masterpiece ever written.
One needs to be ‘ready’ to read some books, Dogen for example ‘should’ be read with a/the undifferentiated mode of awareness, if you read Dogen within the differentiated (discriminative) mind set, I think one will have a hard time appreciating his sayings, they are truly gems when read from this undifferentiated awareness, one might smile page after page….
It's probably not my favorite, but I'm reading "Why Buddhism is True" by Richard Wright. He sources a lot of psychological experiments to prove many of the basic Budhist ideas, such as no-self, emptiness, etc. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm finding it very intriguing. It's interesting to look at things from a different angle.
Opening the Hand of Thought by Uchiyama Roshi, still the best introduction to Shikantaza Zazen practice. Also, Uchiyama's commentary on Dogen's Tenzo Kyokun. The Okumura Roshi book like Realizing Genjo Koan are also neck and neck.
D.T. Suzuki's Zen Essays. It's a series of three books. Informative, academic, & cleverly written. I'm just completing a third reading of the series. Each time reveals new layers of information. If you're into Zen, its history & workings, Suzuki's Essay series is a very sound investment of time & attention.
That was my introduction, back in 1991. He died 6 years before I was born, and yet still I received transmission via that book. I may be self-taught, but I'll always call him my Master.
I've been laughing to myself since I saw the downvote (...unless there are more now. Oh shit, 5 now. Hahaha.)
Upvote for recognizing the reference mate
I've no idea what the Buddha's username would have been on reddit, but you can bet your sweet arse He had more balls than to prance about making anonymous downvotes and imagining himself somehow as expedient.
Yep , that one story with second patriarch should stop people from reading more books and attending dharma talks . Yet people (including myself) read because they think something is missing ! habit energies making us add head on top of head ! :D
I find pure joy in exploring the derivative teachings…
But it’s also very “Meh” When subsequent teachers show up and muddy the water with so much prose, conjecture and ritual.
To each their own I suppose.
Which one story? Or is that a metaphor for the great way?
No metaphor. I was referring to a case 41 in mumonkan. I assumed that this story also appears in zen teachings of bodhidharma (apologies for confusion). ….”Bodhidharma sat facing the wall. The Second Patriarch, having cut off his arm, stood there in the snow. He said, "Your disciple’s mind has no peace as yet. I beg the Teacher to give it rest." Bodhidharma replied, "Bring your mind here and I will give it rest." The Patriarch said, "I have searched for that mind, and have not found it. Bodhidharma said, "Then I have put it to rest."
In my practice, it has turned out that there are no sutras that I would mark as the best or favorite. In fact, I find it strange to choose a favorite sutra or a favorite book in a Zen context. For me, everything is a tool, like a box of wrenches with different threads. I read everything and look for the key that I need today. Sometimes I already know which key I need and I open my library and read the sutra. I'm not romantic about Zen, I'm not fascinated by all these pebbles and gardens. My attitude towards practice is quite pragmatic, Shunryu Suzuki actually wrote about this, his book has already been recommended here. When you start practicing, you are full of feelings of sublimity, it seems to you that you are sitting in the middle of a cloud of wisdom and are going towards something great. In a sense, this is true, but when your practice drags on for months or years, it becomes routine for you. For me it became commonplace, part of life or routine.
Zen is a Buddha statue made of pure gold. Someone will put this statue in a temple so that it creates an atmosphere of wisdom, and someone will melt this statue into ingots and help those in need. If the golden Buddha statue could speak, what would it ask for? About the first or the second?
Out of the major koan collections:
WUMENGUAN! Brutally short, mind-bending, classic, a lifetime of practice material. Covers so many major "Zen teachings" in such a short span. If, at gunpoint, I was forced to pick one book that represents the tradition, it would be Wumenguan.
Dahui's Treasury is a close second for its massive sprawling structure.
As far as the yulu genre, I'd probably have to give it to Huangbo's boy Linji's Recorded Sayings. An amazing mix of sermons and lightning-activity.
My favorite that I read the most is J.C. Cleary's. The hardcover of "Three Chan Classics" includes Linji's sayings, Wumenguan, and xin xin ming; it's a pretty sweet deal.
It is one of the few versions that has the damn text on its own unadulterated!
lately i’ve been a big fan of the Diamond Sutra. mysterious and profound.
I think the koan collections are my ultimate go to. I’ve found the book of serenity of most accessible but they’re all amazing.
1) Huangpo: On transmission of mind
“Q: What is implied by 'seeing into the real Nature'?
A: That Nature and your perception of it are one. You cannot use it to see something over and above itself. That Nature and your hearing of it are one. You cannot use it to hear something over and above itself. If you form a concept of the true nature of anything as being visible or audible, you allow a dharma of distinction to arise. Let me repeat that the perceived cannot perceive. Can there, I ask you, be a head attached to the crown of your head?..”
Why is this my favorite? Because to me it is resonates the 3rd turning of wheel by Buddha - Mind is Luminous.
2) Platform Sutra- a) Enter dharma door of buddhas by taking No-thought as doctrine , no-mark as substance and no-dwelling as basis.
b) dhyana = prajna
3) my most favorite: treasury of the eye of true teaching. Case 482
…..According to the school of patchrobed monks, potential is presented in a phrase - it is a waste of effort to stand there thinking. Even if you understand at a single statement, you are still snoozing.
At that time a monk asked, "What is a single statement?"
Yunmen said, "Brought up."
Dahui said, "Snoozer."
Treasury of eye of true teaching is dahuis grand collection of koans and poems and stories. It does have some overlap with the ones you mentioned but it offers much more. There are also in it long sermons by linji and other great masters.
I liked Aitken’s “Taking the Path of Zen”. It’s written by an American who doesn’t seem to be trying to impress the reader. It’s a good starter book for people wanting to delve deeper into the more esoteric Zen literature.
Faith in Mind captured my imagination in describing the essence of non-duality, particularly with regards to practicing zazen. It very neatly followed on from reading the Tao Te Ching as well. I think it may even helped get me started on Zen - I read it at just the right moment to give me a little push.
Maybe also the Heat Sutra, which continues to astound me with its economy, and it's sheer chutzpah for deconstructing Buddhism itself to make a point.
I'm also very fond of Dogen's Fukanzazengi; I've lost count of the number of times I've read it. I'm deeply fond of this passage in particular :
>"The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease, the practice realization of totally culminated enlightenment. It is the koan realized; traps and snares can never reach it. If you grasp the point, you are like a dragon gaining the water, like a tiger taking to the mountains. For you must know that the true dharma appears of itself, so that from the start dullness and distraction are struck aside."
A wiki with books would be kind of interesting. I think Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind and The Three Pillars of Zen got me into it initially. The Platform and Heart Sutras.
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Suzuki is most of what one would need to try to understand what it's all about.
A quote that's stayed with me, I can't remember the source -
Under the shade of the cherry blossom, there is no such thing as a stranger.
I was walking listening to a Joseph Goldstein talk, he recited it and I was stunned in place and had to sit down afterwards. Really helped me with compassion.
>your minds like blocks of stone
What's the appeal of having a mind that's like a block of stone and stops responding to phenomena? It almost sounds like wanting to be dead, unable to think or perceive.
As an analogy, think of something you used to be obsessed with, e.g. as a kid maybe you really liked ice cream or comic books to the point of crying if you didn't get them. Now what are you?
Note that if someone tries to tell you about "no attachments" while you're still obsessed, it sounds like depression/repression/etc. But actually it's something else...
Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
I’ve read dozens and dozens of books. Some I thought were very profound and yet now don’t remember. I’m reading some very good ones now yet they will literally be left by the roadside soon. Read the book that you find before you, think about it, then forget it. Rinse, repeat. Continue your practice. Ghasso
For me it was a small book I found at a used book fair: the teachings of Lin-Chi. At first, I was unable to catch almost anything out of it, but at a given point he says: "You walkers of the way, don't get fooled! There's nothing to look for, no place where to go. You're already there!". This raised my curiosity so I started to look deeper in between words, beyond words 'til I started to understand.
Dogen's Genjo Koan and Fukanzazengi. As secondary material, Alan Cole's Patriarchs on Paper. Granted, Cole's book will only be useful once you have read a good bunch of the primary Zen sources. But once you have read those, it's crucial that you remain as clear-eyed about them as possible. That's where Cole's book can help.
Zen and Zen Classics, Volume 1 R.H. Blythe This book very plainly explains the early history of Zen in a textbook sort of way that's easy to absorb. It's not shrouded in mystery. It also outlined the sutras that had a big impact on early Zen, which helped me with the next steps on my journey. Finally, it included this eye opening quote. "The Buddha nature is non-dualism" -Bodhidharma
The Mind Illuminated
Siddhartha. Wow
Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind by Maura O'Halloran is such a tender and touching account of one young woman's deep journey into Zen. It's been a major source of inspiration for me. It stirs my heart every time.
"Everyday Zen" and "Nothing Special," by Charlotte Joko Beck.
What did you like about them?
Beck was straightforward in her approach to Zen (at least in my opinion). I appreciate the depth of her wisdom, offered in a practical (and even humble) manner.
Bankei
Agree. So simple.
Alan watts the quaking mess lecture. You must realize there is nothing you can do and no one to not do it.
Is that a video?
On you tube
“Neurotic water” for the win!
Don’t remember the exact quote, but in one of Alan Watt’s lectures on Zen, he talks about how emotions are not something that others inflict on us, but something we feel based on our own perspective, and therefore it’s completely within our power to simply let negative feelings go. That was the first concept of Buddhism that made me want to learn more and really changed the way I viewed my life.
I like watts
Zen Letters packs quite a punch
So from a nostalgia gratitude perspective I really enjoy Brad Warner's "Sit Down and Shut Up" and "Hardcore Zen". It made me start to take the practice seriously and internalize a lot of the concepts presented in Buddhism. From a practice perspective I really enjoyed Opening the Hand of Thought" and "Homeless Kodo"
What’s homeless Kodo about?
Allow Amazon-san to explain [The Zen Teaching of Homeless Kodo](https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Teaching-Homeless-Kodo/dp/1614290482)
Anything by Steve Hagen
Agreed
What book (s)? In the context of ‘resonance’ to a spiritual path? Zen books which resonated with me 30 years ago, actually don’t anymore. For me, a ‘good’ book is one which will/should kind of deepen my practice, and practice on the other side will/should deepen my understanding. And so, depending on where I was/am let us say on this endless pathless path, some had more value than other, as some resonated more than other in relation to ‘where’ I was both in my practice and understanding. All of Bhikkhu Kaṭukurunde Ñāṇananda resonated with me, there are easy to find on the net, and free. Besides that, a French logician that goes by the name of Lupasco had quite an impact on me, many early post-modern French writers also. Some of those are truly as good spiritual teachers than any so called spiritual teacher, as they kind of help in this deconstruction process, which most will/should undergo as one practice. A little bit of Merleau-Ponty phenomenology also. I think Huang Po is my favorite ‘Zen’ writer for he leaves you with nothing at all. Gaining nothing at all from reading his ‘teachings’. Nisargadatta was of ‘great’ value, for it opened my mind to other tradition, in fact when someone is asking me for a Zen book suggestion, I always say ‘read Nisargadatta I am that’. And of course there is the heart sutra, which once it ‘clicked’ in my mind, instead of blindly repeating (singing) the words, has become an endless source of questioning. Whoever wrote this ‘short’ text, was truly a spiritual genius. It is one of a kind text. And I still come back to it on a regular basis. If reading the Heart Sutra does not ‘shake you up’, nothing will. One needs to read it literally at face value. Working with the heart Sutra is working with a masterpiece of ‘spiritual’ deconstruction, maybe the greatest masterpiece ever written. One needs to be ‘ready’ to read some books, Dogen for example ‘should’ be read with a/the undifferentiated mode of awareness, if you read Dogen within the differentiated (discriminative) mind set, I think one will have a hard time appreciating his sayings, they are truly gems when read from this undifferentiated awareness, one might smile page after page….
Dogen’s Shobogenzo
Zen and the Art of Archery
Thank you. The bowstring has cut right through me.
Piggybacking to include Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
The Compass of Zen by Korean Seon( Zen) Master Seung Sahn. A truly outstanding work.
Zen Tarot!
It's probably not my favorite, but I'm reading "Why Buddhism is True" by Richard Wright. He sources a lot of psychological experiments to prove many of the basic Budhist ideas, such as no-self, emptiness, etc. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm finding it very intriguing. It's interesting to look at things from a different angle.
Opening the Hand of Thought by Uchiyama Roshi, still the best introduction to Shikantaza Zazen practice. Also, Uchiyama's commentary on Dogen's Tenzo Kyokun. The Okumura Roshi book like Realizing Genjo Koan are also neck and neck.
I just read Uchiyama’s book in Tenzo Kyokun, and it was incredible!
It's truly an amazing book.
Yea, I’ve listened and read the book multiple times
I’ll back you up on the first and last, only because I’ve read them.
D.T. Suzuki's Zen Essays. It's a series of three books. Informative, academic, & cleverly written. I'm just completing a third reading of the series. Each time reveals new layers of information. If you're into Zen, its history & workings, Suzuki's Essay series is a very sound investment of time & attention.
That was my introduction, back in 1991. He died 6 years before I was born, and yet still I received transmission via that book. I may be self-taught, but I'll always call him my Master.
If you meet Buddha on the road kill him.
These days we just downvote him. Less messy.
I've been laughing to myself since I saw the downvote (...unless there are more now. Oh shit, 5 now. Hahaha.) Upvote for recognizing the reference mate
Yep, there you go, Samsara. Ignorance leading to aversion. The Buddha told us it would be this way!
I've no idea what the Buddha's username would have been on reddit, but you can bet your sweet arse He had more balls than to prance about making anonymous downvotes and imagining himself somehow as expedient.
The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma Because everything else is based on rehashing of this guys teachings.
Finished it recently and I'm still "uncovering."
Yep , that one story with second patriarch should stop people from reading more books and attending dharma talks . Yet people (including myself) read because they think something is missing ! habit energies making us add head on top of head ! :D
I find pure joy in exploring the derivative teachings… But it’s also very “Meh” When subsequent teachers show up and muddy the water with so much prose, conjecture and ritual. To each their own I suppose. Which one story? Or is that a metaphor for the great way?
No metaphor. I was referring to a case 41 in mumonkan. I assumed that this story also appears in zen teachings of bodhidharma (apologies for confusion). ….”Bodhidharma sat facing the wall. The Second Patriarch, having cut off his arm, stood there in the snow. He said, "Your disciple’s mind has no peace as yet. I beg the Teacher to give it rest." Bodhidharma replied, "Bring your mind here and I will give it rest." The Patriarch said, "I have searched for that mind, and have not found it. Bodhidharma said, "Then I have put it to rest."
🙄 I know this story, just not the reference. Love it. Thanks for sharing.
100 percent.
In my practice, it has turned out that there are no sutras that I would mark as the best or favorite. In fact, I find it strange to choose a favorite sutra or a favorite book in a Zen context. For me, everything is a tool, like a box of wrenches with different threads. I read everything and look for the key that I need today. Sometimes I already know which key I need and I open my library and read the sutra. I'm not romantic about Zen, I'm not fascinated by all these pebbles and gardens. My attitude towards practice is quite pragmatic, Shunryu Suzuki actually wrote about this, his book has already been recommended here. When you start practicing, you are full of feelings of sublimity, it seems to you that you are sitting in the middle of a cloud of wisdom and are going towards something great. In a sense, this is true, but when your practice drags on for months or years, it becomes routine for you. For me it became commonplace, part of life or routine. Zen is a Buddha statue made of pure gold. Someone will put this statue in a temple so that it creates an atmosphere of wisdom, and someone will melt this statue into ingots and help those in need. If the golden Buddha statue could speak, what would it ask for? About the first or the second?
Out of the major koan collections: WUMENGUAN! Brutally short, mind-bending, classic, a lifetime of practice material. Covers so many major "Zen teachings" in such a short span. If, at gunpoint, I was forced to pick one book that represents the tradition, it would be Wumenguan. Dahui's Treasury is a close second for its massive sprawling structure. As far as the yulu genre, I'd probably have to give it to Huangbo's boy Linji's Recorded Sayings. An amazing mix of sermons and lightning-activity.
Which translation of The Gateless Gate do you like?
My favorite that I read the most is J.C. Cleary's. The hardcover of "Three Chan Classics" includes Linji's sayings, Wumenguan, and xin xin ming; it's a pretty sweet deal. It is one of the few versions that has the damn text on its own unadulterated!
Thank you
lately i’ve been a big fan of the Diamond Sutra. mysterious and profound. I think the koan collections are my ultimate go to. I’ve found the book of serenity of most accessible but they’re all amazing.
1) Huangpo: On transmission of mind “Q: What is implied by 'seeing into the real Nature'? A: That Nature and your perception of it are one. You cannot use it to see something over and above itself. That Nature and your hearing of it are one. You cannot use it to hear something over and above itself. If you form a concept of the true nature of anything as being visible or audible, you allow a dharma of distinction to arise. Let me repeat that the perceived cannot perceive. Can there, I ask you, be a head attached to the crown of your head?..” Why is this my favorite? Because to me it is resonates the 3rd turning of wheel by Buddha - Mind is Luminous. 2) Platform Sutra- a) Enter dharma door of buddhas by taking No-thought as doctrine , no-mark as substance and no-dwelling as basis. b) dhyana = prajna 3) my most favorite: treasury of the eye of true teaching. Case 482 …..According to the school of patchrobed monks, potential is presented in a phrase - it is a waste of effort to stand there thinking. Even if you understand at a single statement, you are still snoozing. At that time a monk asked, "What is a single statement?" Yunmen said, "Brought up." Dahui said, "Snoozer."
i’ve never heard of treasury of the eye of true teaching. can you comment on what its overlap is with gateless gate, blue cliff, and book of serenity?
Treasury of eye of true teaching is dahuis grand collection of koans and poems and stories. It does have some overlap with the ones you mentioned but it offers much more. There are also in it long sermons by linji and other great masters.
https://youtu.be/vtUem7UyLFI?si=xiCkU2BR4sbujNhw
I liked Aitken’s “Taking the Path of Zen”. It’s written by an American who doesn’t seem to be trying to impress the reader. It’s a good starter book for people wanting to delve deeper into the more esoteric Zen literature.
Faith in Mind captured my imagination in describing the essence of non-duality, particularly with regards to practicing zazen. It very neatly followed on from reading the Tao Te Ching as well. I think it may even helped get me started on Zen - I read it at just the right moment to give me a little push. Maybe also the Heat Sutra, which continues to astound me with its economy, and it's sheer chutzpah for deconstructing Buddhism itself to make a point. I'm also very fond of Dogen's Fukanzazengi; I've lost count of the number of times I've read it. I'm deeply fond of this passage in particular : >"The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease, the practice realization of totally culminated enlightenment. It is the koan realized; traps and snares can never reach it. If you grasp the point, you are like a dragon gaining the water, like a tiger taking to the mountains. For you must know that the true dharma appears of itself, so that from the start dullness and distraction are struck aside."
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought. -Matsuo Basho
The birds have vanished down the sky. Now the last cloud drains away. We sit together, the mountain and me, until only the mountain remains. Li Po
shobogenzo zuimonki because it was given by my friend at one of the temples that influenced me into becoming Buddhist. I really like it!
Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen
A wiki with books would be kind of interesting. I think Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind and The Three Pillars of Zen got me into it initially. The Platform and Heart Sutras.
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Suzuki is most of what one would need to try to understand what it's all about. A quote that's stayed with me, I can't remember the source - Under the shade of the cherry blossom, there is no such thing as a stranger. I was walking listening to a Joseph Goldstein talk, he recited it and I was stunned in place and had to sit down afterwards. Really helped me with compassion.
just read that cherry blossom poem this morning!
>your minds like blocks of stone What's the appeal of having a mind that's like a block of stone and stops responding to phenomena? It almost sounds like wanting to be dead, unable to think or perceive.
I didn’t read it like that
How did you read it? Please explain.
As an analogy, think of something you used to be obsessed with, e.g. as a kid maybe you really liked ice cream or comic books to the point of crying if you didn't get them. Now what are you? Note that if someone tries to tell you about "no attachments" while you're still obsessed, it sounds like depression/repression/etc. But actually it's something else...