| Title | : | Essays in Zen Buddhism, First Series |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0802151183 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780802151186 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 388 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1925 |
Essays in Zen Buddhism, First Series Reviews
-
Essays in Zen Buddhism by D. T. Suzuki
This book was first published in 1949. But then, what is time?
I am a curious person, that is why reading appeals to me so much. I also am curious about different belief systems that people have created to sustain their need for answers. I can attest that this book completely satisfied my curiosity about Zen Buddhism. If you want a rich, thorough, interesting and well-written account of Zen Buddhism I strongly recommend this book. Not only does Prof. Suzuki provide a detailed history of the development of Zen Buddhism - from Buddhism’s arrival in China until the modern times - he relates it using anecdotes and teachings from the various “masters” as it developed.
Beyond the historical interest in the book I came away feeling that, inasmuch as it is possible, the author helped me understand the foundation of the spiritual thought that underlies Zen Buddhism. Of course, my capacity to understand this is severely limited, because according to Prof. Suzuki: “While without language we may fare worse at least in our practical life, we must guard ourselves most deliberately against our trusting it too much beyond its legitimate office. The Sutra gives the main reason for this, which is that language is the product of causal dependence subject to change, unsteady, mutually conditioned, and based on false judgement as to the true nature of consciousness. For this reason language cannot reveal to us the ultimate signification of things.” (p. 72) So naturally I am limited in my ability to truly explain what I read.
To state it a little less “tongue in cheek,” I did come away feeling like I at least knew more about what it took to attain the ultimate level of spirituality. I also realized that reaching that level required a great deal of sacrifice. Since Zen doesn’t fall within my belief system it is not likely I’ll be taking that route - but the book was enlightening in that regard (no pun intended). For instance, I felt that when Prof. Suzuki rendered this quote from a Zen master, I had a good grasp on the idea of what devotees of this sect of Buddhism were aiming for: “My master had no special instruction to give; he simply insisted upon the need of our seeing into our own nature through our own efforts; he had nothing to do with meditation, or with deliverance. For whatever can be named leads to dualism, and Buddhism is not dualistic. To take hold of this non-duality of truth is the aim of Zen. The nature of which we are all in possession, and seeing into which constitutes Zen, is indivisible into such oppositions as good and evil, eternal and temporal, material and spiritual. To see dualism in life is due to the confusion of thought; the wise, the enlightened, see into the reality of things unhampered by erroneous ideas.” (p. 212) I do endorse making the effort to see into one’s own nature through one’s own efforts. If that happens to lead you to the non-dualistic way of thinking and you find happiness (which I guess is also dualistic) then more power to you. I confess to being a bit stuck because, as much as I would like for it to be true, no matter how enlightened I am personally, the weapons manufacturers are still out their eating caviar on their yacht, washed in the gore of millions - so I, perhaps to my ultimate demise, cannot relate to the non-duality concept. I’m stuck in my illusion of reality - I suppose. But I digress.
I did find some thoughts and one poem from the book delightful and thought provoking. I fell back to a realization that the language of poets is another means of trying to pry some meaning out of life, thought, emotion and human relations. So, in this way, I could relate to aspects of the life of a Zen philosopher and the learning Prof. Suzuki brought forth. Here is a sample of a few that appealed to me:
“As rainwater that has fallen on a mountain ridge runs down on all sides, thus does he who sees a difference between qualities run after them on all sides. As pure water poured into pure water remains the same,...., thus is the self of a thinker who knows.” (p. 125)
“However deep your knowledge of abstruse philosophy, it is like a piece of hair placed in the vastness of space; and however important your experience in things worldly, it is like a drop of water thrown into an unfathomable abyss.” (p. 247 quoting a master named Tokusan)
“It all depends upon the adjustment of the hinge whether the door opens in or out.” (p. 264)
“The bamboo shadows are sweeping the stairs,
But no dust is stirred;
The moonlight penetrates deep in the bottom of the pool,
But no trace is left in the water.” (p. 352)
What I like about these quotes is their use of symbolism and metaphor. What they say makes sense to my mind. Of course it is this kind of intellection, according to the book, that is contrary to the path to enlightenment. As I understand it, Prof. Suzuki seems to explain that we cannot think and reason our way logically to enlightenment. He explains, “But the very fact that such questions are raised and constantly threaten one's spiritual peace shows that they are not idle metaphysical problems to be solved by professional philosophers, but that they are addressed directly to ones inmost soul, which must struggle and make effort to subdue them by a higher and deeper power native to itself - far higher and deeper than mere dialectic of cognition.” (p. 153) This book is an excellent primer on the history of ideas underlying Zen Buddhism - but if you seek the ultimate enlightenment by reading this book you will not find it in these pages. Nor in any pages of any book. You will only find it within yourself. I guess that comports with one thing I do hold true: a goal of being at peace with yourself and those around you is worthy of effort. But as I understand it, from this book, this is not Zen.
“The truth has many avenues of approach through which it makes itself known to the human mind. But the choice it makes depends on certain limitations under which it works.” (p. 116)
I hope you get the opportunity to read this book. -
As a pioneering work, D. T. Suzuki’s Essays in Zen Buddhism (First Series) deserves a five. I’ve rated it a couple rungs lower because I found it tough to plow through. First published in London in 1927, it contributed to Suzuki’s well-deserved reputation as the foremost exponent of Zen Buddhism in the West. It’s been on my “to read” list since 1969. At that time, I found it impenetrable. But I hoped these many years later to approach it with a greater depth of funded experience, and to take my understanding of Zen, and my appreciation for Zen, to a new level. I was able to stick it out cover-to-cover. But, sad to say, I didn’t gain much in the way of understanding or appreciation—though, to be sure, what I already have by way of Zen understanding and Zen appreciation can be credited to Suzuki round about.
I did discover a line on page 236 which I’ve added to my Goodreads quotes: “It is like driving a cart; when it moveth not, wilt thou whip the cart or the ox?” Nangaku Yejo (Nan-yüeh Hai-jang).
Books I have found enlightening on the subject of enlightenment are Thich Nhat Hanh’s
The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation; Lafcadio Hearn’s
Gleanings in Buddha-Fields;
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki; and R. H. Blythe’s four-volume set,
Haiku. -
Mulle jäi kahjuks suurem osa sellest raamatust külmaks. See on ebavajalikult keeruline ja korduv. Ütleksin ka, et tema nägemus budismi alastest põhitõdedest on minu jaoks küsitletav. Arvasin alguses, et see ongi lihtsalt rinzai ja sōto koolkondade erinev nägemus buddha õpetusest. Tegelikult ( nii palju kui ma aru olen saanud ) on nende kahe koolkonna erinevus rohkem praktikas, kui üldises filosoofias. Olles lugenud nüüd veel paari zeni-alast raamatut, kus autor annab ka oma arvamuse Suzuki filosoofiast olen nüüd kindlam, et see millest Suzuki räägib omab küll ühist osa zeniga, aga kaldub rohkem tema enda personaalse filosoofia poole. Kindlasti on sellel ka omakorda ajalooline kontekst, zen budismi koos bushidoga propageeriti ju jaapani fašistide poolt sõduritele personaalseks eetiliseks süsteemiks, mida tihti võeti kasutusele õigustamaks neid mitmeid jõledusi, mida korda saadeti. Suzuki oli teadatuntud jaapani fašismi toetaja, ning olevat ka poolehoidu näidanud Hitlerile. Seda on ka läbi näha Suzuki kirjutistest, kus ta käsitleb Satorit ( virgumine) sügava ekstaasina, mille kogeija kaotab oma meelest kogu dualistliku käistluse oma kogemusest.
Siit tulebki minu arvates peamine vastuolu tema seisukohal ühe kõige fundamentaalsema budistliku põhitõega, see on: personaalne vastutus. Kui mina olen ainult kosmiline virrvarr kelle nuga täiesti juhuslikult läbi kosmilise mängu sinu kõhtu satub, siis pole ju lõppude lõpuks üldse hull lugu kui sa ära peaksid surema .Terve raamatu jooksul ei märganud ma kordagi, et ta sügavamalt käsitlenud personaalset vastutust kõigi olendite ees ( st teha nii, et neil oleks vōimalikult vähe kannatust ), mida inimene ette võtab budistlikule teele minnes.
Ülejäänud raamatust oli suht meh. Tema esseed zeni ajaloost olid vb kōige huvitavamad. Kuid ka need olid lihtsalt liiga absurdselt keeruliselt kirjutatud. Ta tõi liiga palju nimesid , tsitaate ja koane, et oli peaaegu võimatu lõpuks aru saada kõige elementaarsematest faktidest zeni kohta, mida tema akadeemikuna kindlasti teadis.
Jaa tema raamatud on läbi aegade olnud laiale publikule kõige kättesaadavamad raamatud zeni ja üldisema budismi alal. Kui minna eestis voi valismaal kuhugile raamatupoodi siis peamised raamatud zeni alal ongi tema kirjutatud. -
This book is really interesting in that it combines the high-minded and sanitized view of academic rigor with a deep and personal experience as it relates to a religion, in this case, Zen. Suzuki delves deeply into this Eastern religion that evades definite explanation in a way that scientific, Western, Christian-oriented minds can most easily grasp. I found that in Suzuki's recounting of the many snapshots of the life of Zen monks and the development of the religion that he himself was attempting to do what Zen masters themselves attempt to do for their students - namely to guide the student or reader to a place from which they themselves can grasp what enlightenment is. However, in this case, Suzuki never appears pushy or pedantic.
Despite a healthy dose of repetition, presumably due to having written this collection of essays at various different times, there are many gems of wisdom whether the reader be a would-be Buddhist, those simply interested in what Zen is, or anyone seeking an interesting take on a different way of life. -
When I first found out that one of the essays in this collection (the first one, it turns out) refers to the paradoxical "mountain is a mountain... not a mountain... is a mountain..." claim, I was all over this book as it would reveal some insight into a tradition I knew more by intuition than by practice. Perhaps I had the right idea in the first place, where so many of the examples Suzuki writes about rely on not knowing, unpracticing, or at least not holding on to one objective truth but including others that cancel out the one truth most religions insist upon. Becoming more confused with each essay, I started to realize that I am trying to figure all of it with my Western mind, even at points where Middle Eastern and Western mysticism get mentioned, and missing out on the "not a mountain" parts of essays. Not that I am expecting to save any kitten from the sword by yelling out a single word, but it seems like the best way to sum up these enigmatic essay is with a "Kwatz!"
-
I cannot tell you why I made myself finish this book... Perhaps because I skimmed the last book of Suzuki's. Perhaps to make myself less impulsive when I come across books at the thrift store. Picture me as the upstart monk returning time and time again to the master only to be reminded of my ignorance and slapped back down. Part of me can't even tell you why it took so long to read and how it is that I found it this dry. It's not hard reading, but there's either something about the style or the academic approach that did not work for me. It doesn't help that I was looking for less history and more of a philosophical approach to these essays.
So, did I enjoy it? No. Did I learn some things? Yes. Suzuki does do a good job of conveying why Chinese culture distinctly adapted Buddhism into its Zen form, how Zen often deals in contradictions because it cannot rely on language and aims to help one see beyond dualities, the need for any spirituality to be a living growing thing, and how enlightenment is not an intellectual, linear process.
I leave you with many more quotes than you'll probably care to read...
"
P13: This body of ours is something like an electric battery in which a mysterious power latently lies. When this power is not properly brought into operation, it either grows mouldy and withers away or is warped and expresses itself abnormally. It is the object of zen, therefore, to save us from going crazy or being crippled.
P16: For the more you suffer the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening of your character you read the more penetratingly into the secrets of life. All great artists, all great religious leaders, and all great social reformers have come out of the intensest struggles which they fought bravely, quite frequently in tears and with bleeding hearts. Unless you eat your bread in sorrow, you cannot taste of real life. Mencius is right when he says that when Heaven wants to perfect a great man it tries him in every possible way until he comes out triumphantly from all his painful experiences.
P18: For the intellect has a peculiarly disquieting quality in it. Though it raises questions enough to disturb the serenity of the mind, it is too frequently unable to give satisfactory answers to them. It upsets the blissful peace of ignorance and yet it does not restore the former state of things by offering something else.
P45: Mere logic never moves us; there must be something transcending the intellect.
P67: Arhatship is evidently not a matter of scholarship; it is something realized in the twinkling of an eye after a long arduous application to the matter. The preparatory course may occupy a long stretch of time, but the crisis breaks out a point simultaneously, and one is an Arhat, or a Bodhisattva, or even a Buddha. The content of Enlightenment must be quite simple in nature, and yet tremendous in effect. That is to say, intellectually, it must transcend all the complications involved in an epistemological exposition of it; and psychologically, it must be the reconstruction of one’s entire personality. Such a fundamental fact naturally evades description, and be be grasped only by an act of intuition and through personal experience.
P72: This is why the Lankāvatāra-Sūtra tries so hard to tell us that language is altogether inadequate as the means of expressing and communicating the inner state of Enlightenment. While without language we may fare worse at least in our practical life, we must guard ourselves most deliberately against our trusting it too much beyond its legitimate office. The Sūtra gives the main reason for this, which is that language is the product of causal dependence, subject to change, unsteady, mutually conditioned, and based on false judgement as to the true nature of consciousness. For this reason language cannot reveal to us the ultimate signification of things (paramārtha).
P96: To understand how the doctrine of Enlightenment or self-realization came to be translated in China as Zen Buddhism, we must first see where the Chinese mind varies from the Indian generally. When this is done, Zen will appear as a most natural product of the Chinese soil, where Buddhism has been successfully transplanted in spite of many adverse conditions. Roughly, then, the Chinese are above all a most practical people, while the Indians are visionary and speculative. We cannot perhaps judge the Chinese as unimaginative and lacking in the dramatic sense, but when they are compared with the inhabitants of the Buddha’s native land they look so grey, so sombre.
P275: Zen thinks that the truth can be reached when it is neither asserted nor negated.
P299: In the actual living of life there is no logic, for life is superior to logic. We imagine logic influences life, but in reality man is not a rational creature so much as we make him out; of course he reasons, but he does not act according to the result of his reasoning pure and simple. There is something stronger than ratiocination. We may call it impulse, or instinct, or, more comprehensively, will. Where this will acts there is Zen…
"
--------------------------------------
WORDS THAT WILL NOT HELP ME BECOME ENLIGHTENED BUT ALSO WERE UNKOWN TO ME
noetic | acosmism | perspicuity | kalpas | peregrination | nonātman | kotis | psittacine | intellection | antinomianism -
Good for its time, although I feel a lot of this material is now covered better (and in a less windy style) elsewhere. Still useful for completists, though.
-
really an excellent overview! can be a bit dry with the history, but that plays an important part. makes some interesting connections between other religions and Zen, especially with Meister Eckhart's writings. overall a great starting point for learning about Zen, more so than his "Introduction to Zen Buddhism" i think, ironically.
"Everything is a manifestation of the Buddha-nature, which is not defiled in passions, nor purified in enlightenment. It is above all categories. If you want to see what is the nature of your being, free your mind from the thought of relativity and you will see by yourself how serene it is and yet how full of life it is."
"I did not know where my form was supported, where my feet were treading; I just moved along with the wind, east and west, like a leaf of a tree detached from the stem, I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind riding on me." -
A beautifully written case for Zen, however, some prior knowledge of terms and ideas is recommended.
-
Must read for any seeker and/or student of Zen.
-
good for super beginners maybe!
-
Did my head in.
-
"A contentment gleaned from idleness or from a laissez=faire attitude of mind is a thing most to be abhorred. There is no Zen in this, but sloth and mere vegetation. The battle must rage in its full vigour and masculinity. Without it, whatever peace that obtains is a simulacrum, and it has no deep foundation; the first storm it may encounter will crush it to the ground. Zen is quite emphatic in this. Certainly, the moral virility to be found in Zen, apart from its mystic flight, comes from the fighting of the battle of life courageously and undauntedly."
“The mind is ordinarily chock full with all kinds of intellectual nonsense and passional rubbish. They are of course useful in their own ways in our daily life. There is no denying that. But it is chiefly because of these accumulations that we are made miserable and groan under the feeling of bondage. Each time we want to make a movement, they fetter us, they choke us, and cast a heavy veil over our spiritual horizon. We feel as if we are constantly living under restraint. We long for naturalness and freedom, yet we do not seem to attain them. The Zen masters know this, for they have gone through with the same experiences once. They want to have us get rid of all these wearisome burdens which we really do not have to carry in order to live a life of truth and enlightenment. Thus they utter a few words and demonstrate with action that, when rightly comprehended, will deliver us from the oppression and tyranny of these intellectual accumulations. But the comprehension does not come to us so easily. Being so long accustomed to the oppression, the mental inertia becomes hard to remove. In fact it has gone down deep into the roots of our own being, and the whole structure of personality is to be overturned. The process of reconstruction is stained with tears and blood. But the height the great masters have climbed cannot otherwise be reached; the truth of Zen can never be attained unless it is attacked with the full force of personality. The passage is strewn with thistles and brambles, and the climb is slippery in the extreme. It is no pastime but the most serious task in life; no idlers will ever dare attempt it. It is indeed a moral anvil on which your character is hammered and hammered. To the question, ‘What is Zen?’ a master gave his answer, ‘Boiling oil over a blazing fire.’ This scorching experience we have to go through with before Zen smiles on us and says ‘Here is your home.’” -
Pernah baca edisi asli buku ini, cetakan pas masa PD II, isinya sebenarnya menarik cuman krn bgitu implisitnya dan butuh pisau analisis yg sgt tajam utk membedah buku ini. Salah satu yg tersulit adalah memaknai karya seni Zen (lukisan, puisi, pahatan kayu, dll) guna menangkap makna tersembunyi di dalamnya. Lieur oge deh pokoknya.
-
Master Suzuki interprets Zen Buddhism with intellectual rigor and profound spirituality. It is not an easy read, and he makes no attempt to "dumb down" complex teachings in the manner commonly found in many Western texts on the subject. It's well worth the effort!
-
Nice collection of essays. Worth reading but it requires previous knowledge and understanding of some of the concepts and terms used in it. It seems like a beginners guide to Zen, but it's not. It's quite raw.
-
i started this book and am still reading it. dense and powerful. not so easy for me to wrap my brain or self around.
-
Full of fascinating detail but can be confusing since the Japanese names of the Chinese patriarchs are used thoughout.
-
A good book, subject matter slow reading
-
Raed this many year ago; it shaped much of my subsequent thinking, but a difficult read, just like much of Suzuki's works.
-
Long and Slow
A tough book to digest. It is deep and thorough but drags a bit with repetitive themes. Worth the read for one looking for a text book style presentation. -
Just read introduction...
-
Unas pocas líneas (pues en lugar de estar leyendo estas reseñas, deberían ya tener sus narices dentro el libro): siempre es esclarecedor, una sacudida a nuestro soberbio ego, leer cualquier cosa que este señor diga sobre el Zen, no impoluto políticamente, hay que decirlo. Un erudito, en contra de lo que el mismo Zen rechaza, del budismo más fino y sofisticado, y ya me callo, que existe. Repito: fino y sofisticado, en el sentido de exterminar al ego sin que éste lo advierta.
