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Summary: Deep and practical
Review: A very thoroughful and practical manual for Zen meditation. Excellent!
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Summary: The best book about zen I've read so far
Review: For me, this book is the best book on zen I've read,because it deals with a topic that is essencial for learning zen, and that is not discussed in detail in most of the other books: how to practice zazen. It explains methods for breathing, diferent postures, what you should experience in zazen, and many other interesting things. I start practicing zazen a while ago under the direction of a zen monk, and I even went to a ten days sesshin (retreat), but I learned to breath in zazen through this book. I greatly recomend this book for anyone who is interested in zen, beginers and who has some knowledge alike.
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Summary: A unique & invaluable exposition of Zen theory & practice
Review: I have read many books on Zen, and this book is truly a unique treasure. It is beautifully written and translated and comes from a well regarded, long-time lay practitioner who also was a school teacher. What makes this book unique is the detail and clarity with which the author explains the techniques and theory of zazen. He integrates his knowledge of Zen with modern physiological principles producing explanations for what occurs in zazen that are satisfying spiritually as well as scientifically. I have not found this type of detail or several of the concepts and techniques described in any other source. Particularly for the student trying to develop a home practice without a teacher, this book will prove invaluable. There are also several excellent chapters about the philosophy and psychology of Zen, with nice connections to existentialism and depth psychology. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Zen practice. For a more rigorous and detailed physiological account of zazen, see Zen and the Brain by neurologist James Austin, an excellent companion book.
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Summary: Excellent book for zazen practice
Review: Many books on zen focus on the philosophy behind it. They are much like most philosophical books. My opinion is that any philosophy can be believed. Words can be put to the reader in a way to make them believe anything. Zen is the one philosophy that I have found that does not. The problem with most books on zen is that they use only words to descibe. They make the reader debate what zen and reality is in their heads. The idea is to experience zen. That is where this book comes in. It teaches you how to practice zazen. This is the only way to know zen. To feel it. And this is the best book to learn the proper techniques without a roshi (a zen teacher). For anyone who is probing the depths of thought, defintely give this one a go.
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Summary: For the Westerner wanting to learn about practicing Zen
Review: The text is written by a laymen who taught high-school English and practiced/studied Zen in Japan. He later taught at several Zendos in Hawaii and in London.There are several benefits of this text. First, the writer's cultural background bridges translation problems and he focuses on accurate translation of the ideas and concepts. Second, the writer is a laymen which may help the more cynical reader be more open to different ideas. Third, he discusses the fine points of meditation technique in a semi-scientific approach that appeals to a western mechanistic paradigm--we aren't caught up in flowery, artsy-fartsy instruction which does have a place but not for many Westerners interested in the actual practice methods. Fourth, I found the author has suggestions for improving that I haven't seen anywhere else. Fifth, the text describes practice that allows the practitioner to improve the technique to adapt to their special needs which I believe is realistic and very much in-line with the original intent of Siddartha--this is to help free the practitioner from the small inaccuracies always found in a mechanistic approach. I recommend this as one of the best methods texts I have ever had the privlege to come across.
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Summary: Excellent!
Review: There are a lot of books out there on zen; one may wander the aisles of any of the big book chains and see how the word has become a bit overused. However, if I were to suggest one book on zen that should be found on your shelf, this would be it. No fluff and/or preaching here, just solid information and discussion on the fundamentals of zazen. I particularly like the fact that Sekida emphasizes breathing and energy flow from the tanden; for someone who practices Qigong this seems obvious but I think many who practice zazen take years to catch on. The sheer amount of practical advice in this book make it well worth the money and the discussion of three nen make it indispensible. In fact, I think this is a better place to start than many of the more esoteric zen books since really, this is all about the practice, not the theory. Combine this with a book on Qigong, "Mindfulness in Plain English", and perhaps "Zen and the Brain" and then find a master; I don't think you'll ever regret the decision.
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Summary: For the Zen Practitioner - Not for the Zen Philosopher
Review: There are Zen philosophers and Zen practitioners. This book is for the practitioner. After you have grown tired of the philosophical and intellectual musings of other authors, read this book to understand the absolute essentials behind Zen and why it works as no other approach does. Katsuki Sekida explains the three nens, and how the practice of Zazen breaks down our conditioning that keeps us in delusion. He goes on to explain the science of entering samadhi, and the role that posture, breath, and the Tan Tien play. With this understanding, it becomes much easier to bypass the chaos of rising thoughts and emotions, and quickly enter absolute samadhi. This book will help you, in weeks, to gain a depth of Zazen that might otherwise take years. You can take that quite literally; that is not an exaggeration or meant as hyperbole.
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Summary: Excellent book for Western students of zen.
Review: This book is a milestone in zen literature for the western student. Mr. Sekida was a layman who wrote primarily for the zen student who does not study regularly with a teacher. It is a detailed but practical book. This was one of the first books on zen I ever read, several years ago, and at that time it was probably too detailed for me to appreciate. Now, with the benefit of more experience and a little personal instruction, I can appreciate the book much more, and it serves as a source of both practical and philosophical information and inspiration. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the theory and practice of zen.
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Summary: Excellent book for Western students of zen.
Review: This book is a milestone in zen literature for the western student. Mr. Sekida was a layman who wrote primarily for the zen student who does not study regularly with a teacher. It is a detailed but practical book. This was one of the first books on zen I ever read, several years ago, and at that time it was probably too detailed for me to appreciate. Now, with the benefit of more experience and a little personal instruction, I can appreciate the book much more, and it serves as a source of both practical and philosophical information and inspiration. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the theory and practice of zen.
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Summary: A curiosity value for Zen Training and practice
Review: This is a quite innovative book written for Zen practitioners who do not have direct or regular access to a Zen teacher or for college graduates who are used to look for a sound psychological, philosophical and byological background to Zazen issues. The author was a high school teacher of English in Japan enrolled in Zen practice for 72 years. After retirement he spent ten years supervising training and performance of Zen students in Honolulu and London. This book evidences his professional mastering in the art of teaching. This book has a very clear structure and facilitates the understanding of many details that currently are absent in conventional books because they are exchanged in face-to-face meetings between teacher and disciple. He remained a layman and considered unnecessary to become a monk. The physiology of attention and breathing is studied in technical and well founded terms. The working on koans is approached keeping in mind that many Western Zen practitioners rarely pursue their training in a monastery. Cognitive aspects involved in the process of samadhi, awareness, awakening, knowing and being without thinking are broken down, analyzed and illustrated thoroughly and accurately. The final manuscript was reviewed by a collaborator, a lecturer at the University of Cambridge. There is a companion book of the same author, Two Zen Classics, that introduces and comments the two main collections of koans. There is also an good Spanish version, published by Editorial Kairos in Barcelona, and the title Zazen.
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