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Rating: 
Summary: from a pratitioner's point of view
Review: I appreciate McRae's book for its new (to me) perspective on Chinese Chan (Zen). My introduction to Zen through the radio talks of Alan Watts, the Zen stories in "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" and the books of D. T. Suzuki instilled in me a romantic view of the old masters. This book grounds this romanticism and offers a new way to regard the evolution of Zen and to engage in its practice.
Of particular interest to me is the discussion of the arising in China of the importance of lineage. Lineage is still taken quite seriously in many of our current Zen/Chan/Son schools in the West. I suspect many readers will balk at McRae's perspective. However, I like being cast adrift, as it were. "Be a beacon unto yourselves," as Gautama is reported to have said.
And I thank the professor for opening a discussion on this topic.
I'm eager to hear what others say!
Rating:
Summary: from a pratitioner's point of view
Review: I appreciate McRae's book for its new (to me) perspective on Chinese Chan (Zen). My introduction to Zen through the radio talks of Alan Watts, the Zen stories in "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" and the books of D. T. Suzuki instilled in me a romantic view of the old masters. This book grounds this romanticism and offers a new way to regard the evolution of Zen and to engage in its practice.
Of particular interest to me is the discussion of the arising in China of the importance of lineage. Lineage is still taken quite seriously in many of our current Zen/Chan/Son schools in the West. I suspect many readers will balk at McRae's perspective. However, I like being cast adrift, as it were. "Be a beacon unto yourselves," as Gautama is reported to have said.
And I thank the professor for opening a discussion on this topic.
I'm eager to hear what others say!
Rating:
Summary: Zen Students Beware
Review: I didn't get too far into this book before getting pissed off. And that's a GOOD thing! John McRae , as a zen student, has taken on the task of looking at the history and hagiography of zen and tried to sort out fact from fiction, uses of the fiction, implications for practice, and much more. As you read this book, if you are a zen student like I am, you will find some of your most cherished beliefs challenged in regard to zen. I find this a refreshing book. The early part on lineage is particularly interesting as most zen groups I am aware of place heavy emphasis on lineage and "proving" how they are descendant from Shakyamuni himself. This was a very rewarding read and I look forward to reading more by this author on Northern school of Zen.
Rating: 
Summary: transforming Zen history
Review: Separating fact from fiction in history is problematic at best. Religious history is especially difficult as there are many stakeholders propogating certain lines of belief and practice. McRae's book strips away much of the mythology of the development of Chan/Zen from the time of Bodhidharma through to the Song Dynasty (ca. 950-1300) in China. This demythologizing is sure to upset some Zen practioners and teachers whose faith in Zen Buddhism is intimately tied to an idealised version of Zen's history.
McRae not only presents a refreshing view of the Chan lineage charts and their role in the development of Zen's history, but also gives a detailed analysis of the Northern/Southern Schools split and the development of "encounter dialogues", which laid the foundation for koans. Along the way, he takes a swipe at Heinrich Dumoulin's interpretation of Zen history, the Platform Sutra as history (it never happened), and even the idea that Chan was a distinct and separate Buddhist school in ancient China. For those whose faith is based on these colourful but historically inaccurate myths, this book will be troubling and thought-provoking.
McRae and other academics in the field are providing a valuable service to Buddhism's migration from the East to the West and books such as this one should be required reading in Zen centres around the world. McRae tackles the issues with a light touch and even non-experts in the field should have little difficulty in reading this. I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in Zen's true history.
(...)
Rating:
Summary: "There is no wisdom and no gain. " Heart Sutra
Review: Studies of this type were perhaps inevitable. Following in the footsteps of Dr.Hu Shih, John McRae questions the 'orthodox' in-terpretation of Ch'an (Zen) history. Like many others, however, I feel that he has made too much of certain arguments. Some things may be less than clear, about the early Ch'an tradition and its geneologies etc. However, the primary sources which shaped the Ch'an tradition - the T'ang masters, were very real people - and, for the most part - what has come down to us today - in their records, is a faithful reflection of what they had to teach.
John McRae makes much of 'sectarian' identities - but, did the T'ang masters encourage people to cling to such things? Masters like Ma-tsu and Shih-t'ou used to send their disciples back and forth, between each other's temples. Like Hu-shih, John McRae is keen to make it known that figures such as Hui-neng were made to bolster an 'ideological' position but, in actual fact, Hui-neng's Altar Sutra includes the story of his encounter with Yung-chia, a joint T'ien-tai/Ch'an master. Given John McRae's position, we should expect to find a 'triumphalist' account of Ch'an here - but, it actually acknowledges that Yung-chia was enlightened - and that he could hold his own - with Hui-neng. So - where's the obsession with 'sectarian' identities? The Ch'uan Teng Lu (Transmission of the Lamp) - technically a 'Ch'an-school' document, contains the records of several T'ien-tai masters.
John McRae dismisses almost everything about Hui-neng as a fiction- but, if he cares to visit to Pao-lin temple one day, not far from Canton, he will find Hui-neng's body, seated in the meditation posture. It has been there since 713, interestingly enough - in proximity to the body of an Indian master, who had predicted Hui-neng's birth and future career. Are the Buddhists who venerate this place - misguided fools? When it comes to it, the Ch'an school has not occupied the narrow horizons suggested in John McRae's account. You will find people practicing 'Pure Land meditation in Ch'an temples - and Master Yung-Ming wrote his monumental 'Tsung Ching Lu' (Record of the Source-Mirror), helping to explicate how all Buddhist teachings - as 'upaya' can be harmonised in the 'One Mind.' This affords a perspective quite different to that presented in John McRae's account. By default, perhaps, people now discriminate - and cling to sectarian identities. But is there a single T'ang master - on record, telling us to 'cling' to anything?
Rating:
Summary: a note from the author
Review: This is not a conventional review -- as author, I *might* be considered prejudiced! And the Amazon site *forced* me to rate the book... :)If there are questions about this book, I would be happy to entertain them here. The goal of the book, as explained in the preface, is to try to change how we think about Chinese Chan Buddhism. I expect that to be an on-going process. I was especially amused by the brief paragraph reviewing the book in a practitioners' journal, which concluded with the appraisal that this book might demythologize Zen more than some readers would like. True enough! Here's a bit of news: The book is currently being translated into Japanese, and I'm hoping that Chinese and Korean translations will be done also. In this process the translator and I have turned up some minor slipups, one embarassing goof, and a couple of points that will require further elaboration. When we get through the initial translation draft of the entire book, I'll put these on my web site. P.S.: I tried to find the Amazon link for making author's reviews/comments, but couldn't find it.
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