A Flower Does Not Talk; Zen Essays

Rating:
Summary: " a new vista presents itself "
Review: This book is a collection of zen essays written by Zenkei Shibayama, abbot of the Nanzenji monastery in Kyoto, Japan. First, there is an introduction by scholar D.T. Suzuki, author of several introductions to zen. From page 141 to page 151 there is a wonderful gallery of paintings which represent patriarchs and masters in the Zen lineage. You can also find the six oxherding pictures and the adjacent explanatory notes. Finally there is the essay A flower does not talk which reminds of a line by Angelus Silesius. Interspersed through these famous stories are wonderful pictures of flower arrangements by Jowa Hirohata. This is a nice book, printed on good paper in comfortable characters."Everything taking place here is no other than the Buddha-life itself".