Being Upright: Zen Meditation and the Bodhisattva Precepts

Rating:
Summary: Could not disagree more...
Review: "being upright" points directly to our daily lives and gives inspiration for practicing the all-important buddhist precepts. by expanding on each precept, anderson-roshi shows how they are not black-and-white rules, but not to be ignored either. he shows how our lives can truly be transformed to happiness if we keep mindfulness in our practice and our lives. anderson-roshi brings what many foreign masters of zen can't - an american upbringing. his stories touch home and his words rings true. i highly recommend this book for any student of life, and i thank anderson -roshi for his teaching.

Rating:
Summary: Could not disagree more...
Review: I have to disagree with "turned me off Zen completely." This reader from California is exactly the kind of rookie amatuer that make my days so full of frustration! Which is exactly why, Being Upright by Reb Anderson, was such a welcome distraction in my everyday routine. The book offers up a comprehensive picture of the fundamental teachings of Zen Buddhism. The author turns a complex and perplexing subject into a relaxing, simple journey through the world of Zen. The author and publisher have given us a gem.

Rating:
Summary: Turned me off zen completely!
Review: If I ever had any interest in Zen, this book would squash it! Anderson goes on about how wonderful it is to put the spoons a certain way in the gomasio bowl, and yet when talking about the problems with Richard Baker, comes across as never having the courage to confront him. Maybe he was too busy setting the spoons the right way in the gomasio bowl and holding arcane precepts ceremonies to actually consider how the precepts might work in actual life.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide the the Bodhisattva precepts
Review: In this book, Tenshin Roshi explains the sixteen Bodhisattva precepts in a way that is accessible to students of all levels- from beginners to more advanced learners. This book is structured around the lay ordination ceremony for receiving the precepts. Tenshin Roshi has written this book in the same style as his Dharma talks at his Green Gulch Farm home- warm, simple, and insightful. Using examples from his own life to explain the precepts, Tenshin Roshi shows that he is not an infallible icon, but rather, a gentle teacher who can easily relate the Bodhisattva precepts to his own life, and the lives of others.

For those who enjoyed this book, I also highly recommend his other book, "Warm Smiles From Cold Mountains," a collection of Dharma talks he has given over the years. It seems second best only to seeing him speak in person, which can be a truly beautiful experience.