The Essentials of Zen Buddhism.

Rating:
Summary: The master on Zen
Review: For those who have yet to read anything by mr. Suzuki, this has to be a must. Suzuki writes from personal experience about the hardest subject imaginable. The book contains, as promised, all the essentials of Zen buddhism, from the most basic precepts of the faith to the details of monastery life. Although dealing with an exceptionally "slippery" subject, mr. Suzuki herds our understanding in the right direction by ceaselessly providing examples and narrowing down the number of interpretations available. The book is very comprehensive in scope, and is perhaps not the easiest introduction to the subject at hand, but nonetheless includes information suitable for both novice and inititate, including a huge number of koans and quotes from different buddhist texts. Dealing with the problem as only a master can, this is probably the most valuable book on Zen available.