The Tao of Zen (Tuttle Library of Enlightment)

Rating:
Summary: Valuable on many levels.
Review: A wonderful compilation to say the least. Valuable for the 101 and 501 student alike. Seperated into two halves which could be two seperate books of their own. Probably the best explanation of Tao and Zen I have ever read, despite the obvious paradox of that statement.

My only complaint regarding the core subject matter is regarding Zen being a direct descendant of Tao when the abundance of Quiteist philosphies throughout China should more likely be credited.

A definite purchase for anyone interested in the subject.

Rating:
Summary: Enlightening, without being enlightening.
Review: I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Zen, balance, or just plain old philosophy. This book clears up common myths and misperceptions about zen and buddhism, and seperates the two. Not an entirely difficult read, and very few (if any) boring parts.

Rating:
Summary: The Unsayable Finally Clearly Stated
Review: If you think the wisdom of the Tao is hard understand or if you never seemed to get the "punch line" in Zen - This is the book for you! It should be the source book for any author attempting to write about spirituality. It is the best book I have read on the Tao since I read Alan Watt's- Tao:The Watercourse Way, only now I understand the Tao better beacuse of this book.

After devouring so many books on Zen and comming away from the table still hungry,thankfully,Ray Grigg has served a very satifying dessert. Not only does this book cover the origins and history of both the Tao and Zen, but beautifly dicusses those hard to grasp concepts like emptiness, nothingness, balance, paradox, spontaneity, playfulness and suchness and how they are important to us in our everyday lives. His explanations on the purpose of the Zen koans are truly enlightening. His comments on meditation and satori are interesting to say the least. Be patient with the historical stuff for it is worth it if you are a serious student of Eastern thought. An understanding of the history and culture of China and Japan is a worthwhile "by-product" of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Back to the beginning .......... again!
Review: Reading this book when it was first published in 1994, I was naturally surprised to see it re-published in 1999 as a hardback edition that cost far less than my paperback. I am glad to see it resurface and am in the process of re-reading it now. I think that this is a particularly good time for it's re-emmergence in light of all the work coming forth now concerning Tibetan Buddhism and Tantric Buddhism. In the intervening years I have delved into the study of those forms as well and will continue to do so. The Tao of Zen has always had a prominent on my bookshelf, and in fact is one of the few books that I bought extra copies of to give away. The first reading helped me to understand the worlds of distance between the practiced forms. The second reading is a reminder of why, in spite of my love for Buddhism and Hinduism, which I will surely study for the rest of my life, and in spite of my dislike of titles for myself, I picked up the banner of Daoism as that which rang truest in my heart. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, if you are not locked into the nutshell of who you believe yourself to be, try it ..... you'll like it.

Rating:
Summary: Oversimplified division of Taoism and Buddhism
Review: The most definitive and readable work on Zen that I've ever read. In all my years as a student of Zen Buddhism (Soto), I've had a difficult time with the sutras and other Buddhist doctrine. Yet, I continued to enjoy the practice and the members at the Zendo where I studied. I often commented that I felt more a "Zennist" than a Buddhist, but was unable to describe or define the feeling..... Then I stumbled on Mr. Grigg's book. I'm re-reading it now, for the third time in one year. Mr. Grigg's history of Zen and the split with the sixth patriarch:Hui-Neng, was one of the best "enlightenments" I've experienced in my studies. I'd die to study with Mr. Grigg! I'm heading for a small island off B.C.!!

Rating:
Summary: Misses The Mark
Review: This book is a work of speculative scholarship by one who does not practice Zen nor the ancient and ingenious yoga of Taoism. In the first of its two parts the text recounts the usual historical speculations on the origins of Taoism and its interaction with Chinese Buddhism.

The second part seeks to define the philosophical similarities between the Zen School of Buddhism and the Taoist tradition. No doubt this effort is well intentioned but unfortunately it fails for lack of knowledge and experience. The three great traditions of self realization: Taoism, Buddhism and Vedanta, share a common mainspring. Their essential core is the practice of self enquiry. The Buddha, Shankara, Ramana Maharshi and more obliquely Lao Tzu all advocate first, foremost and above all the understanding of one's true nature.

The Tao Of Zen fails to deal with the issue of self enquiry. The book cites many scholars and a woefully few Zen practitioners who allude to self enquiry in the context of koans and anecdotes from the Mumonkan. But for some reason the author misses the significance of this practice. Self enquiry is how one "does" Zen, any form of Buddhism, Taoism or Vedanta. It is the very practice which unites all traditions of the Perennial Philosophy including Taoism and Zen.

If the author actually learned something of Zen under a teacher of Shunryu Suzuki's caliber, or studied the Tantric Yoga which is the practical essence of Taoism, or practiced any serious form of self enquiry, he would write a very different book.

Rating:
Summary: Strong On Taoism, Weaker On Zen
Review: This book is immensely enjoyable. It provides a good introduction to the history and principles of Taoism. It also gives a plausible account of the historic synergy of Taoism and Zen Buddhism. However Ray Grigg errs when he writes of Zen as a tradition and practice distinct from Buddhism.
Make no mistake. Zen is hard-core Mahayana Buddhism. The words Zen, Ch'an and Dhyana all have the same meaning. They refer to the silent contemplation through which the Buddha Shakyamuni awakened to the Truth. And the Mahayana ideal of the Bodhisattva, the enlightened sage who seeks to save all sentient beings, is central to Zen. The most familiar sound to all Zen practitioners is the chanting of the "Hannya Haramita Shingyo," the Heart Sutra, which follows each sitting meditation.
Buddhists call the Buddha's path to Truth the "Dharma." And a good Chinese translation of Dharma is Tao.
Ray Grigg's knowledge of Taoism is impressive, but he is less knowledgeable of Buddhism. The term Prajnaparamita (Perfection Of Wisdom), so crucially central to all schools of Buddhism, is not to be found in this book. Nor does Grigg mention the Dzogchen School of Mahayana Buddhism, often called "Tibetan Zen," whose meditative practice and outlook are all but indistinguishable from those of Zen.
But none of this detracts from the pleasure of reading "The Tao Of Zen." It clearly demonstrates that these two ancient traditions have been sister paths for many centuries, and that they arise from, and point clearly to, the same Reality.

Rating:
Summary: interesting history, questionable conclusions
Review: Very readable analysis of Zen trying to squeeze its Taoist feet into Buddhist shoes. I can buy the premise that Zen owes more of its character to Chinese Taoism than to Indian Buddhism.

However, I think the author is pushing his premise beyond the available evidence when he asserts that meditation (zazen) is irrelevant to Zen just because the technique is of Indian origin. While the culmination of practice is to re-enter the market place and live an ordinary life, getting to that point is difficult without sitting zazen.

I give historical analysis and insight 5 stars and conclusion about how zen should be practiced 3 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Zen without Buddhaism
Review: Zen in its essence always seemed to me to be more connected to Chinese Tao than to Buddhism, although it is joined by name to the more formal religion. Now at last I found a well documented study that not only proves my inclinations to be well founded, but clears up many of Zen's mysteries or at least helps me in that direction.