The essays themselves are all fascinating and certain to interest any serious student of Zen, as well as being a good introduction to many Zen principles for the less dedicated reader. Suzuki addresses familiar questions - "What is Zen?" and "Is Zen Nihilistic?", for example - and also expounds on practical Zen and the essential aim of Zen ("to acquire a new viewpoint"), among other things. His longest essay is devoted to an excellent discussion of the koan and there is a short but fascinating article on the traditional Zen meditation hall and the life of a monk.

Suzuki's contribution to the book, then, is a beautiful one, and I would say an excellent and accessible introduction to his works. What makes the book that little bit different for me, however, is the foreword, a 20-page essay by Carl Jung. In this, Jung writes "Great as is the value of Zen Buddhism...its use among Western people is very improbable". I wonder what he would have to say if he could see the world today.

So, in a nutshell - rather short, but worth a look.


A must have if you want to know about Zen   January 1, 2002
 26 out of 27 found this review helpful

I was interested in Zen before I read this book and now I am fascinated by it. The book is clearly written by a good authority on the subject and for once by a practitioner of Zen! I found it an engrossing read as it manages to convey the spirit of what to many Westerners appears to be a completley mystifying philosophy. This is a must for those who are interested in Zen or have an intrest in Oriental philosophy.