ED, Wouldn't it be great to find a book on Zen "dumbed down" enough for readers to be enlightened in just one sentence! Unfortunately, the opposite is the usually the case. To be honest tho, I've no complaints about the book so far especially as I'm not reading the book to 'get to know' Hakuin in any way. What I do like about the book tho is that it gives us Hakuin's own text only later followed by Low's commentary, therefore allowing us to skip the commentary if we want. I'll finish it a couple of days if you'd like my own opinion.
Mike ________________________________ From: ED <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, 28 March, 2011 12:25:04 Subject: Re: [Zen] Hakuin's Zen Mike, Thanks. I was considering a purchase too earlier today until I noticed this paragraph below in one of the Amazon reviews of the book. "In all fairness, of course, Low accomplishes what he explicitly sets out to do here and speaks clearly to his intended audience, but somehow in the process Hakuin seems to be getting Americanized and dumbed down and ultimately lost in the shuffle. Still, I would highly recommend this book to today's serious Anglophone Zen practitioner if only for the excellent advice and insight Low offers, but for getting to know Hakuin himself far better books are out there (such as Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin) that more skillfully ply the middle path between inspirational and educational." --ED --- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote: > > ED, > > 'Hakuin on Kensho' edited with commentary by Albert Low. > > Mike > Mike, > Which book about Hakuin are you currently reading? > --ED > > ED, > > > > I'm reading a book right now about Hakuin and his focus on the kensho > > experience. Certainly makes sense to me. It could also be argued, however, >that > > > > > for some people that relentless pursuit of kensho pushes them ever further >from > > > > > it. I also notice that D. T. Suzuki was of the same mind as Hakuin: > > > > According to D. T. Suzuki, "Satori is the raison d'etre of Zen, without > > which > > > > Zen is no Zen. Therefore every contrivance, disciplinary and doctrinal, is > > directed towards satori." (Wiki search for 'satori'). > > > > Mike > > ED posted: > > > "For Hakuin, what was most important was the breakthrough *kensho* > >experience, reached after years of rigorous meditation practice; apart from > >*kensho*, the words and ideas of Zen are worthless and meaningless. > Hakuin's Zen represents a level of authenticity consonant with the height of > Zen in the T'ang Dynasty." > > > "It is a Zen that focuses on the central matter relentlessly, and has > >absolutely no use for anything that serves to distract from this."
