ED,
Just go along with what feels intuitively right for you. I bought my book 4
years ago when I was in Australia, but only felt like reading it now. If you're
really more interested in finding out about the man, then maybe Low's book can
wait.
>In this respect, Hakuin's words may be a useful corrective to some of the more
>diffuse, feel-good, self-satisfying elements of the New Age.
>
I couldn't agree more. Zen isn't just about making ourselves cope with
stressful
life situations, personality or behaviour 'faults'. Zen will not necessarily
fix
our little peculiarities anymore than psychotherapy will get us enlightened
("Freud is not Buddha, and Buddha is not Freud" as Ken Wilber says). Zazen can
make us less stressful, more pleasant to be around, and somewhat wiser, but the
journey to the heart of Zen only truly begins with that flash of insight (much
like the black belt in karate is the true beginner). The problem is, I suspect,
that many practioners who haven't had such an insight/initial awakening (at
least) view those who have as being elitist. The paradox tho, is that to much
too much emphasis on enlightenment/kensho/satori can be a real barrier to
advancement (because there is no advancement) and only that flash of kensho
will
give a person an understanding of that to their marrow. If you want to read
someone who writes really well about Zen, and who doesn't emphasis
enlightenment
etc as a 'goal', then you can't really do better than the teaching of Joko Beck.
Mike
________________________________
From: ED <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Mon, 28 March, 2011 21:37:13
Subject: Re: [Zen] Hakuin's Zen
Mike,
If, after you have read 'Hakuin on Kensho", you still recommend it, I may
purchase it, despite Low's questionable Zen lineage.
I was considering the purchase of:
Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin, by Norman Waddell
Here's an Amazon review (by the author himself?)
"The "golden age" of Zen was in the T'ang Dynasty (619-906) in China. By early
eighteenth century, what was left of Zen in Japan wasn't much. But the strength
of Zen is in the individuals, the truly liberated spirits, it produces, and
early eighteen century Japan saw one of the greatest ever: Hakuin Zenji
(1685-1768).
This book is a translation of what is considered the most important text by
this
legendary exponent of the Rinzai Zen tradition.
Hakuin was a man of high standards, and he had little patience for the soft
soothing "Zen" of his day.
He pulls no punches in his criticism: "At present, this country is infested
with
a race of smooth-tongued, worldly-wise Zen teachers who feed their students a
ration of utter nonsense" (pp. 24f); "Now that's not even good rubbish" (p.
52);
"Phffmp! What graveyard did you pillage for those old left-over offerings?" (p.
92). (Waddell's lively translation contributes to one's appreciation of this
dynamic personality.)
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.
In this respect, Hakuin's words may be a useful corrective to some of the more
diffuse, feel-good, self-satisfying elements of the New Age.
I would not necessarily recommend this book to someone who knew nothing about
Zen; at least a cursory knowledge of classical Zen is useful in making sense of
Hakuin's many references to great Zen Masters of the past.
Not the best starting book, but any serious study of Zen will eventually
involve
confronting this fiercely determined defender of authentic Zen, and this book
is
undoubtedly the best English introduction to Hakuin."
--- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote:
>
> 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
