On Zen Practice, by Taizan Maezumi and Bernie Glassman (eds)
Quite a few words on that which no words can capture
(Review posted 20 May 2006 13:13:04)

So keeping in mind that ultimate reality is beyond words and concepts, this book has quite a number of good words and concepts in it, in the form of twenty-one essays and four appendices, a glossary, an index, and a bunch of pictures and biographical paragraphs of a bunch of Zen masters and stuff. The essays are compiled from the writings and/or talks of Bernie Glassman, his teacher Taizan Maezumi, his teacher Koryu Osaka, that old Zen dude Dogen, and a few other people.

The essays are divided into an Introduction, a section on Form (zazen, gassho, sesshin, etc; more about the what and the why than the detailed formal how), a section on koan study and shikantaza, and then a passage from Dogen's shobogenzo (the frequently-quoted genjokoan) about how because the nature of the wind is eternally present the wind of Buddhism actualizes the gold of the earth and ripens the cheese of the long river and all, and a twenty-page commentary thereupon by Maezumi. Then some brief appendices with like liturgical miscellany.

At least in my current mood this strikes me as sort of high-church Zen, fun stuff to read and think about around the edges of one's practice, interesting and friendly and perhaps deep minds that have done us the great favor of writing down their stuff for us to read, but well...

Chop wood, carry water, ya know?