Customer Reviews

Appreciate Your Life: The Essence of Zen Practice (Shambhala Classics)

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In the book "Appreciate Your Life", we come in contact with a compilation of teachings once given by one of the West's greatest Dharma propogators. One would not be making an understatement in saying that Taizan Maezumi was quite possibly one of the most influential Zen masters of modern times. Three of his Dharma heirs include Bernie Glassman Roshi, Dennis Genpo Merzel Roshi, and Charlotte Joko Beck. If you know anything about just one of those 3 individuals, you understand Taizan Maezumi's wonderful teachings.

This book shows Maezumi's unique teaching style throughout, providing us with insight after insight unto both the philosophy, and more importantly, the practice of Zen Buddhism. He covers zazen, koan work-and in a nutshell, how to simply appreciate this life we all have. After all, having life is truly awesome! This being so, we go through some rough periods, as well. That's why we practice and sit zazen, why we hold a koan. And yet not only for ourselves, but for everyone we encounter. We literally practice for everyone. I also recommend Tuttle Library's "Teaching of the Great Mountain: Zen Talks by Taizan Maezumi" for those interested in further reading on him. Sincerely, buy this book. It's not "just another book on Zen"; no this book is about life. Guaranteed to not simply collect dust!

Enjoy:)

Taizan Maezumi Roshi (1931-1995) was the founder of the White Plum Asanga, one of the largest and most successful of the Western Zen lineages. It is also among the best in its approach to Zen practice, and this slender volume of short teisho shows why. Maezumi Roshi's language is simple and concise while being elegant and yet quite ordinary.

The underlying message here is: Appreciate your life! The direct message is: Appreciate your life! Maezumi Roshi's Dharma talks cover a variety of subjects, from an exploration of Dogen's Fukanzazengi, to the actual practice of sitting zazen, to the effects of daily practice on daily life, but it all comes down to simple humanity and the cultivation of character.

This is a wonderful book for teaching, and zendos frequently use it as a touchstone for discussion and study. Whether you are a Zen practitioner, merely Zen-curious, or know nothing about Zen at all but want to understand the human condition a bit better, APPRECIATE YOUR LIFE is a comfortable and accessible little book, a way to appreciate not only your life, but the good heart of this very wise Master.

10-Aug-2011

Appreciate Your Life: Zen Teachings of Taizan Maezumi Roshi ([...]) is an important - and VERY readable - book for anyone interested in Zen practice.

Compiled and edited by Wendy Egyoku Nakao Roshi (Abbot of Zen Center of Los Angeles) and Eve Myonen Marko after his death, Appreciate Your Life is a series of 3- to 7-page chapters organized into three sections relating to key aspects of Zen: The Essence of Zen (basics of practice), Clarify the Great Matter (seeing into who we are), and Where is the Hindrance? (getting past obstacles in our path to realizing Zen in everyday life).

These short chapters are drawn from numerous dharma talks delivered by Maezumi Roshi at ZCLA and other places. These talks are transcribed so that when I read Appreciate Your Life, I felt myself sitting with Maezumi Roshi and hearing him speak. His thinking and delivery are straightforward and clear. Maezumi connects his lessons to everyday life and practice in a very plain, matter-of-fact manner. He also brings his very broad perspective to bear on how Zen relates to Western religions: persons of all faiths can gain considerable insight by reading about his experiences with religious leaders and celebrations.

Egyoku Roshi and Myonen Marko have done a masterful job of transmitting the message of Maezumi Roshi. Many of the lessons arose from questions asked by students, others are his commentary on traditional questions arising in Zen practice.

I highly recommend this book. I also recommend reading it slowly to give time to absorb the material - I read only one or two chapters per day, and plan to re-read the book later this year.

This is a great book! When most people think of Japanese masters who brought Soto Zen to the US they think of S. Suzuki, but I feel this book is way better than Maezumi's San Francisco counterpart's Zen Mind Beginer's Mind. Appreciate Your Life is far better at getting to the heart of Zen.

A refreshing, personal approach to zen buddhism, after the (on purpose) mind numbing of the Blue Cliff Record or the Gateless Gate. Often very inspiring. Right up there with Shunryu Suzuki and all the other more colorful modern Japanese lineage. We who think we are lost, feel more found, after this finger.