Customer Reviews

The Beginner's Guide to Zen Buddhism

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a newcomer to buddhism. After reading this book, I feel like I have a base to work from. What this book did for me, is clarify the most important questions a newcomer can have, such as, what is the goal of buddhism, what is enlightenment,and many other basic questions. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a serious intrest in discovering what buddhism is about.

As one curious about Buddhism, I found this book to be very informative. It focuses on the meditative aspect, with an interesting glance at the history of Buddhism, as well as essential tenets...''suffering is caused by our desire for things to be different from the way they are.'' The book is basic, but quite profound in it's impact. If you're exploring Buddhism as a newcomer, this is a good book to begin your library with. My wife is now interested because of Jean Smith.

An excellent book for beginning zen practitioners. Beautifully written. After reading this book you will be on the right path to exploring zen.

With her clear writing style, Smith offers anyone interested in Zen Buddhism a very good basic introduction, including practical advice and a resource guide. While she introduces the reader to the beginnings and diversity of Buddhism as a whole, she emphasizes Western approaches to and developments in Zen. Smith's work is informative and unpretentious, terse without omitting any vital details, reflecting respect and admiration for Zen traditions without worship of personalities and exoticism.

An excellent beginner's guide to Zen. This book addresses everything from basic meditation practice to proper etiquette in a zendo. Buddhist philosophy is discussed towards the end of the book but this section is best supplemented with other resources that Jean Smith recommends. A great book for learning the practice of zen in a very straightforward manner.

Its funny how life long followers of buddhism would consult with this book, as it is for beginners. This book is for someone with little or no knowledge of what path to take. Buddhism is inherently diffucult to begin with, thus a book is of extreme importance to new zennists.No book will encompass all that is needed to know especially a book on Buddhism.This should be considered a introductory on Buddhism.However and i believe the author would agree with me that NO text on buddism is all inclusive. This you take a little from here and a little from there and paint your "own" picture. You didnt learn math from one book did you??

While Smith's book is a very good introduction to Zen for Americans who have no background in Buddhism, I have one complaint. In at least two sections, Smith quotes verbatim from her collection Zen 365, without acknowledging the original sources. In Beginners Introduction to Zen, it appears as Smith's own words. In Zen 365, these passages are attributed to someone else. Very disconcerting. Otherwise, it is a competent introduction and I enjoyed reading it.

As someone new to Zen Buddhism, this gave me a great overview and background to start. It's very readable and goes into all the main topics I was curious about, including etiquette, history and basic principles. I highly recommend this book!

The best thing that can be said is that it lives up to it's title. It presents Zen Buddhism largely in it's 'American Zen' incarnation which is what most of us who read the book are going to encounter when we venture beyond our armchairs and frontdoors. It's the not the be all and end all of anything, just a very nicely done introduction to a very complex subject. You don't learn Buddhism from books anyway.

I've had a fairly regular experience of meditation over the past twenty years and this very useful and readable book reminded me that meditation is not Zen Buddhism. It's easy for someone like me to unconsciously equate the two when "spirituality" or "mindfulness" has sometimes blurred the distinct characteristics of traditional practices and communities.

I imagine that Jean Smith's guide will be of value to those who are just beginning with Zen Buddhism and may not, as beginners, be aware of or exposed to the long history and diverse expression of the tradition. This was my experience as a follower of a parochial and sectarian Christian tradition in my young adult years. It was only after I struck out on my own that I discovered the bigger picture, with the help of wise and searching writers, teachers, friends and family members. So I can readily appreciate how Smith's handy guide would be equally valuable to spiritual searchers ready now to commit to a particular religious or traditional community.

Books like Smith's fascinating work here are of great help to those just joining, or seeking to join a way of awakening like Zen Buddhism.