The Buddha Eye: An Anthology of the Kyoto School and Its Contemporaries [Paperback]

Frederick Franck (Editor), Joan Stambaugh (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2004

Contains essays by many of the most important twentieth century Japanese philosophers, offering challenging and illumination insights into the nature of Reality as understood by the school of Zen.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This anthology serves as an excellent introduction to the Suzuki version of Zen." -- Journal of Asian Studies

"With the appearance of The Buddha Eye…a new era in Buddhist thought has been launched." -- Taitetsu Unno, author of Shin Buddhism

From the Publisher

Publisher's Note

One of the defining notes in the history of twentieth century philosophical and religious thought is the encounter of East and West; and especially the enormous influence of Buddhism on many Western thinkers, artists, and spiritual seekers. Within the Buddhist tradition, Zen has achieved a level of prominence which has brought it so deeply into the public consciousness that in the last twenty years one has begun to hear this word used in connection with all manner of activity as a kind of mysterious informing intuition which allows us to transcend all "otherness" and harmoniously express the inward nature of things in the face of everyday life.

But what exactly is Zen and why have so many people, across so many ranges of human endeavor, become interested in its teachings? This book, edited by the renowned artist and author Dr. Frederick Franck, offers a multi-faceted jewel of an answer to these questions. First published in l982, it continues to shed light and provide insights into Zen and is especially well-suited to Western readers. Moreover, we feel that it has achieved the status of a classic work on the subject and that it should thus become required reading for all serious students of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and its influence upon Western thought. We should also add that the final section of the book—on Shin Buddhism, often outwardly viewed as a perspective at the very antipodes of Zen—could hardly be a better introduction to this little known, but widely practiced, school of Buddhism. The very fact that the editor has chosen to include selections on Shin underlines the important idea of the resolution of opposites, which is key to developing a true understanding of Zen.

The essays in The Buddha Eye: An Anthology of the Kyoto School are taken from The Eastern Buddhist, certainly one of the most quietly influential journals to have appeared in the twentieth century. Founded in l921 by the

now famous Suzuki Teitaro Daisetz, during the many decades of its life it has been a vehicle for seminal articles by many of the most important philosophers of Zen, including D.T. Suzuki, Nishitani Keiji, Abe Masao, Hisamatsu Shin’ichi and many others who regularly contributed to its pages. Their capacity to explain, both in terms of breadth and depth, the meaning of Zen in xi a language attuned to the Western ear is remarkable. Many of these authors entered into the broader debate surrounding such characteristically twentieth century concerns as the relationship between science and religion, the rising tide of secularism, and the spiritually erosive influence of the nihilism which cannot but arise from a world suffering under what Frithjof Schuon has called "the contradiction of relativism".

For an excellent outline of the Kyoto School and its particular features the reader can do no better than turn to Dr. Franck’s beautiful Prologue, which forms an integral part of the content of this book. Nevertheless, it might be worthwhile to offer a word of explanation as to why a publisher that typically focuses on books relating to the Perennial Philosophy would decide to reprint this work. In his Prologue, Dr. Franck quotes D.T. Suzuki as writing somewhere in his voluminous works that "Zen is not a religion . . . Zen is religion". The search for the very nature of religion, for the fundamental meaning of wisdom, and for the heart of reality which is the Eternal Religion—the Sophia Perennis, or Sanatana Dharma—strikes at the central root of the reason why World Wisdom’s books exist. We continue to remain dedicated to publishing works which point to the inner unanimity, transforming radiance, and irreplaceable spiritual values of the great spiritual traditions. As an introduction to the knowledge of some of the most important exponents of Zen in the last one hundred years, we believe that this work will continue to enlighten countless minds for the next century and beyond.

Barry McDonald

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Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: World Wisdom (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941532593
• ISBN-13: 978-0941532594
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #998,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding individual contributors to explain Zen, July 17, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Buddha Eye: An Anthology of the Kyoto School and Its Contemporaries (Paperback)

The Buddha Eye: An Anthology Of The Kyoto School And Its Contemporaries is a collection of essays written by a variety of Japanese authors for "The Eastern Buddhist", a spiritual and influential journal first founded in 1921. The nuances of thought and understanding become clear through the use of thoughtful prose and moving poetry; the ability of outstanding individual contributors to explain Zen in a manner that makes sense to Western ears is almost unparalleled in Buddhist literature today. The essays include "What is the 'I'?", "God, Emptiness, and the True Self", "The Great Path of Absolute Other-Power", and much more. Very highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic collection, August 8, 2011

By 

M. Scott (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Buddha Eye: An Anthology of the Kyoto School and Its Contemporaries (Paperback)

This is a great collection of essays written from a modern Buddhist perspective with an emphasis on East-West dialogue. It including influential names like DT Suzuki, Masao Abe, and Nishitani writing on topics like reality, religious experience, existentialism, and modern, scientific culture.

I'm mainly writing this review to bring up the rating, as unfortunately it has a 3 star rating based on a spurious review.