Customer Reviews

The Compass of Zen (Shambhala Dragon Editions)

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It is a hilarious book. It is written in easy and funny English and gives me a profound message to guide how l have to live in this complicated world. Seung Shan Sunim ephasizes many times that you must understand yourself first, and then use the enlightment to teach suffering all human beings. all suffering comes from your mind and your attachment to names and forms. Zen praictice is a techinque to clear your mind and to detach all names amd forms that we are attached and hindered to find your true self. the correct zen practice helps you empty your mind and leads you see who you are, where you came from, and where you are going, which there is no time and space. Time and space are created by your delusional mind, which you don't understand you and your situation are the same and one. The Great Love and The Great Compassion are the main message to practice zen. it is for something that you want, but someting for saving all suffering human beings. you must throw away "I". The I samll "I" cause you to attach names and forms. Seung Sahan Sunim's teaching is beyound religion,Buddism, but humanistic message, which guides me to think about my original questions for my existence.

Zen master Seung Sahn is not a man of lecture, he could be your friend, or your brother. Representing the history, categorization and background of the different flavors of Buddhism in such a simple yet insightful way, Seung Sahn is able to cut through the usage of scholar terminology and present the Wisdom in a clear-cut readable approach. Laughter and enjoying his life and dedication to Buddhism with a Korean background, he explains insights like Non-Self, Impermanence, Impurity, etc.. in an easy to understand way - using examples and stories from the ancient Masters as well.

Like Zen Master Seung Sahn would say: Don't think about buying it, Just do it!

Many of Zen Master Seung Sahn's western students are now fully authorized teachers in their own right, and it is interesting to note that they do not necessarily recommend this book to Zen students.

Not that COMPASS OF ZEN is not wonderful. The original outline, handwritten by Zen Master Seung Sahn for use by his students, touches on the central points of Buddhist teaching and practice. An eminent roshi once examined it and confirmed that this is all a student need study.

Yet Zen Master Seung Sahn always points the reader back to practice, practice, practice. This practical orientation is present in every one of these assembled talks. ZMSS clearly has a solid understanding of Buddhist sutras as well as non-literary Zen insight, and presents it in a clear, direct, straightforward teaching style. The book is also full of wonderful Korean stories and the Zen Master's own humor. Consistently, he will undercut the scholarly approach to Zen and exhort the listener to return to everyday life practice ("just do it") and a sincere vow to help all beings.

So, a thick book isn't necessary. At some public talks in America, when asked about this or that point in the book, Seung Sahn Sunim has even said, "Maybe book make mistake. Throw book away."

So much has been said and written about buddhism one sometimes feel unsure about where to go next along the path. Smaller Vehicle (Hinayana), Greater Vehicle (Mahayana), Zen Vehicle (Chan), which one to take to the other shore? Why buddhism? What is Karma? What is true Practice? What is Buddha Nature? What are Theoritical Zen, Tathagatha Zen and Patriarchal Zen? What is our Original Face? What can I do? So many questions...
This book will explain in a clear and comprehensive manner the three main buddhist traditions and the points they lead to. The writing style is sometimes quite scholarly, sometimes humourous, never boring. Get correct answers about buddhism today; GET THIS COMPASS, FIND YOUR WAY HOME!

You can look for many books from the great masters of the past for the real thing, not the chewing of some "modern commentator". Don't look further! Zen master Seung Sahn has also the real flavour, but a contemporary one, teaching with examples from your(and his) every day life, in this world, now, often with great sense of humour... Not to forget a very clear writing over the differents schools of the Buddhism, from Hinayana to Zen.

With palms together, This wonderful book is like a Dharma Chewy. Readers must sit with it, chew on it, and maybe even spit it out a few times to 'get it.' It has been a favorite of mine for some time. Master Sahn's relaxed and expansive manner, command of the subject and language, makes each page a gate to the True Dharma. The book addresses Zen in a comprehensive manner, walking us through various traditional sources, using ancient poetry when needed, and paints a picture of the universde that is both whole and part at the same time. Wherever you are along the Great Wayt, this compass will assist you with your next step. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Be well. So Daiho

I have read many books on Zen Buddhism, but have never read a book that cut to the bone as did Compass. The introduction alone, was outstanding!
I live in Orlando and have had such a hard time finding a temple or group for Zen. Then i found out about Master Seung Sahn, not knowing the Korean way of Zen, I of course wanted to "Check out" the teacher i would be working with. I am so impressed by his books and methods of teaching that I have no reservations going with his school.
An Excellent book for a novice or and experienced practioner.

don't know what you are looking for, but this is the book. It is comprehensible and enjoyable reading for people at all 'levels', and you can feel Sahn's compassion and humanity. I am buying this book because I keep giving away my copies: This will be my sixth copy of the book.
One warning - if you're the type to underline, mark, or dog-ear your books, don't bother with this one - you'll end up highlighting every word.

Having read "Dropping Ashes on the Buddha" for years and letting it sit with me for years, this book was like a key opening a door to my mind and letting in a stream of light. This is all the book you will ever need. Sure, you can study theories, stats, and philosophies for decades but in the end, zen master SS will cut to the bone and explain how simple everything is. And you will wonder why in the world you have been making it so difficult.
This book covers all the angles. It gives you history, examples and the rest. But mostly, it gives you a compass to make sure that you are on the right track. After reading a chapter or three on a regular basis, you will succumb to the basic simpleness of the message and it will start to slowly dawn on you. Little by little, how simple things can really be, if you just "Don't know".

I first saw the hand-printed Compass of Zen at the Cambridge (MA) Zen Center years ago. Try to imagine just the Chinese characters and translations at the head of each chapter in this book -- that's all there was. At least one Japanese Zen Master looked at it and said it contained everything a Zen student needed to learn about Buddhism.

This book is a compilation of ZMSS's talks on the original "Compass of Zen", put together by a couple of his long-time, dedicated and loving students. It is a fine representation of who ZMSS was as a teacher and what it was like to spend time with him -- alternately challenging, hilarious, profound, pithy, discursive, insightful, oddly scholarly, and always compassionate and completely dedicated to the simple proposition with which he signed every letter: "I hope you always go straight 'don't know,' which is clear like space, soon get enlightenment and save all beings from suffering."

This should not be your only book on the basics of Buddhism. It is too unconventional, too dedicated to turning the teachings on their heads, to be that. Thich Nhat Hanh's "Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" is a more scholarly work that fills in much of what ZMSS leaves out. But it should be in your library, and you should read it as an antidote to the words of the teachings. ZMSS's focus was on practice, practice, practice for 10,000 years nonstop; he once told my first Zen teacher, Mu Deung Sunim (later Zen Master Su Bong), "No more books, ok?" If this book does its job, it is likely to get you to put the book down and do some zazen or, of your cup is dirty, to go wash the dishes.

Andrew Weiss, author
"Beginning Mindfulness"