Customer Reviews

The Everything Zen Book: Achieve Inner Calm and Peace of Mind Through Meditation, Simple Living, and Harmony (Everything (Religion))

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Back in the old days, you had to go to some exotic far-east country and climb a mountain, and most likely embrace the whole of Buddism in order to get an introduction to Zen. You might expect to be there for some time, in fact, studying under a very wise teacher who speaks little or no English.

Well, if you happen not to be a Buddist, and you don't want to travel for extended periods and live in other cultures like a native, and you have a life, there is good news. It's not that complicated. I am a Christian, and I practice Zen. It isn't complex or mysterious at all, you don't have to be a Buddist, and it is completely life changing.

This book is a good, clear introduction to Zen practice (which is what Zen is really all about). It also thoroughly covers most of the outer trappings of Zen as well. These things aren't necessary to Zen practice, but they add context. The thing this book does not do is get tangled up in Buddist dogma, which is deeply complex. Instead, it sticks to Zen, which is elegant, simple, and beautiful.

There are many, many books on Zen. The mysterious ones are fun but generally useless. This one is a good read, but not in the "mysterious" category. It is useful, and I would recommend it for beginning practitioners.

If you don't plan to practice, don't buy this book. It won't make any sense to you. Get one of the mysterious Zen books, read it, enjoy it, and if it inspires you to try Zen practice, then come back and buy this book.

This is the first beginning Zen book I've seen that explains terms and esoteric concepts in easy to understand, concise, plain English. Even the classic books tend to border on the mystical, so it was a refreshing read. As I read "THe Everything Zen Book", it make other books I've read and terms I've heard instantly clearer and helped me appreciate the aspects of Zen all that much more.

For example, I'd already read a book on taking a Zen Buddhist approach to writing. That book made very little sense to me until I read "The Everything Zen Book." That's when I finally understood what the other author had been trying to say.

If you're looking for a solid introduction, there is no better book out there. I'd highly recommend reading this book before reading any others on Zen, that are Zen-related, or that apply Zen-like approaches.

I didn't realize this was of a piece with the "For Dummies" kind of books. I was expecting a thoughtful meditation on making everything in my life zen. My mistake, not the authors. But within its own terms, an okay book. Not particularly good, or particularly funny,, or particularly informative. Just simple and straightforward.

If you are interested in Zen, you can't go wrong with this book. It's a great introduction to Zen--I learned a lot from it.

(4.75 Stars)

I'm new to the Everything series books - and I'm enjoying them very much. They are pretty similar to the Dummies and Idiots books, but without that initial giggling of having the words ...for Dummies - and Idiot in the titles.

This is a great introduction to what Zen is and it has some of the best, useful and practical tips and advice on to how to practice that I've ever read.

The big focus in this book is the practice of Zen. That's not to say that all the book talks about is meditation. The Everything Zen Book pretty much covers as close to everything Zen as one book can.

I was most impressed with how The Everything Zen Book wonderfully emphasizes throughout that Zen is the Practice. No smoke and mirrors of what Zen is - just the real - as Jacky Sach's and Jessica Faust simply put:

Zen starts with seated meditation, then you take what you learn on the cushion and apply it to the rest of your life...

The negative - someone chose to have a horribly difficult to read font for the quotes that are peppered throughout the book - it ruined the initial experience of each of these fantastic quotes making them almost impossible to read. Not a deal breaker - I still highly recommend the book to those interested in Zen and those that want to further learn about hitting the cushion and start meditating...