The Golden Age of Zen: Zen Masters of the T'ang Dynasty (Spiritual Masters) [Paperback]

John C.h. Wu (Author), Thomas Merton (Introduction), Kenneth Kraft (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Spiritual Masters | Publication Date: October 8, 2003

A classic, examining the history of the great Chinese Zen masters of the 7th through 10th century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A good place to make the acquaintance of what can be called the very quintessence of Buddhist wisdom." -- Thomas Merton, in the introduction

"A rich harvest of the sayings and training methods of the great Chinese Zen masters. Highly recommended." -- Roshi Philip Kapleau, author, The Three Pillars of Zen

About the Author

Wu Ching-hsiung (1899-1986), known as John C. H. Wu, born in China, was an author, translator, lawyer, juristic philosopher, educator, and prominent Catholic layman. He was president of the Special High Court at Shanghai, vice-chairman of the Legislative Yuan's constitution drafting committee, founder of the T'ien Hsia Monthly, translator of the Psalms and the New Testament, and Chinese minister to the Holy See (1947-48).

After studying in the U.S. and Europe, he returned to China in 1924, where he became a professor of law at his alma mater in Shanghai. Within three years he was appointed principal of the School of Law. A chance reading of the autobiography of St. Theresa of Lisieux in 1937 sparked Wu's conversion to Roman Catholicism. His translations of both the Psalms and the New Testament into Chinese were received with wide acclaim. Chiang Kai-shek named Wu as the Chinese minister to the Holy See, and Wu presented his credentials to Pope Pius XII in February 1947.

In 1949, he moved to the U.S. and held posts at both the University of Hawaii and Seton Hall University. John C. W. Wu wrote and translated numerous books and articles on many subjects including religion, philosophy, and law.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: World Wisdom (October 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941532445
• ISBN-13: 978-0941532440
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #490,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Baha'i

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Golden Age of Zen Books, February 5, 2010

By 

M. James (Florida, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Golden Age of Zen: Zen Masters of the T'ang Dynasty (Spiritual Masters) (Paperback)

This book reminds me of my first encounters with Zen as a teenager. I used to read with amazement and wonder about the Zen masters of old with their strange speech, their erratic behavior, their sticks, their wisdom. This book presents ancient Chinese Zen in all its imaginative color. Mr. Wu's commentary is precise and penetrating: he clearly knows his Zen, and he explains it well without giving too much away. I would recommend this book for anyone, but especially for those new to Zen.

As for the review that says Mr. Wu is a Christian, this has no bearing or impact on his understanding. Zen is without colors, boundaries, or borders. Dr. Suzuki encountered this book toward the end of his life and commented favorably on it. I would ignore the prior reviewer and quickly snap up this gem of a book.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overview of the Zen masters, March 26, 2008

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3lusive 1 "A Shoplifter of Knowlege" (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Age of Zen: Zen Masters of the T'ang Dynasty (Spiritual Masters) (Paperback)

A complete overview of the Zen masters, wonderfully written, and definately worth it. Dr. Wu is very insightful and was friends with Lin Yutang. The preface may mention christianity but the meat of the book is an excellent overview, insightful. One of my favorite books in my large zen/dao collection.

7 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Christian view of Zen, May 7, 2007

By 

ron m. "Don't Be Fooled" (Renton, Wa.) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Golden Age of Zen: Zen Masters of the T'ang Dynasty (Spiritual Masters) (Paperback)

I was disappointed to discover that the man who wrote this book is not a Zen Buddhist, but a Christian. Though he is a Chinese scholar of Zen, it seems his understanding is filtered through his relationship with Christianity, hence the long forward by the author's good friend Thomas Merton trying to show some similarities between Zen and Christianity. I suppose this would have been a great book to have when it was published 40 years ago or so, but really there are so many better books available now which show a greater understanding and realization of Zen practice than this one. I would spend your money elsewhere.