Customer Reviews

An Introduction to Zen Buddhism

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

D.T. Suzuki (1870 - 1966) is usually credited with introducing Zen Buddhism to America, and in AN INTRODUCTION TO ZEN BUDDHISM he covers Zen in a scholastic and erudite fashion. Suzuki's use of English is extremely complex, but his style gets information across very well.

While expounding on the basics of Zen, Suzuki is always quick to respond to questions the reader might have. He dedicates an entire chapter to countering the oft-heard argument that Zen is nihilistic. The final chapter covers daily life for Zen monks, giving Westerners a glimpse of what is common knowledge for Japanese (or was several generations ago).

The book is not perfect, however. Suzuki covers only the Rinzai school of Japanese Buddhism, leaving the Soto school out in the cold. Also, like any Japanese Zen scholar, he tends to do a little Theravada bashing, claiming that it is "primitive" and unrefined.

D.T. Suzuki was a professor of Buddhist studies, and not a Zen adept himself, so it is important to also read an account of Zen from a personal and practical angle, to complement Suzuki's scholarly approach. For that, I recommend QUESTIONS TO A ZEN MASTER with Taisen Deshimaru.

I first read this book (as a German translation) over 20 years ago and was impressed by Zen philosophy that from then on slowly crept into my life. At that time I did not understand very much about Zen--there was very little literature available. So this book was exactly what I was looking for after I got interested in the subject from reading Jack Kerouac's "Dharma Bums". The copy I had got lost over the years after borrowing it to a number of friends, so I finally bought a new copy.
Suzuki's "Introduction to Zen Buddhism" helped a lot to open the door to Zen Buddhism and philosophy and to wet my appetite to learn more about it. To a westerner eastern philosophy can be pretty tough to digest, so I was always a bit suspicious about western authors explaining eastern philosophy. After learning about Suzuki's life he was definitely credible to me. Another important aspect about his books is that he wrote them in English himself. All too often excellent books from far eastern sources got messed up by mediocre or pretty bad translations.
The only things I did not like about this book, something also found in a number of other books of this kind, is the too lengthy introduction. However written by a famous and very knowledgeable man (from the west) it did not contribute lot to the book's subject.
Something else I missed after re-reading the book after more than 20 years is the fact that there is no real practical advice on how to get started with Zazen the proper way.
"Introduction to Zen Buddhism" is not an easy read (like many Zen books), but it has definitely become one of the more important Zen books in my library.

Amazingly my volume of this book was published in 1964 and looking at the preface, the book was created from articles written in Japan in 1914 ... The author states if he can lead the reader to study more of his work he has achieved his goal. This volume will serve to quench the thirst and hunger of any reader who is interested in Zen and it will lead one to try to understand more of the concepts associated with this experience.

The introduction is written by Dr. Carl Gustav Jung, who tells us, that the oriental concepts of Tao, satori, and the Buddhist concept of kamma are so different from Western ideas that it is difficult to translate. Yet he gives his highest recommendations to this volume -- no small matter, from one such as he is... a world famous psychiatrist and psychologist. The Zen texts say "enlightenment" is a natural occurence, and that it is a state of insight into the nature of self. Jung tells us it is a state of "spiritual reality", that 'satori' is a psychic occurence. It is a state of 'seeing things differently', a state of "consciousness of the consciousness" ... It is associated with "becoming whole" ... a spiritual experience that is part of consciousness ... but more expansive. Jung considers it is duty to tell Westerners -- it is "the longest of roads" -- "difficulties strew the path" -- "trodden by only a few of our great men" -- it remains for most -- "a beacon on a high mountain, shining out in a haze future". [p.27]

D.T. Suzuki in his "Preliminary" describes the two paths of Buddhism, the Lesser Vehicle and Higher Vehicle. "Personal experience is everything in Zen." [p.33]"No amount of meditation will keep Zen in one place." [p.41] He provides chapters on "nihilistic zen", "illogical zen", and "zen a higher affirmation". Practical zen, koans, and acquiring '"satori" or a new viewpoint' are well documented with fine examples. For a book of *only* 132 pages the breadth, width and depth of detail is astonishing. The author proves to be a master of his subject, indeed, no one else can whet the appetite of a beginner and have them searching to know more. This is the best gift a writer can provide -- this author provides us his *very* *best*. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Picasso said, "People don't realize what they have when they own a picture by me. Each picture is a phial with my blood. That is what has gone into it." When I read this book, I get the similar sense. The life jumps around. Creative energy flows as he indicates that Zen is the most important thing in life.

I read this book perhaps twenty years ago, and when I reread this now, it is as fresh if not much fresher than before. As we grow, our perspective in life changes. But because of that, I recommend any reader to "try" to get the essense of this book, keep this, and revisit this book later in his life. Perhaps, the light of awakening may strike us to reveal life's secret.

As Daisetz knows that it is like committing a crime to use words to write about Zen, we, readers, may well miss the mark to get the point for the first few readings. Yet, his compassion made him to spend his whole life dedicated to do this difficult job - to communicate the message. Personally, I have read more than thousands of pages of Daisetz both in Japanese and in English. Not just his writing, but his personality is revealed and attracted me as I talked with a person like Ms. Mihoko Okamura, Daisetz's personal secretary/companion in his later years. I hope that the essense of Zen, or for that matter, the essence of life is communicated throught this book for us to benefit from and for us to live the life as it is meant to be.

To help capture the point, here are few quotes collected from the book: - Zen is the spirit of a man. - The discipline of Zen consists in opening the mental eye..into the very reason of existence. - Zen wants to rise above logic. - Zen defies all concept-making. - When Zen is throughly understood, absolute peace of mind is attained, and a man lives as he ought to live. - here is ..a pure experience, the very foundation of our being and thought. - Zen is a living fact...To come into contact with this living fact...is the aim of all Zen discipline.

Best wishes! Good day, good life!! Kio Suzaki

I almost hesitated to give this 5 stars because the book itself is really an intellectual work - written largely to appeal to the intellect. This is somewhat contrary to Zen and to the very principles advocated in the book. But it is an excellent introduction and was among my first books on Buddhism and my first on Zen. As such, it served to inspire me to further investigation and to enter a spotty program (I wish I had the discipline to do better!) of meditation .

While reading this book, I suppressed the urge to "speed read" and took my time, reading as my last activity before bed. I would read until I got tired, or until something stopped me... something that demanded processing. Here's the best example: "Zen always seeks the ultimate truth that cannot be taken to the dissecting table of the intellect".

It took me three days to get past that one. This book puts forth the idea (this book is certainly not the only one) that not everything can be "figured out" by turning the gears of the brain. As a lifelong slave to my brain, I was challenged and fascinated by this idea.

In fact, I often had that sensation while reading this book. I recommend this wholeheartedly to intellectuals who suffer from their own minds. It cannot serve as an end, but very well as a beginning of the journey towards a more peaceful mind.

The stoic nature of the Japanese culture is well known but reading this introduction to Zen by D.T. Suzuki you can feel the passion in every word. This book is exactly what the title says, an introduction, designed to dispel common misconceptions (such as the charge of nihilism) and whet the reader's appetite for more with hilarious stories of the old Ch'an masters and give the briefest glimpse of what it might be like to experience satori (enlightenment). Can't recommend this book enough for anyone interested in Zen. Yes, he has some unkind words for Therevada Buddhism which is odd considering Zen seems to rely on one's own willpower more than other forms of Mahayana, but you must also consider that he may be talking about how those sects are practised in the modern era which can be and often is quite far from the ancient and venerated philosophies on which they are based.

D.T. Suzuki is considered one of the best spokesman for Zen Buddhism to non-Asian readers. He seems to do his best to make Zen clear and intelligible to the Western mind. He does give hints as to the nature of ideas like Satori and koans, the difference between Zen and Dhyana, and the structure of monastic life. He discusses the difference between Zen and Indian and Western rationalism and intellectualism, and he tries to show how Zen transcends Western logic. Nevertheless, I found the book baffling and unintelligible, but tantallizingly suggestive. I guess it's just another finger pointing at the moon, but it's a pretty eloquent finger.

This small book consists of two parts: a 20 page introduction by Carl Jung and the text by Suzuki-sensei.

Jung's introduction is a bit ponderous in part - carrying as it does the full weight of the scholarly apparatus of German metaphysics and psychology. Jung's analysis is interesting in several respects, the most important being seeing Zen as a way to integrate the spiritual and rational aspects of man.

Suzuki-sensei outlines Zen in a series of chapters, compiled from articles he wrote for a Japanese magazine. The writing is simple and direct. That being said, the key concept of Zen - as conveyed in the koan -- is not easily reduced to familiar thought patterns. That being the very point of Zen - to break down our "logical" way of thinking.

The introduction and book contain some interesting generalizations about "European man" and "Japanese nature" (Zen being particularly suited to the Japanese), which presumably reflect common wisdom at the time. These are minor stones in the path and easily stepped around for the serious reader.

The one criticism that Zen practitioners offer in the world of Zen in the Western culture is that it has been intellectualized into absurdity. That is to say, in the Taoist tradition, by understanding Zen is not to understand it. Modern Zen in the West has taken on a psychological approach where one thinks in order to "get it", one must break it down in terms of how the mind responds while in practice. When one does not "get it" then it is written off as silly, irrational or impratical. From the writings of D. T. Suzuki, this irrationality is the root from which the practice begins. To put the student into a state of paradox because, "simply the human tongue is not an adequate organ for expressing the deepest truths". When there is no verbal expression, or thought connected with words in which to speak, then a paradox is set up. A crux that forfits the tongue and makes room for action. Suzuki who is known as the introducer of Zen as well as the foremost authority on the subject in the West writes clearly and accurately, which is impressive knowing that English is not his native language. Throughout the book Suzuki sites many examples of ancient literature of Zen Masters, monks and students who have experienced satori or enlightenment through the use of stories, anecdotes and parables. These "stories" are told as if they are historical, yet are designed to further the student into irrationality. In Western terms, it means to break the yes/no logic of the rational mind. While the book reads easily, Suzuki writes intellectually. Although it is intellectual, there is not a sense he is talking down to the reader or intellectualizing the subject. To epitomize the paradox, Suzuki is describing what is not Zen more so than what is Zen by the sheer fact that Zen is not a thing to grasp or see. By his descriptions, the only way it can be exposed most accurately is through the description of what is not Zen. The reader, after trying to pick sides of what Zen may in fact be will struggle with this. Is this Zen? Or is this not Zen? Upon giving up on the struggle, the last section of the book is reprinted in-part, Suzuki's book, 'The Training of the Zen Monk' and may come to some conclusion that Zen is not a thing or idea or philosophy, but a life to live by. Decribing the techniques and practices of various Zen disciplines, Suzuki emphasizes the strict lifestyle and loyalty to their work. I feel the word "work" best describes this lifestyle. I do not mean a job by any sense of the word, by work as in "doing with conscious intent". But because I dont practice Zen, I can intellectualize a little bit, which is why I practice yoga.

I'm inclined to write this review, because it was sad to hear the criticism heaped upon Suzuki's 'Intro' by one particular reader ("Much Ado About Nothing ").

It may well be that Suzuki occasionally gave the impression that he was down on Indian Buddhism and saving his praise for Zen. But remember, this man gave us the 'Lankavatara Sutra' (and a supplementary volume to go with it - 'Studies in the Lankavatara Sutra.').He also gave us a translation of Asvagosha's 'Mahayana Sraddhotpada Shastra' (The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana).' The latter was presented in 1900, when English translations of Mahayana sources were scarce. The Lanka text was presented in 1934 and to date, it remains our only full length translation of this sutra. These were not the labours of a man down on Indian Buddhism.

Another point. The same reviewer who accused Suzuki of being down on Indian Buddhism, also averred that Suzuki's 'Intro' manifests a bias toward Rinzai Zen. This is a commonly held misconception about Suzuki's work. In fact, Suzuki's 'intro' contains material relating to masters who were not in the Rinzai school -e.g. Fa-yen, Tanka, Wan-shi, Chi-sha Daishi, Yoka, Te-shan,Yueh-shan etc. Suzuki certainly trained in Rinzai temples - and was without doubt the first Asian Buddhist to put 'Rinzai Zen' on the map.'

However, it might be noted that the text Suzuki favoured drawing on for his Zen anecdotes - the 'Dentoroku' (Chuan Teng Lu) predated the rather 'black and white' distinctions made about 'Zen lineages in some of the later (Sung and post-Sung)sources. There is considerable over-lap between the teachings of the respective masters whose records appear in the Dentoroku or 'Transmission of the Lamp.' As such, it cannot be read as a kind of Rinzai 'manifesto' - and, Suzuki's translations reflected this open-ended quality. In this respect, Suzuki's translations had a freshness about them which was, in many ways, a much healthier medium for introducing Zen to Westerners, than the hybridly narrow accounts informing some of our budding 'Zen orthodoxies' today. Allied with Jung's perceptive observations - in the foreword specially written for this book, stressing the 'complete lack of presupposition' required - to find our way into the terrain opened up by Zen, this little book has life in it yet.