Kensho: The Heart of Zen (Shambhala Dragon Editions) [Paperback]

Thomas Cleary (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 21, 1997 | Series: Shambhala Dragon Editions

Kensho is the transformative glimpse of the true nature of all things. It is an experience so crucial in Zen practice that it is sometimes compared to finding an inexhaustible treasure because it reveals the potential that exists in each moment for pure awareness free from the projections of the ego. Among the traditional Zen works are a number of important texts focusing on the profound subtleties of this essential Zen awakening and the methods used in its realization. The selections here are taken from:

   •  Straightforward Explanation of the True Mind, by Korean Zen teacher Chinul (1158-1210), which provides the contextual balance needed to understand kensho by relating it to the broader teachings of the Buddhist scriptures and treatises.
   •  Several works by Japanese Zen master Hakuin (1786-1769), whose teachings emphasize the techniques used in the cultivation and application of kensho and the importance of going beyond the experience itself to apply Zen insight to the full range of human endeavors.
   •  The Book of Ease, a Chinese koan collection from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, with commentary showing the practical dimension of classical koan practice.


The translator provides extensive introductory notes and detailed commentary on each of the selections to help the reader understand the inner meaning of this essential experience of Zen.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

An authoritative and prolific translator of and commentator on East Asian religious texts, Cleary tells us that kensho means "Zen insight into the essence of one's own being." To explain this concept in depth, he translates and comments on three Zen texts and divides his book into corresponding parts, which he titles "The True Mind," "Applications," and "Zen Koans." The three Zen texts are Chinul's (Korean, 1158-1210) Straightforward Explanation of the True Mind, several works by Hakuin (Japanese Zen master, 1689-1769), and The Book of Ease, a Chinese koan collection. Cleary's approach is to state a theme, expound on it, quote several passages from one of the three works to illuminate the concept, show what this contributes to the Zen understanding of true mind, and summarize his presentation. His work is tightly reasoned, complex, and for the advanced student of Zen. Recommended for libraries already having introductory books on Zen, such as D.T. Suzuki's An Introduction to Zen Buddhism (Grove Atlantic, 1987).
David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernadino
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Chinese, Korean

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (January 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570622698
• ISBN-13: 978-1570622694
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #580,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas Cleary is the preeminent translator of classic Eastern texts, including The Essential Tao, The Essential Confucius, The Secret of the Golden Flower, and the bestselling The Art of War.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the experienced Zen practioner, not for the beginner., September 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Kensho: The Heart of Zen (Shambhala Dragon Editions) (Paperback)

There are few zen books that detail the enlightenment experience to the degree this one does. It carefully and expertly points out that there are stages to the enlightenment experience and does an excellent job in translating seemingly abtruse Buddhist terms and phrases into more understandable language. Referring these terms to more popular and "Western" depictions of Buddhist thought and tradition. Once again, it's not a book for the beginner and requires a foundation of "practice" to help the reader understand many of the more salient points. So, if you've been practicing zen for a while and are searching for something to help deepen your practice and experience, try this book. After a chapter or two, you'll want to just "sit."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pointing At The Moon, April 24, 2008

By 

Leonard Moskowitz "Len Moskowitz" (Teaneck, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kensho: The Heart of Zen (Shambhala Dragon Editions) (Paperback)

Thomas Cleary is a prolific translator of Buddhist texts. In this slim volume he gathers key texts relating to Kensho (the initial awakening encountered in the course of Zen practice) from three sources.

The first section has fifteen short chapters from Chinul, a Korean Son Master, with a short introduction from Cleary for each. Most deal with the nature of mind; only the later ones address Kensho. While not easy reading, with a bit of effort you'll get a sense of how Zen/Son/Ch'an contextualizes the process of awakening.

The texts in the second section come from Hakuin, an 18th century Japanese Zen Master. I noted that Cleary translated one text's title as "The Four Cognitions", where Albert Low in his book "Hakuin on Kensho" translated it as "Four Ways of Knowing." The two books complement each other well.

The third section are extracts from a collection of Chinese koans, each intended to provide some insight into Kensho.

In the final analysis, what Cleary's sources make clear is that if you're interested in learning about Kensho, all the words in the world won't give you even a taste of what the actual experience is. So what's left to do? Put away the books...

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A most articulate insight into Enlightenment., October 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Kensho: The Heart of Zen (Shambhala Dragon Editions) (Paperback)

KENSHO, The Heart of Zen, is a concise articulation of Enlightenment and its method of realization. Summed up in a single quotation from the book: "What knows without knowledge is the true mind." (pg. 30)