Zen Meditation in Plain English [Paperback]

John Daishin Buksbazen (Author), Peter Matthiessen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2002

Written in a warm and easily accessible style, the book appeals to anyone with an interest in meditation, Zen, or, as is often the case today, a combination of the two. Zen Meditation in Plain English emphasizes the importance of receiving good instruction and of finding groups to practice with, yet it lays out the necessary steps to practice Zen meditation on your own. The book includes easily followed exercises to help the reader along. An excellent, practical introduction, this book represents the culmination of the search for a clear and insightful path into the philosophy and practice of Zen meditation

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The jolt of confidence you get when discussing a day's performance with a seasoned veteran can take any activity to a higher level. In his concise and informative Zen Meditation in Plain English, meditation veteran John Daishin Buksbazen gives detailed directions for each step of Zen-style meditation, from getting into the different postures and developing breath concentration, all the way up to intensive training periods. With only one short chapter on what the mind should be doing while "sitting" (as they say in Zen), his focus is on getting the fundamentals right. He also offers a rare introduction to the importance and mechanics of group practice and a well-selected "Frequently Asked Questions" section at the end. While Buksbazen repeatedly says that there is no substitute for a good teacher, until you find one, Zen Meditation in Plain English will do nicely. --Brian Bruya

From Publishers Weekly

Buksbazen, a psychotherapist who was ordained a Zen priest in 1968 and is affiliated with the Zen Center of Los Angeles, offers practical and down-to-earth advice about the specifics of Zen meditation. He begins by encouraging readers to get involved with meditation and not just read books about Buddhism: "After all, cookbooks are fun to read, but... they are most helpful to somebody who is actually involved in cooking." The bulk of this short primer is concerned with introducing the basics of zazen, or seated meditation: how to position the body, particularly the legs; how and when to breathe; what to think about. Helpful diagrams illustrate the full lotus, Burmese, kneeling (seiza) and other positions. Buksbazen even provides a "zazen checklist" to help beginners remember all of the steps involved in zazen, which as he notes is more difficult than it appears. What distinguishes this book from any number of Zen self-help books is its final section, which focuses on community. Arguing that "true Zen practice cannot be fully experienced in all its diversity and richness by just one person alone," Buksbazen builds a strong case for the powerful effect of being involved with a community of other practitioners. He follows this ideological argument with concrete information about group practice, including meditation retreats and other intensive training periods. In all, this is a fine introduction to Zen meditation practice, grounded in tradition yet adapted to contemporary life.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications; 1 edition (June 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0861713168
• ISBN-13: 978-0861713165
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #144,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taming the mind., June 1, 2002

By 

G. Merritt (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zen Meditation in Plain English (Paperback)

I was encouraged to "just sit" when I started practicing Zen meditation, but John Daishun Buksbazen's meditation manual offers much easier intructions to Zen practice. In his Foreward to Buksbazen's how-to guide, Peter Matthiessen notes that "this gentle book . . . is a wonderful introduction to Zen Buddhism, and also an invitation to a new life" (p. 13). Buksbazen is a Zen Buddhist priest and a psychoanalyst. Meditation offers us "a way of getting deeply in touch with the true Self," he observes; "not just the narrow self; that much can be accomplished through psychotherapy or a number of other disciplines. But sitting deals with the 'big-S'-Self, that most basic level of reality that has nothing to do with culture, social status, intellect, or even personality. It deals with who you really are beyond all specifics of time and place. And who you really are, ultimately, is the universe itself" (p. 35).

Organized into three parts, "Buddhas," "Sitting," and "Community," and then followed by a section of "Frequently Asked Questions," Buksbazen's 123-page book offers its reader an excellent introduction to taming our minds and discovering who we are through the practice of Zen meditation.

G. Merritt

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Zen Tool Kit, March 30, 2002

By 

Daniel J Buckley (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Zen Meditation in Plain English (Paperback)

This book has been a blessing for me. My organization provides a prison outreach program for inmates,who want to learn meditation,and this is the guide we will be putting in their hands. Daishin has provided the tools that any person, beginner or experienced practioner can use. His list of Frequently Asked Questions addresses those points that some people may feel shy in asking and his illustrations of sitting positions and exercises are most useful When you read the book, you feel he is talking directly to you. His use of quotes from his teacher, the late Maezumi Roshi,brings a deeper understanding of what Zen and the practice of meditation is all about. If you could only choose one book on meditation, I would advise you to give this one serious consideration.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful, beautiful, necessary, April 5, 2002

By 

"samydunn" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zen Meditation in Plain English (Paperback)

Honestly, I have never seen a better book on the pracitce of zazen, the Zen Buddhist meditation. This book is not only a practical guide to the (deceptively) simple process of sitting still, breathing and clearing your mind, it's inspiration itself--and just a plain good read. Buksbazen has written one of those books you can open to any page and find something relevent for the moment you are in. I find myself returning to this slim guide again and again. Highly recommended.