Customer Reviews

Zen Meditation in Plain English

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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

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.

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.

Zen has a built in feature that makes it a little difficult to fathom at first. Those who have been practicing a while have developed enough insight that they see things a different way and therefore communicate in a different way. This communication is defined by a lilting, flowery and (in my view) often opaque use of language. The rest of us have a hard time figuring out just what the heck they're talking about. Unfortunately, in order for we "have-nots" to get it, we need some useful instruction from the "haves". This communication gap, if you will, can interfere with the learning process.

The title of this book implies an effort to bridge the gap and Buksbazen does a laudable job of delivering the goods. Don't expect an intellectual tour de force. That's not what it's about. Rather, this book is merely a short, simple, plainly-stated guide to getting started with "just sitting". The book is divided into three sections. The first provides a brief history of the Zen movement in Buddhism. The second, the heart of the book, provides some practical advice for the most basic form of Zen meditation, breath counting. The final section gives you some practical advice on continuing your practice within the "meditative community", an essential facet of meditative practice.

I especially appreciated the author's assurance that Zen is not as inaccessible as it might seem to us beginners. Don't worry, he says in effect, just start practicing and as you get better at settling your mind, you will begin to understand more and more. It will take some time and effort, but it will come. If you're looking for a book on different forms of meditation or a discourse on Zen practice, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for an easy "Getting Started:" manual, you might want to give this book a try.

I found this book to be delightful. Fresh and direct, with a simplicity and straightforwardness, the author lays the foundation for a clear understanding of what we're about when we meditate. He removes any doubt or anxiety that a beginner might have about their technique, and lays to rest any fears we may have that we'll look silly and inept in a room of practiced professionals. Most of all, he gives us the knowledge that enables us to sit confidently.

This book does an admirable job of explaining the fundamentals of Zen meditation. There are many, many good books out now that include some discussion of meditation technique, but usually that's as a part of a larger discussion of Buddhism and Buddhist thought, and the mechanics of meditation often get inadequate attention. With this book, the reader will get a solid introduction to meditation, sufficient to get actual practice off to a good start. I would not be surprised if it becomes a classic in the field. Very well done.

It is practical guide for beginners who are interested in
meditation. It shows the precise way to sit. The supplementary exercises written in the appendices are indeed very useful. It limbers up and allows one to sit longer. Secondly, it is written in simple English. Anyone who does not have a glossary of Buddhist Terminology can understand. Thirdly, it teaches one to be aware and mindful - sitting is just sitting; be it a "good" or "hard" sitting.

This is a very concise introduction to Zen meditation. It is particularly well suited to a beginner, particularly a Western beginner. The author is also credible with a background in both the Zen tradition and Western psychology.

However, if you are looking for something with more depth (perhaps after you have read "Zen... In Plain English") would be Robert Aitken's "Taking the Path of Zen". A much richer book! But I still think Plain English is still worthy.

You can always pretty much guarantee that if Wisdom Books publishes the book, it's guaranteed to be concise and helpful to followers of the "Way" ; and so it is in this book.
This book is destined to become in the future a classic guide for beginner's of Zen meditation. In loving and uncomplicated prose, John Daishin Buksbazen uncovers the actual core of Zen: the straightforward practice of following our breath and in so doing awakening to our life as the Buddha.

Zen Meditation in Plain English offers a durable foundation for meditation, illuminating the significance of finding ourselves a good teacher practicing with a community of practitioners, while also giving us instruction on how to practice in the meantime on our own (or in addition to with others). John Daishan Buksbazen was another great student of the late Taizan Maezumi Roshi, one of the most prolific Zen masters of modern times. Don't miss this book! It's a must have for any beginner.