Buddhist masters of the past have explained the relationship between Buddhist theory and the Truth by way of a simple metaphor. The Truth, they say, is like the distant moon. Ideas, theories, and explanations are merely fingers pointing at that far-away goal. They are not, and can never be, the moon itself. So this book is one such finger, a finger pointing at the moon, but the moon itself can be touched by you alone... The Buddhism which emerges from To Meet the Real Dragon is Buddhism for real people: ordinary human beings with ordinary human problems. It is humanistic Zen--Zen for human beings. Here are a few of the topics covered by this very readable book: What is Religion, Meeting a True Master, Master Dogen, Science and Buddhism, Idealism and Materialism, Gautama Buddha, The Four Noble Truths, The Transmission of the Truth, Cause and Effect, Not Doing Wrong, Action: The Center of Buddhism, Zazen, The Four Philosophies.
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I felt moved after reading this book to add to the positive reviews that it has received. Having assembled a nice little library of books on Buddhism over the years certainly doesn't make me an expert but it does put me in a position to share my reaction to this book and why it stands out from many others I have read. I have never come across a presentation of Buddhism as clear and useful as the one contained within this book. This is a book that presents Buddhism in a logical, systematic way and I find myself returning to it again and again.
Gudo Nishijima is a Zen master who has held a full time job in a Japanese company for many years. This fact impresses me in that I am able to relate to him better than other teachers who have spent the majority of their time in cloistered monastic environs. Not meant as a knock on monastic Buddhism which has its role to play for sure, but it is refreshing to know that this teacher knows what it's like to grind it out in the modern rat race with the rest of us. He also has an impressive knowledge of western philosophy and history that he uses to great effect to clarify the presentation of Buddhism here. His appreciation for science is very refreshing as well.
This is not a book that I would recommend to someone who is looking for an orthodox academic presentation of Buddhism that might be used as a textbook for a class, that would be "What the Buddha Taught" by Walpola Rahula. This book deconstructs Buddhism down to its essence and presents it logically without all the obscurity and "long windedness" found in many other books. This is one you can really take something from, it has inspired me to stop just reading about Zen and actually start practicing on daily basis.
Gudo Nishijima is a Zen master who has held a full time job in a Japanese company for many years. This fact impresses me in that I am able to relate to him better than other teachers who have spent the majority of their time in cloistered monastic environs. Not meant as a knock on monastic Buddhism which has its role to play for sure, but it is refreshing to know that this teacher knows what it's like to grind it out in the modern rat race with the rest of us. He also has an impressive knowledge of western philosophy and history that he uses to great effect to clarify the presentation of Buddhism here. His appreciation for science is very refreshing as well.
This is not a book that I would recommend to someone who is looking for an orthodox academic presentation of Buddhism that might be used as a textbook for a class, that would be "What the Buddha Taught" by Walpola Rahula. This book deconstructs Buddhism down to its essence and presents it logically without all the obscurity and "long windedness" found in many other books. This is one you can really take something from, it has inspired me to stop just reading about Zen and actually start practicing on daily basis.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By R. Earl
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
In case you don't know, Gudo Nishijima is an authority on many of the greatest teachings of Zen, having translated the collection of master Dogen's teachings called the Shobogenzo. If you have read many books on Zen and have gotten tired of seeing what looks like remarkably similar presentations over and over again, then I encourage to read this book. Gudo Nishijima presents a somewhat different perspective and offers us the opportunity to look at the same ultimate reality that all the other Zen books point to from a different angle. I often find this to be very valuable, especially with regard to religion, philosopy, and Zen. While he does not diverge from the teachings of the ancestors in terms of the Dharma he is teaching, I find his approach to be in some ways more accessible to modern readers, while remaining true to the essence of Zen.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Ivan Alfredo
Format:Paperback
What a revolutionary way to establish the difference between an intellectual search for the truth and real Buddhism. I have recommended this book to the rest of my Sangha since it clearly makes the point to drop thinking and ideallizing and finally take action. Practicing Zazen is action. Be a warrior, be brave enough to meet the true dragon. The Dragon legend will be the inspiration you need for your practice. Just as the Buddha Gautama, Bodhidharma and Master Dogen did, sit facing a wall and practice Zazen!
Gassho.
Gassho.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book ! must read
Gives a very in depth understanding of various ideologies . Do not take this as a typical buddist book , this has theories more than that .
Published 1 month ago by Ravindra Uttaravalli
5.0 out of 5 stars
I read many Zen books, I actually finished this one
Very well written and clear. I am a 15 year practitioner and this made me think.I wish I'd found it earlier in my practice - I think it would be great for beginners to this... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Anne V. Weisbrod
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not a dragon just a fish
This is what the sages and patriarchs warned about when they stated:"Great doubt great enlightenment, small doubt small enlightenment". Read more
Published 4 months ago by W. Athan
5.0 out of 5 stars
EXCELLENT !!
This book and along with Kosho Uchiyama's "Opening the Hand of Thought" (in my opinion) are the only 2 books one has to read to truly understand Zen. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Tony H.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Book!
I loved this book, I have read many books on Zen Buddhism but, this is my favorite at the moment. I highly regard Master Nishijima and his clear and lucid writing. Read more
Published 18 months ago by IslandZen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Zen is so simple your mind has trouble understanding it
This was a great read on Zen Buddhism. I read Zen And the Art of Happiness and it changed my life, so I looked for another book on Zen. Read more
Published on January 7, 2011 by Thouqht
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spend Time With an Inquisitive Mind
The chief virtues of this book are the author's intriguing perspective on Western thought, his alternative slants on traditional Buddhist doctrine, and the generally welcoming... Read more
Published on November 26, 2010 by Carl of Mariemont
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fresh look
This is an unusual book for this subject manner. It is unusually genuine and unusually free of pretentious piety. Read more
Published on November 26, 2010 by Richard O. Dewald
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK, but not the greatest
This book seems disjointed. I don't know if it is because of Nishijima having to use English or what. I have read many books on Zen and there are some very good ones out there. Read more
Published on August 11, 2010 by tyson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Perfect Treatise for Zen
Gudo Nishijima's book 'To Meet the Real Dragon' is one of pure excellence. I have read many books on the subject of Buddhism and Zen and this one, by far, is the most accessible,... Read more
Published on June 2, 2010 by Matthew
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
