Nirvana in a Nutshell: 157 Zen Meditations [Paperback]

Scott Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2002

Nirvana is not to be found in the fulfillment of endless desires, the analysis of profound thoughts, or even hours, days, or years of meditative contemplation. In fact, it is the very act of seeking to obtain happiness, peace, and enlightenment that keeps them out of reach.

Nirvana in a Nutshell offers 157 Zen meditations to help you discover what you might be doing (or not doing) in your life to sabotage your goal of reaching inner peace, your own personal paradise. Let go of the quest and become that which you truly seek and you will find your own Nirvana.

Nirvana is the state of grace where there is no longer any physical suffering, mental anguish, or unanswered questions. Many assume that the only way to achieve that magical state is if they walk away from the world and enter "the spiritual path." But conflict is a part of life--any kind of life. If you allow your peace to be taken away from you by external occurrences or internal disharmony then you will never know contentment. Peace is an inner triumph.

Nirvana is not known, because it has been propagated as the ultimate obtainment. It has been made a desire. But, as Siddhartha Guatama stated, "The cause of suffering is desire." Scott Shaw contends that people are looking for contentment in all the wrong places.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Scott Shaw is an accomplished martial artist and practicing Buddhist. He is the author of several books, including Zen O'Clock, Samurai Zen, Ki Process and Tao of Self Defense.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Red Wheel (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590030176
• ISBN-13: 978-1590030172
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,114,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Scott Shaw, Ph.D. is a prolific author, composer, and filmmaker. He was born and spent his formative years in Hollywood, California. Since his late teens, Shaw has traveled the globe. His particular focus has been on Asia, where he continually returns, documenting obscure aspects of Asian culture in words and on film.

During his youth, Shaw was drawn to two factors that have come to define much of his life; namely: Eastern Meditative Thought and the Martial Arts. These inclinations led him to study in both the West and Asia. Shaw is an initiate of Buddhist, Hindu, and Sufi sects. He has been a certified instructor of both Yoga and Meditation since the age of eighteen.

Shaw began studying the martial arts at six years old. He has emerged as one of the leading modern proponents of integrating spirituality into the martial arts. He was the first non-Korean ever to be awarded the seventh degree black belt by the prestigious Korea Hapkido Federation and has since been promoted to eighth degree black belt in both Hapkido and Taekwondo. He also has been certified seventh degree black belt in Aikijutsu and Kumdo.

As an author, Scott Shaw's writings were initially published by literary journals in the 1970s. He continued forward to have several works of poetry and literature published in book form. By the 1980s, Shaw's writings came to be embraced in Spiritual and Martial Art circles. From this, he has authored numerous articles and a number of books on Zen Buddhism, Yoga, Ki Science, and the Martial Arts.

In addition to writing, Shaw has an active career as an actor and filmmaker. In 1991, he developed a new style of filmmaking that he titled, Zen Filmmaking. The primary premise behind Zen Filmmaking is that no screenplay should be used in the creation of a film. According to Shaw, "In Zen Filmmaking there are no rules and no definitions. Instead, the spontaneous creative energy of the filmmaker is the only defining factor. This allows for a spiritually pure source of immediate inspiration to be the only guide in the filmmaking process."

As a university professor, Shaw has taught seminars and courses on Asian Studies and Filmmaking at such institutions as the University of California, Los Angeles, California State University, Los Angeles, the University of Oxford, Silpakorn University, and the Korea National University of the Arts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another esteemed favorite... !, March 11, 2005

By 

V. L. Garland "blissy qigongirl" (Sapello, New Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nirvana in a Nutshell: 157 Zen Meditations (Paperback)

Now "Nirvana in a Nutshell" is among my most valued meditation study materials. Yes, it is alongside the Tao te Ching, I Ching, Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche and Pema Chodron as well as the author's other fine book,"About Peace". Some of the short-and-sweet verses allow one to drop right into an altered state of awareness. I can't thank Scott Shaw enough for his enlightened words & the energetic support provided for the reader. I intend to start from the beginning again once I've reached the end.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on the essence of enlightenment!!!!, December 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Nirvana in a Nutshell: 157 Zen Meditations (Paperback)

This is a great work that points the reader straight to the heart of what enlightement is actually all about. It is full of excellent thought provoking passages that can be read from beginning to end or simply open a page and REALIZE.

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent and very thoughtful book, May 5, 2008

By 

Hayk Makhmuryan (La Crescenta, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nirvana in a Nutshell: 157 Zen Meditations (Paperback)

It takes endless thoughtfulness to provoke a reader to look for thoughtlessness within himself. And Scott Shaw does a very good job.

The laconic nature of the book can be a unique short-cut to a clear state of mind. What I enjoy about texts lately is attention to words and structure to express a thought as crisply as the limitations of language allow. This book does just that, and it acts like a relaxing massage for the brain.

At the same time, since a lot of its beauty is in its simplicity, there is no need to be "conditioned" for this book. Everyone will take away something very valuable from the book, as it reflects and crystallizes - like a clear mirror - the thoughts that have already been running through your mind.