Customer Reviews

The Path of the Human Being: Zen Teachings on the Bodhisattva Way

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although most of "The Path of the Human Being" is informative, I found myself losing interest around page one hundred. I began feeling that too much of what was being written was simply being rehashed multiple times. For example, the concept of "Big Mind" is hammered upon again and again, but I could not help feeling that this author didn't trust his readers enough to allow them to hear the more "Buddhistic"-sounding "Buddha-mind"-an expression that carries deep resonances and meaning(especially when you consider that the term "Buddha" means "awakened")-something that "Big Mind" does not capture.

However, don't get me wrong: Merzel is a smart guy with a lot of experience, and he does offer us some interesting tidbits here. I like his recounts of some of the stories involving Bodhidharma and Dogen, and I think his insights are great.

A great book that describes the next step in Zen practice which is to help others in the world through actions in your daily life. You can sit and think and be enlightened until your eyes leak tears of gold but if you don't put your enlightenment into action what does it mean. This book tells you about that and reminds you not to take your enlightenment to seriously because there is always more to learn and be. It reminds you that Zen in a living practice that in never really mastered because life is never over.

The only part that put me off in the entire book is the label "Big Mind". To someone who has read alot of the traditional books on Zen this is just a little too "New Age" and the author could have just used Buddha nature or some other traditional descriptive word for this mental state.

Over all a great book that I would rank in my top 3 with Reb Anderson's "Being Upright" and Wes Nisker's "Buddha's Nature"

Merzel gives a simple, accesible, and clear introduction to (Soto) Zen, and places the traditional practices in a context and framework that are easy to understand and simply translated to modern, day-to-day living.

For me, he captured the essence of "Big Mind" and other fundamental concepts with uncluttered sentences, plain language, and a touch of humour.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in meditation and/or understanding what (us) crazy Zen practitioners are all about.

The best book about Zazen practice and Zen buddhist philosophy I know and a book that led me to starting and continuing daily Zazen practice in earnest. My first reading of the book was like a home coming - and I have read it many more times since then. I have the feeling that it will remain a good companion and source of encouragement for my practice for life. Buy it - it will give you a new outlook on life.

If you are serious about Zen practise or just interested, this is the ultimatel book for every student or practitioner. A book/teaching I will come back to again and again. It has answered many questions about zazen and practise that have long been on my mind. This should be a classic Zen text for any serious student of Zen. Thank you Genpo!

This is quite one of the most profound books ever written.

I mean it. You cannot go through life, in my opinion, not having read this book. Whether you're interested in spirituality or not, this book is simply a must.

It convinced me to commit to a regular zazen practice, and simply cannot be recommended highly enough.

Captivating.

If you are a practitioner of Soto Zen Buddhism, then you will appreciate the direction of this book - sitting on your bum is the supreme expression of enlightenment, and anything else is a lesser practice.

For the rest of the Zen world (Yes Mr. Merzel, there are other "Zen" sects out side of Japan - not everyone is either Soto or Rinzi) there is still enough meat to make the book worth reading.

This item was given as a gift to a friend, who specifically requested it, and expressed great satisfaction on receiving it. Pricing, delivery and product integrity were all satisfactory. My rating it a 4 out of a possible 5 reflects only the fact that I lack first hand experience with the purchased item, and can only reflect the limited information conveyed to me by its recipient.