Taking the Path of Zen [Paperback]

Robert Aitken (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1982

There is a fine art to presenting complex ideas with simplicity and insight, in a manner that both guides and inspires. In Taking the Path of Zen Robert Aitken presents the practice, lifestyle, rationale, and ideology of Zen Buddhism with remarkable clarity.

The foundation of Zen is the practice of zazen, or mediation, and Aitken Roshi insists that everything flows from the center. He discusses correct breathing, posture, routine, teacher-student relations, and koan study, as well as common problems and milestones encountered in the process. Throughout the book the author returns to zazen, offering further advice and more advanced techniques. The orientation extends to various religious attitudes and includes detailed discussions of the Three Treasures and the Ten Precepts of Zen Buddhism.
Taking the Path of Zen will serve as orientation and guide for anyone who is drawn to the ways of Zen, from the simply curious to the serious Zen student.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A good introductory text by one of the founding fathers of American Zen, this covers the basic teaching of Zen, including an emphasis on proper meditation practice.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"I welcome with great pleasure Robert Aitken Roshi's introduction to Zen practice, Taking the Path of Zen. I feel this will be a valuable source of information and inspiration both for those who have a passing interest in the subject and those who have determined to set out on the path of Zen themselves.

As an American who has trained in Zen practice for many years Aitken Roshi has a special understanding of the problems and questions which plague Western students of Zen. His book will thus be a godsend for people who have sought an introduction to Zen in their own language, free of the foreignisms that cultural differences can produce.

It is my sincere wish that this work will gain the wide readership it so deserves."
--Yamada Koun Roshi

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Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: North Point Press (January 1, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865470804
• ISBN-13: 978-0865470804
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #287,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars if you've set foot on the path ..., July 10, 2004

By 

Ellen Etc. (Northern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Taking the Path of Zen (Paperback)

This is a Zen book for the beginning Zen practitioner, by which I mean someone who has already decided to try zazen meditation practice and may have been practicing for a few weeks or months. Note I do not say it is for the Zen scholar or the Zen wannabe, but for the person who plants their rear on the cushion every day and wants to know what to do if their feet are falling asleep or who's noticing background noise in the mind. If you want to be hip and know "about" Zen, there are flashier books. But as one who had finally tired of reading cookbooks and hungered for the meal, this book pointed me in the right direction (or, at least, ONE right direction) and helps me actually "cook," so to speak.

Like the saying goes, "Meditation: it's not what you think," so if you are attracted to Zen but aren't actually sitting zazen, give up the critiquing and dabbling, find a teacher, and get to work. This book helps both in choosing a teacher and in addressing random questions and common pitfalls for the beginning meditator.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zen in readable form..., August 26, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Bloomfield, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking the Path of Zen (Paperback)

After reading many books that attempted to explain
Zen, I stumbled on this work by Robert Aitken. By far, Aitken puts into words what many authors have failed to. His easy-to-understand writing style makes what was once an impossible task; putting Zen into a western context, seem natural.

Aitken helps those of us who do not understand Japanese get a glimpse into the world of Zen and
its philosophies. There are many books on the topic, but few offer as much information to the
beginner.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on getting started with Zen, June 29, 2001

By 

Bob P. (Newport Coast, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Taking the Path of Zen (Paperback)

This book is the written form of the introductory speeches given at Aitken's Zendo. It is an excellent book on getting started in Zen. If you haven't yet decided to visit a Zen center or other place where you get instruction, but you want to start sitting and want to kind of know what to expect, this is a great book. It was a welcome change from many books that are a collection of koans, and from the books that are a collection of inspirational stories. This one is very much a how to do it.