Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains: Dharma Talks on Zen Meditation [Paperback]

Reb Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1999

Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains explores the life of passionate commitment that lies at the heart of the formal practice of Zen meditation. Written with the Zen master, as well as the Zen novice, in mind, it is a collection of dharma talks given by Reb Anderson, former abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center. In comprehensible, inclusive language, Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains draws on Anderson's thirty-year experience as a Zen priest exploring Buddhist yoga and psychology and the relationship of wisdom and compassion to the personal, social and ecological crises of our time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

" . . . if you have decided that Zen is . . . for you, then Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains is . . . your book." -- RALPH, Summer 1999

". . . inspirational and practical . . ." -- Branches of Light: News & Reviews from Banyen Books & Sound, Fall into Winter 1999-2000

". . . leads readers into a world view that combines quiet strength with disarming gentleness." -- New Age Retailer, October 1999

". . .down to earth and imposingly allusive. . . . One appreciates the lifetime of practice and study that enables [Reb Anderson] to bring, so effortlessly, the wisdom of the masters into the . . .present." -- Inquiring Mind, Fall 1999

"A gathering of wonderful stories of lineage teachers and their students, intermingled with stories from Reb's life and practice, that enliven and extend our understanding of Zen practice." -- Shambhala Sun, November 1999

"Originally published in 1995 by the San Francisco Zen Center, this beautifully designed new edition organizes the material more logically and contains an additional lecture: a basic encouragement to new students on zen practice. Susan Moon's foreword takes us into the zendo where Reb Anderson delivered the talks from which the book is drawn. Although focused primarily on meditation practice, these talks also address living in the suffering world." -- Turning Wheel: Journal of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Winter 2000

"These collected dharma talks . . . carry the scent of incense and the spaciousness of a zendo. The dignity and incisiveness of Suzuki Roshi echo in the voice of his student." -- Yoga Journal, June 1999

About the Author

Reb Anderson moved to San Francisco from Minnesota, in 1967, to study Zen Buddhism with Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, who ordained him as a priest in 1970. Since then, Reb has continued to study at San Francisco Zen Center, which includes Beginner's Mind Temple at The City Center (San Francisco), Green Dragon Temple at Green Gulch Farm (near Muir Beach, California), and Zen Mind Temple (Carmel Valley, California). Reb served as abbot from 1986 to 1995 and is now a senior dharma teacher.

He lives with his family and friends at Green Gulch Farm, where he teaches, lectures, and leads practice periods.`

Product Details

• Paperback: 173 pages
• Publisher: Rodmell Press; 2nd edition (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962713872
• ISBN-13: 978-0962713873
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,652,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Filled with deep appreciation for daily intentional living., July 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains: Dharma Talks on Zen Meditation (Paperback)

Book Review: Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains, Dharma Talks on Zen Meditation by Reb Anderson

Have you ever wondered why so many Westerners are getting involved with the many facets of Buddhism? Have you ever wondered what's so different about it? Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains is a book that answers these questions in an easy to understand simplistic way. Through stories and his personal experiences, Reb Anderson gives us an opportunity to look at our journey with fresh eyes and different awarenesses. Warm Smiles is filled with deep appreciation for daily intentional living and being in each moment as it arrives.

Don't try to read this book like a novel; there's just too much there to ponder and you'll miss a great deal if you do. I believe you'll read it through once, perhaps twice then keep it handy for day to day use. One thing I do with inspirational books is to keep them next to my favorite chair and periodically just open to any page and read whatever is there. Often, if there's something troubling my mind or I'm attempting to sort out an issue, I'll just open to a page in a book of this type. As I read that page, I'll usually relax a bit, pay great attention to what I opened to and discover that all is solved and answers are given. This is a look into a mirror, take your time, allow it to resonate deep inside your Being, meditate with the pages of this book.

I want to thank Reb for giving me an opportunity to see that Buddhism creates no conflict with anything in my daily personal life or belief systems. I was particularly drawn to Chapter Eight, "Life Is Not Killed." What a delicious way of viewing life. I recommend you check it out for yourself; it truly creates "warm smiles."

Jyoti Hansa, Vermont

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to help you live better., December 12, 2000

By 

M. A. Ramos (Florida USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains: Dharma Talks on Zen Meditation (Paperback)

I would like to start off by saying that you must read this book. Anyone who practices meditation will find this book rewarding--both seasoned practitioners and newcomers to the Buddhist path. The author has a special gift for relating the insights of traditional Zen teaching stories in a refreshingly contemporary manner. I felt like I was actually at the retreats as I read the stories. As mentioned elsewhere; Anderson, who teaches in the tradition of the great Zen master Suzuki Roshi, shows himself to be a worthy inheritor of this lineage and a powerful teacher in his own right.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration for living a full life, May 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains: Dharma Talks on Zen Meditation (Paperback)

Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains was a page-turner for me. I especially enjoyed the way the teachings were offered with a personal tone, and in fact I found that the "ordinariness" of the incidents from Mr. Anderson's life melded perfectly with the ancient teachings of Zen. This book is an inspiration; I look forward to reading it again and again.