Customer Reviews

The Wisdom of the Zen Masters

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I teach religion at a community college and have used this book in my World Religions course for almost 20 years now. The introduction to Buddhism and Zen is not particularly illuminating, but the translations of the stories capture the spirit of Zen better than any other anthology I know. Paul Reps "Zen Flesh Zen Bones" has probably been its most serious competitor. Back in the late 1980's, when shopping around for a book on Zen to use in my course, I narrowed the field to Schloegl and Reps. I found a story both had included about two monks arguing over a flag fluttering in the breeze. One insisted that the flag moved and the other that the wind moved the flag. Then their master intervened. Reps has him say something to the effect that neither the wind nor the flag moves. Mind moves. Very majestic. Schloegl translates the same sentence thus: "It is neither the mind nor the wind, but the hearts of the two brothers that are flapping." Enough said.

P.S. Disclosure: I have a vested interest in people buying this book. When it goes out of print, I have to get special permission from the publisher to have it printed at my school as a course pack for sale at cost to my students. I'd rather not have to go to the trouble.

This book is an excellent introduction to Zen thinking for the traditional Western mind. Through an easy to understand introduction and explanation, followed by examples of Zen wisdom the reader is started on the path to an understanding of Zen philosophy.