ZEN TRAINING: Methods And Philosophy [Paperback]

Katsuki Sekida (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1975

First published in 1975, Zen Training has become a classic of Zen literature. It was one of the first books to demystify religion without debunking it, to explain hitherto esoteric practices in lucid, everyday terms. It offers concrete guidelines for practicing zazen, seated meditation. Posture, breathing, the function of the abdominal muscles, muscle tone, and the mechanisms of wakefulness and attention are clearly and scientifically explained, so that one learns what actually happens in doing zazen, why it leads to certain psychological experiences, and what their significance is. There is also a chapter on koans that goes far to clarify what for many has seemed one of the most frustrating and baffling aspects of Zen. Again, the reader is told how actually to deal with koans and how they operate as catalysts of enlightenment. The author also draws many significant parallels between Zen and Western philosophy and psychology, comparing traditional Zen concepts with the theories of being and cognition of such thinkers as Heidegger and Husserl. Zen Training marked a turning point in Zen literature in its critical reevaluation of the enlightenment experience called kensho, which the author believes has often been emphasized at the expense of other important aspects of Zen training. The aim of zazen is seen not as the achievement of such experiences as satori or kensho but as the attainment of absolute samadhi, that condition of utters stillness in which thought is cut off, the mind is empty, yet one is in a state of extreme wakefulness and awareness. Absolute samadhi is considered the precondition of any kensho experience of lasting value, and indeed as "the foundation of all Zen activities." This book also goes beyond the earlier stages of Zen training to describe the more advanced stages: what happens after kensho, and above all, how one lives as well as trains in Zen.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The first complete English-language handbook for Zen meditation."— Psychology Today "This book will be a classic."— Library Journal "An extraordinarily important book."— Choice "The work on Zen that the West, and perhaps the East, has been waiting for. The best work on Zen training yet in English."— New Age Journal

About the Author

Katsuki Sekida (1893–1987) was by profession a high school teacher of English until his retirement in 1945. Zen, nevertheless, was his lifelong preoccupation. He began his Zen practice in 1915 and trained at Empuku-ji in Kyoto and Ryutaki-ji in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture. He taught at the Honolulu Zendo and Maui Zendo from 1963 to 1970 and at the London Zen Society from 1970 to 1972.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Weatherhill (December 1, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0834801140
• ISBN-13: 978-0834801141
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,100,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, November 14, 2000

By 

Yuri Kuzyk (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ZEN TRAINING: Methods And Philosophy (Paperback)

There are a lot of books out there on zen; one may wander the aisles of any of the big book chains and see how the word has become a bit overused. However, if I were to suggest one book on zen that should be found on your shelf, this would be it. No fluff and/or preaching here, just solid information and discussion on the fundamentals of zazen.

I particularly like the fact that Sekida emphasizes breathing and energy flow from the tanden; for someone who practices Qigong this seems obvious but I think many who practice zazen take years to catch on. The sheer amount of practical advice in this book make it well worth the money and the discussion of three nen make it indispensible. In fact, I think this is a better place to start than many of the more esoteric zen books since really, this is all about the practice, not the theory.

Combine this with a book on Qigong, "Mindfulness in Plain English", and perhaps "Zen and the Brain" and then find a master; I don't think you'll ever regret the decision.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book about zen I've read so far, May 1, 2001

By 

Miguel Suarez "zen enthusiast" (Brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ZEN TRAINING: Methods And Philosophy (Paperback)

For me, this book is the best book on zen I've read,because it deals with a topic that is essencial for learning zen, and that is not discussed in detail in most of the other books: how to practice zazen. It explains methods for breathing, diferent postures, what you should experience in zazen, and many other interesting things. I start practicing zazen a while ago under the direction of a zen monk, and I even went to a ten days sesshin (retreat), but I learned to breath in zazen through this book. I greatly recomend this book for anyone who is interested in zen, beginers and who has some knowledge alike.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the Westerner wanting to learn about practicing Zen, June 30, 2002

By 

A.C. Scott (SW USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ZEN TRAINING: Methods And Philosophy (Paperback)

The text is written by a laymen who taught high-school English and practiced/studied Zen in Japan. He later taught at several Zendos in Hawaii and in London.

There are several benefits of this text. First, the writer's cultural background bridges translation problems and he focuses on accurate translation of the ideas and concepts. Second, the writer is a laymen which may help the more cynical reader be more open to different ideas. Third, he discusses the fine points of meditation technique in a semi-scientific approach that appeals to a western mechanistic paradigm--we aren't caught up in flowery, artsy-fartsy instruction which does have a place but not for many Westerners interested in the actual practice methods. Fourth, I found the author has suggestions for improving that I haven't seen anywhere else. Fifth, the text describes practice that allows the practitioner to improve the technique to adapt to their special needs which I believe is realistic and very much in-line with the original intent of Siddartha--this is to help free the practitioner from the small inaccuracies always found in a mechanistic approach.

I recommend this as one of the best methods texts I have ever had the privlege to come across.