Zen for Americans (Open Court Paperback) [Paperback]

Soyen Shaku (Author), Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Open Court Paperback | Publication Date: February 1, 1991

1913. This little work is a collection of some of the lectures delivered by the Right Reverend Soyen Shaku during his sojourn in Japan. He lectured on the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters, and naturally chose the texts for his sermons from this most popular among the canonical books. Partial Contents: Sutra of forty-two chapters; God conception; assertions and denials; immortality; Buddhist faith and ethics; What is Buddhism? middle way; wheel of the good law; reply to a Christian critic; ignorance and enlightenment; practice of Dhyana; Buddhism and oriental culture; sacrifice for a stanza; Buddhist view of war.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company (February 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875482732
• ISBN-13: 978-0875482736
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,232,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Introduction, But Beware of Translation Bugs & History, April 30, 2002

By 

J. Kowalski "mumon" (Camas, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zen for Americans (Open Court Paperback) (Paperback)

As a person who trains in a lineage descended from Shaku Soen, I can say that this book helped alot in my understanding of my own lineage. In particluar, the expositions on the Dharma-kaya, on death, and on suffering are very well presented. The sections comparing Buddhism to Christianity alone are worth the price of the book.

That said, however, some of the concepts that are presented, in my opinion, are not rendered well in English. Too often the term "monism" is used, which has implications that have been seized upon by people that would rather create a caricature of Buddhism. ("Non-duality"- not two, and not one- is a better rendering). Unfortunately, Suzuki was an early translator, and this is an early translation of Japanese Buddhist ideas.

In addition, we see in this book some of the infusion of Japanese martial spirit that was later to tarnish Japanese Buddhism, and to provide Westerners with an important koan- how to reconcile the Dharma of compassion and respect for all beings with the militant nature espoused here. There is an answer to this koan, to be sure, but you'll only find the question hinted at here.

So, I'd recommend the book heartily, but the reader should also read other works to get a fuller picture- e.g., Brian Victoria's book on Zen at War, as well as Nagarjuna, and other writers.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A joy to read, September 6, 2008

By 

V. Toth (Budapest, Hungary) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zen for Americans (Paperback)

A collection of lectures originally delivered to Americans between 1905-1906. Fascinating and clear, sometimes offering an explanation of Christian ideas from a Zen Buddhist take.