Customer Reviews

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings

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Of all books about Zen, this is most unassuming I've seen. There is no theory or abridged version of zen philosophy. The stories are carefully chosen and gracefully translated. They leave the reader in a state of wonder, curiosity and puzzlement. What I liked in this book is that it is not trying to educate the reader by teaching him a doctrine. It seems to me that it is true to the zen spirit in this respect. A little literary gem.

This may be the most beloved of all Zen books in English. It is a little volume to treasure, to reread and to ponder, to take delight in and to laugh at and laugh with. It is a compilation of four smaller books:

First there are 101 Zen stories. These are the best and most classic of the stories, many of them so familiar that they are now part of American culture as well as Zen culture. The stories constitute lessons in life, insights into our nature and ways to enlightenment or how one has wandered off the path--or better yet, how there is no path and no wandering. Unlike many Zen tales, which can be deeply mystifying to non-initiates, most of the ones presented here are luminous.

Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki, who are the transcribers, begin with the famous tale of Zen master Nan-in overflowing a visiting professor's tea cup to illustrate how filled the professor is with himself, so filled he cannot learn anything new. Included are two of my favorites, (1) that of Tanzan and Ekido, the former a monk who carried a pretty girl across a muddy road and his monastic friend who could not let go of her in his mind; and (2) the parable attributed to the Buddha about a man hanging over a cliff holding onto a vine being gnawed on by two mice (one black and one white--yin and yang, perhaps), with a tiger above and another below, and a luscious strawberry. How sweet it tasted indeed! By the way I have recently learned that a variant of this story comes from the Mahabharata as reported by Georg Feuerstein in The Essence of Yoga (1974). There the mice are rats (still black and white) and the man is hanging from a tree over a pit in which waits a giant serpent. He is drinking honey.

Next there is a presentation of the Buddhist classic about koans, their answers, and a commentary called "The Gateless Gate" by the Chinese master Ekai (also known as Mu-mon,1183-1260 c.e.). The spirit of The Gateless Gate" is irreverent and mischievous. The central idea is that the truth lies somewhere beyond the thesis and the antithesis--or, that which can be said and that which cannot be said do not include the whole of it. Most of Mu-mon's comments are deliberately non-rational, but here is one in the form of a poem that expresses the essence of Zen in a nutshell:

It is too clear and so it is hard to see.
A dunce once searched for a fire with a lighted lantern.
Had he known what fire was,
He could have cooked his rice much sooner.

The third book is the famous search for the bull from Taoism which ends in no bull, no search-all transcended, which is an allegory of life and a symbolic representation of learning to meditate. Zen has added here two extra frames which I will not comment on.

The fourth book is something Reps calls "Centering" from an ancient Sanskrit manuscript. It is said to be four thousand years old and purports to be Shiva guiding Devi in enlightenment. There are 112 ways. Its yoga-becoming-Zen feel is really startling. Here are three examples:

8. Attention between eyebrows, let mind be before thought. Let form fill with breath-essence to the top of the head, and there <shower as light>.

15. Intone a sound, as a-u-m, slowly. As sound enters soundfulness, <so do you>.

26. Unminding mind, keep in the middle--<until>.

The book title comes from a story about the first Zen patriarch, Bodhidharma, who rewarded a couple of his disciples for their apperception by saying the one has his flesh and the other had his bones. A third monk won the "contest" by remaining silent. About him, Bodhidharma said, "you have my marrow."

All four books are wonderful, and there is not a speck of dust on any page.

I am sure the Zen masters of this book, would give me a whack on the side of my head, for writing a review, but here goes. The book brings together 4 original Zen sources. The first, 101 Zen stories, presents koans and parables. These can be confusing and amusing, such as the Sound of One Hand Clapping, and One-finger Zen. The Gateless Gate, by Mumonkan, further adds to the syncopation, by offering seemingly random arguments about some of the koans, and then concludes with a Zen students criticism of the rascal Mumonkan. So, the first two sections may be a multiple layered koan ... and one is left mildly uneasy about the use of words for teaching Zen. The 10 Bulls section and the Woodblock illustrations are beautiful poetry, more accessible, and metaphors for the stages of enlightenment. Finally, Centering, is a transcript of a pre-Zen document, 4000 years old from Kashmir. It is surprising Zen like, for example a favorite: "When in worldly activity, keep attentive between the two breaths, and so practicing, in a few days be born anew" . A great source book, without interpretation.

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones

To a student of Zen, it is unnecessary to introduce this book. For those folks reading about Zen for the first time, this is a collection of Zen and Pre-Zen writings. For the greater part, it allows you to explore with your own mind these great insights without a lot of left-brain interference. Oh yes, you get clues but no answers, because these must come from the fusion of the neurons in your own brain.

I will have to admit that I no longer lend this book to anyone. It never comes back. My copy is old and has notations on every page, thoughts that occurred to me. While I was reading it for the first time a few years back, I had a dream. In the dream, I entered an ancient house and walked down into the black basement. As I opened each of a series of doors in this darkness, I would reach for the light in the center of the room. Light after light popped on. I am sure I do not have to interpret this dream for you. That is exactly what happened to the darkness in my mind: light after light illuminated my world. I was so excited I could hardly breathe. It was the beginning of a long flight towards freedom.

The greatest part of this is you do not have to learn to meditate. Each teaching brings you closer and closer to solving the problem of your mind, that is, relating conscious to preconscious awareness, into your every day living. It offers the flesh and bones of Zen. The marrow is your discovery of yourself.

Okay kids, this would probably be my pick for desert island book. I forget exactly how I got this book and read it but I do remember the first time I read the "Zen Stories" section of this book and being tottaly blowned away. I have never laughed so hard and related so much to a story in my life. I read half the book in one sitting and ever since have been practicing and reading about Zen. For months, I carried this book with me everywhere and I read a couple pages atleast twice a day. My copy is ragged and I'll probably have to get a new copy soon. I still am always reading it and lending it to friends. "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" is a collection of famous Zen stories, Mumon's The Gateless Gate(a collection of koans), the famous 10 bulls Zen story & paintings, and a chapter that is called "Centering." The last section is great but doesn't really fit in the Zen Canon(I could be wrong?) The rest however fully express Zen as what it really is and not some philosophy or state you have to achieve but Buddha-nature and enlightment which you already have. If you read one book on Zen, this should be it.

I first read "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" 13 years ago, and the stories within the "101 Zen Stories" section have been with me throughout the years! No matter what religion you are, no matter what age, these stories WILL change your life, and the way you respond to and see the world around you. You'll chuckle, you'll frown, and you'll wish there were 1001 Zen Stories to read instead of only 101... I hope you'll read this book and enjoy it as much as I do! I'm willing to bet you'll keep it on the nearest bookshelf, and open it often :}

I picked up my first copy of Zen Flesh Zen Bones in 1968. After all these years, all those miles, all those lives, jobs, travels... it's still on my bookshelf. I've had other editions, given away quite a few, but the original paperback is still in my possession, a little worse for the journey perhaps. I pick it up to read it frequently, usually just a story or two, maybe a koan to puzzle over (still baffle me, these many years later). I can't think of a better book that encapsulates all of Zen so well, that gives the reader something to think about, something to laugh about, something to ponder, so much in so few pages.

This book is invaluable. Everytime you read a story, it seems like you see yet another point the story was trying to make. The stories are timeless and priceless. A must have. Great for reading a quick "koan" or story in the mornings, breakfast for the mind. One quick suggestion though, before reading koans one should already be familiar with the minimal basics of Zen teachings. While some catch on quickly, I fall in the other group that got lost reading a couple. Just remember, its not a book to 'power-read'. It is a book that can give you days of pondering after only a sentence. I love my Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. I will never be without this book. It is my daily read, even the stories I have read 30 times over, because there is always something new to take from these stories everytime you read them.
"A tree does not choose for whom the shade it gives. True love makes no distinction between any being" - Milindapanha

I still own my battered, much-read paperback copy of this sublime little book, which I bought in 1971. To this day it seems to me the single best introduction to Zen available, not as theory or philosophy or even daily practice, but as direct experience. Like most of the previous reviewers, I can return to its pages again & again, finding wisdom & food for thought ... or non-thought, if you will. :)

Here is the paradox of mystery composed of absolute clarity & purity, as expressed through often humorous, even (seemingly) ridiculous stories ... yet they make sense at a very deep level, one that bypasses rational, logical thought or conscious understanding. Behind the sometimes giggling face of the monk is a most rigorous, utterly focused mind, one that cuts preconceptions & ego to ribbons.

For anyone interested in the essence of Zen, for anyone wanting to step outside of the world of ten thousand shallow, mass-produced things, this book is indispensable. Most highly recommended!

Seen 4 printings of this special book, this one is by far the most beautiful - size, appearence and Kanji for the individual items. One of the best and most direct introductions to/collections of Zen text there is.