Zen Speaks: Shouts of Nothingness [Paperback]

Tsai Chih Chung (Author), Brian Bruya (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1994

Inspired by the earliest and core texts of Zen Buddhism, Zen Speaks distills the philosophy and wisdom of Zen in a series of illustrated Chinese character cartoon panels that are irreverently humorous and profoundly wise.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Chinese

From the Publisher

Inspired by the earliest and core texts of Zen Buddhism, Zen Speaks distills the philosophy and wisdom of Zen in a series of illustrated Chinese character cartoon panels that are irreverently humorous and profoundly wise.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (April 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385472579
• ISBN-13: 978-0385472579
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, July 10, 2003

By 

A. Ort "aorto" (Youngstown, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zen Speaks: Shouts of Nothingness (Paperback)

Hard to imagine that a cartoon could unfold the depths of Zen. Perhaps it is the fact the cartoons are brief yet encapsulate so much. Personally, I find it to be in the expressions of the characters in the drawings that tell the story. I really feel the smiles throughout the book and can almost see them winking along with that smile.

Never straying from the seriousness of Zen, this little gem really reveals the joy that lies underneath. A great way to get started; a great little reminder for those already underway.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, absolutely wonderful., February 1, 2000

By 

Andrew "spasticus_autisticus" (St. Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zen Speaks: Shouts of Nothingness (Paperback)

At first one might expect that cartoon is too informal a medium to convey the depth of a religion such as Zen. This book is beautiful in it's simplicity, the perfect starter for the religion. I recommend it as a gift to someone you love who is stressed out. Hopefully, Zen Speaks will help them to shine through adversity, as it has me. 6 stars.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A joy of a book, June 14, 2000

By 

Travis Cottreau (Wellington, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Zen Speaks: Shouts of Nothingness (Paperback)

Truthfully, I don't know how well this book introduces Zen, but I do know that I really enjoyed it. All the Zen stories that I've heard over the years plus tons more are all presented here in cartoon form with short explanations by someone (a cartoon zen master I presume) who is explaining the story to a westerner.

One point that I have to make is how much more of an impact this book had on me after I watched Joseph Campbell's video series "The Power of Myth" . I read this book both before and after I watched the videos and realized how much more they meant to me afterwards and how great this book really is.

If you want to get even more out of this book, check out the Campbell videos, you won't be sorry that you did.