The Compass of Zen (Shambhala Dragon Editions) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "MANY CENTURIES AGO, the Greek philosopher Socrates used to walk through the streets and marketplaces of Athens, teaching his students..." (more)
Key Phrases: own true speech, insight into nonself, hits the table loudly, Man Gong Sunim, Hinayana Buddhism, Dok Sahn (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Zen Maste Sahn is the well-known director of the Kuan Um School of Zen. Active as a teacher in the West for 30 years, Sahn originally wrote this text in the 1970s, as a guide for students with an interest in the fundamentals of Buddhists teaching from a Zen perspective. Much of the Zen teaching with which Westerners are familiar has come from Japanese lineage, but this work has a fresh, Korean Zen slant. For an introductory text, however, Walpole Rahula's classic What the Buddha Taught (Grove, 1987) is probably better. A large part of this volume is given to transcriptions of talks, resulting in repetition and a lack of focus. Viewed as one person's heartfelt expression of his understanding of the teachings, however, this has much to offer. Recommended for academic and public libraries with extensive collections in the areas of Buddhism and Zen.?Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"An entertaining and even amusing survey of the varied flavors of Buddhism appears in The Compass of Zen, by Seung Sahn. Based upon his talks, this book presents the basic questions in many short, accessible chapters woven around anecdotes and dialogues. From the Four Noble Truths to the Five Human Dreams, this book seems to cover the whole mathematics of insight."—Michael Sims, Bookpage



"Like two arrows meeting in the air, this extraordinary book meets the mind point. Please relax and enjoy it."—Joan Halifax, author of The Fruitful Darkness

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala; 1st edition (October 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570623295
• ISBN-13: 978-1570623295
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,672 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the compass of zen, January 7, 2000

By	Nam s. Park ([e-mail]. Texas) - See all my reviews

It is a hilarious book. It is written in easy and funny English and gives me a profound message to guide how l have to live in this complicated world. Seung Shan Sunim ephasizes many times that you must understand yourself first, and then use the enlightment to teach suffering all human beings. all suffering comes from your mind and your attachment to names and forms. Zen praictice is a techinque to clear your mind and to detach all names amd forms that we are attached and hindered to find your true self. the correct zen practice helps you empty your mind and leads you see who you are, where you came from, and where you are going, which there is no time and space. Time and space are created by your delusional mind, which you don't understand you and your situation are the same and one. The Great Love and The Great Compassion are the main message to practice zen. it is for something that you want, but someting for saving all suffering human beings. you must throw away "I". The I samll "I" cause you to attach names and forms. Seung Sahan Sunim's teaching is beyound religion,Buddism, but humanistic message, which guides me to think about my original questions for my existence.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, Clear, and Hilariously Charming, May 8, 2003

By	Swing King (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This book is for beginners and adepts alike, and not just for Zen students, either. The following is borrowed from The Kwan Um School of Zen's webpage: "Zen Master Seung Sahn was born in 1927 in Seun Choen, North Korea. His parents were both Christian, and later he was forced to do mandatory military service. In 1944, Seung Sahn joined the underground Korean independence movement. In no time he was caught by the Japanese police and barely, just barely escaped a deaths sentence. After his release from prison, he and two friends stole several thousand dollars from their parents and crossed the heavily-patrolled Manchurian border in an unsuccessful attempt to join the Free Korean Army. He later studied philosophy at Dong Guk Universoty-meanwhile the situation in Korea was getting worse by the day. He realized at once acedemics were not going to help him help people-nor would politics.

He decided to become a Buddhist monk and was ordained in October, 1948. Seung Sahn had already understood the sutras. The only thing left now would be practice, hard training. So ten days after his ordination as a monk, he went further up into the mountains and began a one-hundred-day retreat on Won Gak Mountain. He lived up there off of pine needles and rain water, and many times a day he took ice cold baths. For nearly 24 hours a day he would chant the Great Dharani of Original Mind Energy. Then the great doubts began to formulate-why is this needed? What use is going to all of these extremes? Why could he not, like a Japanese monk-go back to the town and maybe get married, and gradually come toward enlightenment? One night all the doubts became so vast he packed up and decided he would leave. The next day his mind was a bit clearer and so he stayed. In the following weeks he would repeat that process NINE times, pack/unpacj-pack/unpack. He was hallucinating a lot by now, about 50 days had passed. Every night he had terrifying visions. Demons would appear out of the dark and make obscene gestures at him.

After a month of this, the visions turned into visions of delight. Sometimes Buddha would come and teach him a sutra. Sometimes Bodhisattvas would appear in gorgeous clothing and tell him that he would go to heaven. Sometimes he would keel over from exhaustion and Kwan Se Um Bosal would gently wake him up. By the end of eighty days, his body was strong. His flesh had turned green from the pine needles. One day, a week before the retreat was to finish, Soen-sa was walking outside, chanting and keeping rhythm with his moktak. Suddenly, two boys, eleven or twelve years old, appeared on either side of him and bowed. They were wearing many-colored robes, and their faces were of an unearthly beauty. Seung Sahn was very surprised. His mind felt powerful and perfectly clear, so how could these demons have materialized? He walked ahead on the narrow mountain path, and the two boys followed him, walking right through the boulders on either side of the path. They walked together in silence for a half-hour, then, back at the altar, when Soen-sa got up from his bow, they were gone. This happened every day for a week. Finally it was the hundredth day.

Seung Sahn was was outside chanting and hitting the moktak. All at once his body disappeared, and he was in infinite space. From far away he could hear the moktak beating, and the sound of his own voice. He remained in this state for some time. When he returned to his body, he understood. The rocks, the river, everything he could see, everything he could hear, all this was his true self. All things are exactly as they are. The truth is just like this. Soen-sa slept very well that night."

This brief story gives you an idea of how intense this modern Zen Master's aspiration towards enlightenment had been. Following that retreat he studied with various Masters, all whom later confirmed his enlightenment. And so I believe in 1972, Seung Sahn brought the Dharma to the USA. He got a 2 bedroom apartment, worked at a laundromat-and had zazen in the apartment daily. people would be running about cooking up food, meditating, giving talks. This book is this man's legacy-just look into the matter more. Zen Master Seung Sahn started what is known as The Kwan Um School of Zen-with 160 + Zen Centers/temples worldwide. But I have given you a biographical take of the man, this book goes into the very marrow of practice-from Theoretical Zen, to Tathagata Zen-to patriarchal Zen-and yet they all are on the same cirlce! Enjoy this book, it's a must have for any practitioner-or even any spiritual voyager.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FIND YOUR WAY HOME, January 9, 2002

By	C.A.Montana (somewhere in the world) - See all my reviews

So much has been said and written about buddhism one sometimes feel unsure about where to go next along the path. Smaller Vehicle (Hinayana), Greater Vehicle (Mahayana), Zen Vehicle (Chan), which one to take to the other shore? Why buddhism? What is Karma? What is true Practice? What is Buddha Nature? What are Theoritical Zen, Tathagatha Zen and Patriarchal Zen? What is our Original Face? What can I do? So many questions...
This book will explain in a clear and comprehensive manner the three main buddhist traditions and the points they lead to. The writing style is sometimes quite scholarly, sometimes humourous, never boring. Get correct answers about buddhism today; GET THIS COMPASS, FIND YOUR WAY HOME!