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Peter Matthiessen

Nine-Headed Dragon River: Zen Journals 1969-1982 (Shambhala Dragon Editions) Paperback – April 28, 1998

by Peter Matthiessen (Author)

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In August 1968, naturalist-explorer Peter Matthiessen returned from Africa to his home in Sagaponack, Long Island, to find three Zen masters in his driveway—guests of his wife, a new student of Zen. Thirteen years later, Matthiessen was ordained a Buddhist monk. Written in the same format as his best-selling The Snow Leopard, Nine-Headed Dragon River reveals Matthiessen's most daring adventure of all: the quest for his spiritual roots.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Very few writers have the courage, inner experience, and literary technique to take us into the reaches of mystic awareness. Matthiessen has; his prose is among the finest of our time—at once sensual and austere, sinewy, yet full of warmth, eloquent yet reverent, polished clean by silence and awe. Nine-Headed Dragon River is a clear gift to us from a complex man who has schooled himself to speak of central things with a most honorable exactitude."—Andrew Harvey, Vogue

"Remarkable, memorable nonfiction. Matthiessen's prose is as strong and pure as ever."—Duncan Spencer, Washington Post

"Peter Matthiessen's book embodies the spirit of Zen in America."—Hakuyu T. Maezumi, Zen Center of Los Angeles

About the Author

Peter Matthiessen, distinguished novelist, naturalist, journalist, and explorer, was born in New York City and has been a commercial fisherman and charterboat captain. He participated as a diver in the worldwide search for the great white shark that culminated in his book Blue Meridian and in the film Blue Water, White Death. His fiction includes Race Rock; Partisans; Raditzer; At Play in the Fields of the Lord, which was nominated for a National Book Award; and most recently Far Tortuga. His nonfiction includes The Tree Where Man Was Born, which was nominated for a National Book Award, The Snow Leopard, which won a National Book Award in 1979, and In the Spirit of Crazy Horse.

Product details

Item Weight : 15 ounces
Paperback : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1570623678
ISBN-13 : 978-1570623677
Product Dimensions : 6 x 0.76 x 9 inches
Publisher : Shambhala; Reprint Edition (April 28, 1998)
Language: : English

Best-sellers rank #842,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#647 in Zen Philosophy (Books)
#778 in Buddhist Rituals & Practice (Books)
#788 in Zen Spirituality

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30 ratings

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David H. Eisenberg

Mediocre effort

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2016

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This is Peter Mathiessen on his Zen experience. He was brought into by his wife, who then passed away while young. Although this was a major aspect of The Snow Leopard, one of the greatest books I've ever read in any genre - and it is almost its own genre - the retelling of her illness and passing was much fuller in this book and I teared up reading it. However, the rest of the book was endless repetition about Zen master temples and the practice of zeshen. Maybe there is sometimes to zeshen, but it isn't very interesting to read about. Despite the quality of his writing, I found myself speeding through it.

I have long said Peter Matthiessen wrote one great book, the aforementioned TSL, one good book, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, and any number of other books I just can't read. I gave it three stars because he writes so well, but, honestly, though his wife's death brought me to tears, the rest of the book bored me to them.

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Brian M.

Great combination of personal spiritual journey and a partial history of zen.

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2014

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Matthiessen is a great story teller, and manages to weave together the threads of his own personal journey with Zen Buddhism with a history of Zen. He uses his travels in Japan to various temples and encounters with monks as jumping off points for historical digressions. Part journal, part travelogue, a good read. Best line: "Have you seen the snow leopard? No. Isn't it wonderful?"

3 people found this helpful

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Philip Wong

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2017

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Excellent

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ashley edwards

zen buddhism at it's finest

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2013

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this is opne of the best introductions to zen buddhism I've come across in years. Inviting and easy to understand. It's a must read.

3 people found this helpful

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Rick Parsons

buddhism primer mixed with nature writing

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2015

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a good introduction to zen buddhism mixed with broad history of spread of buddhism in asia

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M Sloan

A wonderful read! Engaging, honest and beautifully written!

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2015

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A beautiful story of the author's journey into Zen Buddhism. I loved this book!

One person found this helpful

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Peter Turner

and best suited for those who want a more personal insight ...

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2015

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This is not as enjoyable a read as Matthiessen's other work, and best suited for those who want a more personal insight into the author. However, I am not a Buddhist; those who are will probably like it more.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2016

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Very deep, but so interesting.

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