A HISTORY OF ZEN BUDDHISM

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 8, 1962

Zen has undoubtedly arrived: a Jesuit, no less, now aerates the Buddhist arcana, and he does so with scholarly efficiency and a sizable stimulation. Though lacking the complexity of Suzuki's or Alan Watts' celebrated works, Father Dumoulin's is probably the best general introduction, investigating both Zen's historical and contemporary interest. He regards Zen as natural mysticism, notes its Mahayana pantheism, follows the route from India to China and Japan, describes ZAZEN (the non-thinking sitting meditation) and KOAN (the superthinking exercise), considers Zen's monist doctrine and the good-and evil cancelling out, applauds two master-greats, Dogen and Hakuin, and finally, fittingly Thomistic, deems SATORI, Zen's legendary enlightenment, as not a perfect experience, for man himself is imperfect. In any case, a book of marvels from which you can extract sudden ""glimmers of truth"" like goodies out of a Hallowe'en cake.

Pub Date: March 8, 1962

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Pantheon

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1962

Categories: NONFICTION