From Library Journal
These four masterful abridgments, based on the classic work that helped bring Zen Buddhism to America, are read ably by Christopher Reed. The Rinzai sect of Zen seeks illumination through the tea ritual, samurai swordsmanship, and reverence for nature. It shuns philosophy, ego, and dualism. Through "unstopped" action and a state of "no mind," it embraces anti-intellectualism and relies on the unconscious to propel its adherents toward concrete action unfettered by abstractions or conceptualizations. Author Suzuki uses a series of fascinating stories of Zen masters to enlighten the listener, but it would take either a lifetime of study or a moment of Zen illumination for a full understanding of the content of even one of the four essays included in this suberb audio book set. Recommended for philosophy collections.Mark Pumphrey, Polk Cty. P.L., Columbus, N.C.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
This audio programs is drawn from Zen and the Japanese Culture, the author's highly respected history of how Japanese culture accepted and influenced Zen, the simplest branch of the Buddhist faith. Anecdotes from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and the absence of intellectual language give this abridgment a timeless, spiritual quality. The beauty of the stories and rhythm of the language help the intellectual Western mind comprehend Zen philosophy. Reed is a Zen Buddhist scholar and teacher in his own right; his immersion into this tradition allows him to speak with emotional and spiritual authority. His steady tone and absence of pretense draw the listener into the ideas, not the performance. If the listener can encounter this program without permitting worldly distractions, the material will be accessible and the listening enjoyable. T.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
Review
"As one turns the pages of this delightful book, one seems to catch intimations of how and why certain aspects of the 'spirit of Zen' are making themselves felt in America today...There is something inexpressibly soothing in the old Japanese virtues...as Mr. Suzuki describes them." --The New York Times
Review
"As one turns the pages of this delightful book, one seems to catch intimations of how and why certain aspects of the 'spirit of Zen' are making themselves felt in America today...There is something inexpressibly soothing in the old Japanese virtues...as Mr. Suzuki describes them." --The New York Times
Review
"As one turns the pages of this delightful book, one seems to catch intimations of how and why certain aspects of the 'spirit of Zen' are making themselves felt in America today...There is something inexpressibly soothing in the old Japanese virtues...as Mr. Suzuki describes them." --The New York Times
Book Description
One of the leading twentieth-century works on Zen, D.T. Suzuki's Zen and Japanese Culture is an invaluable source for those wishing to understand Zen concepts in the context of Japanese life and art.
Zen and the Love of Nature takes us on a captivating journey from a single lotus flower to a rippling brook to the grandeur of Mount Fuji, giving us a Zen perspective of the joy and beauty of our world, of Nature as our constant friend and companion, and of the love of Nature that is the predominant note in the Japanese character.
In simple, often poetic language, extensively enhanced by anecdotes and poetry, D.T. Suzuki guides us to a new appreciation and understanding of the joy, wonder and beauty of the world around us--leading us to a new freedom and emancipation from the pressures and demands of our daily life.
About the Author
Christopher Reed has been teaching Buddhim and Buddhist meditation for 15 years. He received transmission as a Dharma teacher from Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. He has been influenced by the tradition of socially/politically engaged Buddhism, and works toward the integration of traditional Buddhist teaching with the demands of everyday life. He is cofounder and director of the Ordinary Dharma Meditation Center in Los Angeles and the Manzanita Village Retreat Center in San Diego.
Zen and the Love of Nature (2 Cassettes) ANNOTATION
From a single lotus flower to a rippling brook to the grandeur of Mount Fuji--a Zen perspective of the joy and beauty of our world, of Nature as our constant friend and companion, and of the love of Nature that is the predominant mote in the Japanese character. 2 cassettes.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
One of the leading twentieth-century works on Zen, D.T. Suzuki's Zen and Japanese Culture is an invaluable source for those wishing to understand Zen concepts in the context of Japanese life and art.
Zen and the Love of Nature takes us on a captivating journey from a single lotus flower to a rippling brook to the grandeur of Mount Fuji, giving us a Zen perspective of the joy and beauty of our world, of Nature as our constant friend and companion, and of the love of Nature that is the predominant note in the Japanese character.
In simple, often poetic language, extensively enhanced by anecdotes and poetry, D.T. Suzuki guides us to a new appreciation and understanding of the joy, wonder and beauty of the world around us--leading us to a new freedom and emancipation from the pressures and demands of our daily life.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
These four masterful abridgments, based on the classic work that helped bring Zen Buddhism to America, are read ably by Christopher Reed. The Rinzai sect of Zen seeks illumination through the tea ritual, samurai swordsmanship, and reverence for nature. It shuns philosophy, ego, and dualism. Through "unstopped" action and a state of "no mind," it embraces anti-intellectualism and relies on the unconscious to propel its adherents toward concrete action unfettered by abstractions or conceptualizations. Author Suzuki uses a series of fascinating stories of Zen masters to enlighten the listener, but it would take either a lifetime of study or a moment of Zen illumination for a full understanding of the content of even one of the four essays included in this suberb audio book set. Recommended for philosophy collections.-Mark Pumphrey, Polk Cty. P.L., Columbus, N.C.
AudioFile - Thomas Walken
This audio programs is drawn from Zen and the Japanese Culture, the author's highly respected history of how Japanese culture accepted and influenced Zen, the simplest branch of the Buddhist faith. Anecdotes from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and the absence of intellectual language give this abridgment a timeless, spiritual quality. The beauty of the stories and rhythm of the language help the intellectual Western mind comprehend Zen philosophy. Reed is a Zen Buddhist scholar and teacher in his own right; his immersion into this tradition allows him to speak with emotional and spiritual authority. His steady tone and absence of pretense draw the listener into the ideas, not the performance. If the listener can encounter this program without permitting worldly distractions, the material will be accessible and the listening enjoyable. T.W. cAudioFile, Portland, Maine
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