Taking the Path of Zen

by Robert Aitken

Book Overview

There is a fine art to presenting complex ideas with simplicity and insight, in a manner that both guides and inspires. In Taking the Path of Zen Robert Aitken presents the practice, lifestyle, rationale, and ideology of Zen Buddhism with remarkable clarity. The foundation of Zen is the practice of zazen, or mediation, and Aitken Roshi insists that everything flows from the center. He discusses correct breathing, posture, routine, teacher-student...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0865470804
• ISBN13: 9780865470804
• Release Date: January 1982
• Publisher: North Point Press
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

MU

This book was recommended to me by Danan Henry Roshi of the Denver Zen Center, although in his view 'words are cheap.' Zen as a spiritual and mental discipline is focused around discovering the true inner nature of your self and I suppose we all need to start the journey somewhere and somehow. In my opinion this book is as good a place to start as any; Robert Aitken outlines basic practises, beliefs and introduces a starting point for the complete beginner. For those complaining over the 'real' nature of Zen; what is real nature, what is authenticity, is there a real thing? Unfortunately in Zen there is no answer, no question, no indentifiable source, no enlightenment and no solution. Zen is stopping, sitting and concentrating on breath... that is all! Please read the book and when you have finished you can shred it all up, then give it to your psychotic pet hamster for bedding material or use it as confetti at the next available wedding. You could even employ it to sort out the wobble on your dining room table... but you have to take the first step and do nothing. Next time you see the Buddha on the path dont ask if he has a dog nature; just kill him!

very good book on zen ! ! ! ! !

i have to say this is a very good book a joy to read but it does have a few dry points in the book but this is very need info so all in all great book so i gave it a 5 out of 5 joy

if you've set foot on the path ...

This is a Zen book for the beginning Zen practitioner, by which I mean someone who has already decided to try zazen meditation practice and may have been practicing for a few weeks or months. Note I do not say it is for the Zen scholar or the Zen wannabe, but for the person who plants their rear on the cushion every day and wants to know what to do if their feet are falling asleep or who's noticing background noise in the mind. If you want to be hip and know "about" Zen, there are flashier books. But as one who had finally tired of reading cookbooks and hungered for the meal, this book pointed me in the right direction (or, at least, ONE right direction) and helps me actually "cook," so to speak. Like the saying goes, "Meditation: it's not what you think," so if you are attracted to Zen but aren't actually sitting zazen, give up the critiquing and dabbling, find a teacher, and get to work. This book helps both in choosing a teacher and in addressing random questions and common pitfalls for the beginning meditator.

Excellent book on getting started with Zen

This book is the written form of the introductory speeches given at Aitken's Zendo. It is an excellent book on getting started in Zen. If you haven't yet decided to visit a Zen center or other place where you get instruction, but you want to start sitting and want to kind of know what to expect, this is a great book. It was a welcome change from many books that are a collection of koans, and from the books that are a collection of inspirational stories. This one is very much a how to do it.

Zen in readable form...

After reading many books that attempted to explain Zen, I stumbled on this work by Robert Aitken. By far, Aitken puts into words what many authors have failed to. His easy-to-understand writing style makes what was once an impossible task; putting Zen into a western context, seem natural. Aitken helps those of us who do not understand Japanese get a glimpse into the world of Zen and its philosophies. There are many books on the topic, but few offer as much information to the beginner.