Endless Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa

By Soen Nakagawa

Book Overview

Endless Vow is the first English-language collection of the literary works of Soen Nakagawa Roshi. An intimate, in-depth portrait of the master of Eido Tai Shimano, his Dharma heir, introduces the poems, letters, journal entries, and other writings of Soen Roshi, which are illustrated with his calligraphies. In a postscript, some of his best-known American students--including Peter Matthiessen and Ruth McCandless--reminisce about this legendary figure of American Buddhist history.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1570621624
• ISBN13: 9781570621628
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Shambhala
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

zen path

Endless Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa. Besides your sitting if you are searching for inspiration, truly devotion and involvement in zen practices this is the book for you. A masterpiece about the life of this eccentric zen teacher of the 20th century.

He was my Teacher in Japan

I gave up everything to become a Zen monk. In London I met Sochu Suzuki Roshi, then sub-abbot under Soen Nakagawa of Ryutakuji monastery in Japan. His Zen led me to travel from England for immersion in true Zen, disappointed with the short-pedigree western zen that I found at home. Ryutakuji monastery was a bucket of water in the face, with Soen holding the bucket. Genial, smiling, inscrutable, tiny but immense. "Give me MU!" he demanded, when I was on bathhouse duty. And did I? HA HA ! I wept when I saw his grave at Dai-Bosatsu zendo in America. An outstanding man, bestraddling East and Western culture. Any book commemorating his spirit is to be commended. There were times at Ryutakuji when his lieutenants were concerned for his welfare. Enlightened as he was, he often went down to Sawaji, the local village, to visit a temple supporter family, and would get so sloshed on sake (or more likely Suntory whisky) that he had trouble getting back up the long mountain path. But dammit, he ALWAYS made it. KNOW YOUR OWN ETERNAL NATURE! Anything less is pussy-footing, intellectual masturbation. YOU DON'T HAVE TIME! Kerry Marshall ( Ryutakuji 1972 - 1975 )

I am joining - in your meeting - with one mind!

My favorate Soen Roshi story, not found in the book, goes as follows; once during a T.V. interview Soen was asked about his foundness for wine - was drinking an appropriate behavior for a priest? Soen replyed, 'If you always do what your Mama says you'll never be a playboy!'. Another favorate story took place in Yellowstone National Park. Soen was soaking in a thermal hot pool that was clearly off limits. In the end a ranger chases naked Soen through the park. Please read and enjoy Soen's poetry, the product of a truely free mind.

Magnificent artist - outre Zen master

Nakagawa Soen was marvellous artist and a poetic genius. He was one of the first spokesmen of Zen Buddhism in America, and one of the most eccentric. However it would be incorrect to call this wonderful character an exceptional master in the Japanese Rinzai line. Nakagawa Soen's "Inka" (authorization to teach) came from a single Japanese master of the Sozan Genkyo line. It was never independently verified. Consequently those who studied with this magnificent eccentric and themselves teach Zen tend to pass on his unusual views. The Zen master who best exemplifies the no-nonsense spirit of Rinzai Zen in America is Kyozan Joshu Sasaki, founder of Rinzai-Ji. Joshu Roshi's Zen is as solid as Nakagawa Soen's was ethereal. Nevertheless for breathtaking haiku and unforgettable images, graphic and verbal, there is no one like Nakagawa Soen.

Clearly, one of the greatest zen stories of our era

I love this book. It is for me, a book that strips away stereotypes about zen and zen monks, and shows the compassionate suffering and enlightenment of a rare being dedicated to dharmma and to life. This book is highly reccommended for anyone considering zen practice, or even for the sound novice who may consider monastic life. So much compassion comes from this book.