On the Way to Satori

By Gerta Ital

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1852301554
• ISBN13: 9781852301552
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Element Books Ltd
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

A beautiful book

I found this book in my college library about 13 years ago when I was searching for meditation instruction. It was my first introduction to zen, and inspired me to start practicing. Since then, I have read many books on zen, most of them written by American teachers. This isn't the most helpful book on the subject if you are interested in learning how to practice, nor even if you want to learn about the teachings of zen. Nevertheless, it is a beautifully inspiring firsthand account of a woman's struggle on the path. These kind of stories about someone's perserverence and ultimate triumph in the face of what seems like unending difficulties and pain, are the writings on zen which inspire me most, particularly when they concern someone from contemporary times. Unfortunately, not many of these stories exist (at least not in print). Ital makes no bones about how difficult and gruesome it is, oftentimes, to practice zen. This is a fact which is frequently glossed over by contemporary books, probably because they don't want to discourage people in the beginning. Unfortunately, this leaves practitioners (particularly those without ready access to a teacher) with very little support during the painful and arduous periods of practice. When these periods last for months or years with no end in sight, it can cause one to want to give up practice completely. I've read this book several times since I began to practice zen, and it always galvanizes me when I've reached a low point in my life or my practice. It is humbling to see what this 50-odd year old woman was able to do, without any of the support, writings, translations, or teachers which are available to the modern American zen student. It's a shame this book is out of print, because I'm certain it could go on to inspire many other zen students in a way that most current books on the subject probably can't.