The Path of the Human Being: Zen Teachings on the Bodhisattva Way

by Dennis Genpo Merzel

Book Overview

This work brings a friendly flavour to Zen Buddhist wisdom. It explains how meditation can gradually lead us to becoming more and more familiar with our own minds, allowing us to better understand... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 157062948X
• ISBN13: 9781570629488
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Shambhala Publications
• Length: 236 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Nothing less than Excellent!

If you are serious about Zen practise or just interested, this is the ultimatel book for every student or practitioner. A book/teaching I will come back to again and again. It has answered many questions about zazen and practise that have long been on my mind. This should be a classic Zen text for any serious student of Zen. Thank you Genpo!

The Bodhisattva Way

A great book that describes the next step in Zen practice which is to help others in the world through actions in your daily life. You can sit and think and be enlightened until your eyes leak tears of gold but if you don't put your enlightenment into action what does it mean. This book tells you about that and reminds you not to take your enlightenment to seriously because there is always more to learn and be. It reminds you that Zen in a living practice that in never really mastered because life is never over. The only part that put me off in the entire book is the label "Big Mind". To someone who has read alot of the traditional books on Zen this is just a little too "New Age" and the author could have just used Buddha nature or some other traditional descriptive word for this mental state. Over all a great book that I would rank in my top 3 with Reb Anderson's "Being Upright" and Wes Nisker's "Buddha's Nature"

Stunning

This is quite one of the most profound books ever written. I mean it. You cannot go through life, in my opinion, not having read this book. Whether you're interested in spirituality or not, this book is simply a must. It convinced me to commit to a regular zazen practice, and simply cannot be recommended highly enough. Captivating.

Clear, concise, simple - a decidedly "Zen" book

Merzel gives a simple, accesible, and clear introduction to (Soto) Zen, and places the traditional practices in a context and framework that are easy to understand and simply translated to modern, day-to-day living. For me, he captured the essence of "Big Mind" and other fundamental concepts with uncluttered sentences, plain language, and a touch of humour. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in meditation and/or understanding what (us) crazy Zen practitioners are all about.

Fascinating Introduction into Zen Buddhist Thought

The best book about Zazen practice and Zen buddhist philosophy I know and a book that led me to starting and continuing daily Zazen practice in earnest. My first reading of the book was like a home coming - and I have read it many more times since then. I have the feeling that it will remain a good companion and source of encouragement for my practice for life. Buy it - it will give you a new outlook on life.