Zen and the Kingdom of Heaven: Reflections on the Tradition of Meditation in Christianity and Zen Buddhism

By Tom Chetwynd

Book Overview

"Let us guard the mind with all diligence from thoughts that obscure the soul's mirror; for in that mirror Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God the Father, is luminously reflected. And let us unceasingly seek the Kingdom of Heaven inside our mind. Indeed if we cleanse the eye of the mind, we will find all things hidden within us. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within us, indicating that Divinity dwells in our minds." --Saint Philotheos of Sinai, circa ninth century. In this provocative and very human work, Tom Chetwynd tells the story of how his skeptical first encounters with Zen Buddhism led him to discover the rich-but largely forgotten Christian tradition of pure contemplative prayer. Chetwynd explores the surprisingly Zen-like teachings of the Desert Fathers and other Christian meditation masters whose practice stems from the very first Christian communities--and perhaps Jesus Christ himself.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0861711874
• ISBN13: 9780861711871
• Release Date: March 2001
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Bridgebuilding

I believe that Shunru Suzuki["Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"] and Jesus would both recommend this book. Its essential message seems to be to "do it", i.e., zazen, and then you will understand. You don't have to talk about it, or write about it, or teach it, although you may. To do it, ideally requires a "roshi", a teacher who guides you at first; for the onslaught of distractions are hard to recognize by the beginner. The author succeeds at "bridge building" as he demonstrates that the zen-like prayer of Jesus wherein the kingdom of heaven within is the goal of meditation always precedes and infuses the second stage of exterior ministry [cf. Mark 1:35-39]. Mr. Chetwynd does a great job of following the history of Christian meditation through the Desert Fathers, Eastern Orthodoxy and the "Philokalia", Western Christianity with the "Cloud of Unknowing", Celtic spirituality and the "Doctors" Theresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. In the west however, there are gaps in the tradition in which schools of meditation were looked upon by Authority with suspicion and bordering on heresy. Meister Eckhardt, and Augustinians in general were suspect. Chetwynd makes no mention of the Cistercian renewal of Benedictine life until he includes Thomas Merton, perhaps also considered heretical at times? Interesting. The author does a good job in portraying zazen as warfare, without discouraging the reader from starting out, always cautioning the novice to practice in a group with an experienced teacher and recommends excellent resources.

Wow! An Important Book for Christians and Buddhists Alike

In this stimulating and humanistic body of work, Tom Chetwynd tells of his own life and those first encounters with Zen Buddhism he approached as a skeptic. This skepticism led him to discover even more deeply his own largely forgotten Christian tradition of contemplative prayer, the kind of which Thomas Merton used to so often write about. In this text, Tom puts in plain words how discovering the scope of Zen meditation can be a sort of Christian awakening.Tom believes that any Christian who has had the guts to sit a Zen sesshin (7 day meditation retreat) that they will certainly remember it as one of their most profound moments on their deathbed. He explains that in Christianity, there truly is nothing like it. He likens it to being like a spiritual pilgrimage the kind of which Muslims take part in when they travel to Mecca, even if only once in your life. The effect of such a Zen retreat, at least to this author, would have similar effects by way of leaving a deep seeded impression on your very being. Most sesshin's are around 7 days long, and after about 3 days most people experience a settling of their mind. Here is where zazen becomes extremely intense. Time is no hindrance, and benefits are far more beneficial. It really is, coming from some experience at such retreats, an experience unlike any other. When you can sit contentedly for almost an entire day without worrying about the time or being bored stiff, that is without a doubt a great accomplishment. But the most difficult part of it all, as Tom points out, is simply showing up at such a retreat. Having the guts to do it. The ego makes this task kind of hard, we anticipate hardship and boredom before ever endeavoring to go do it, and so we procrastinate or end up never going to one at all. What a missed opportunity! Very few people drop out of a retreat once they begin. Attribute that to not wanting to seem weak, or whatever, it's a good thing! Because after a few days, you truly discover some things about yourselves! This book is a candid look at Zen Buddhism from a Christian perspective, reminiscent of "Beside Still Waters: Jews, Christians, and the Way of Buddha" also published by Wisdom books. So if you are a Christian looking to understand more deeply the significant draw towards and meaning of Zen, this book will be that eye opening experience you are looking for. For those of us practicing Zen, we actually can take away just as much from this book. It can truly enhance our own practice. What a wonderful book. What are you looking at? Buy it!