Suzuki's Essays in Zen Buddhism, in 3 Series, A Set of 3 Volumes | SUZUKI Super Saver 3-in-1 Combo (Set of 3 Books) Paperback – February 28, 2021

Zen in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one’s own being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom. By making us drink right from the fountain of life, it liberates us from all the yokes under which we finite beings are usually suffering in this world. We can say that Zen liberates all the energies properly and naturally stored in each of us, which are in ordinary circumstances cramped and distorted so that they find no adequate channel for activity. This volume being first in the series, is a collection of the essays originally published in The Eastern Buddhism, except one on the ‘History of Zen Buddhism’ which was written specially for the volume; but all of them have been thoroughly revised and in some parts entirely rewritten and new chapters added. This volume being second in the series, stresses on the study of ‘The Koan Exercise’, which at present constitutes almost the alpha and omega of Zen discipline, especially as it is practised in the Rinzai School of the Zen sect. The Koan technique is full of pitfalls, but its development was inevitable, and without it Zen might have not survived. The study of the Koan exercise as presented in this series is a general idea of what it is. This volume being third in the series emphasises on the relationship which exists between Zen and the two chief Mahāyāna sutras, the Gandavyūha and the Prajñāpāramitā, and then the transformation through which Indian Buddhism had to go while adapting itself to Chinese psychology. The Gandavyūha and the Prajñāpāramitā had to be converted into Zen dialogues to be appreciated by the Chinese. Read more