Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings (Unabridged Selections)

Love this book

This may be the most beloved of all Zen books in English. It is a little volume to treasure, to reread and to ponder, to take delight in and to laugh at and laugh with. It is a compilation of four smaller books:First there are 101 Zen stories. These are the best and most classic of the stories, many of them so familiar that they are now part of American culture as well as Zen culture. The stories constitute lessons in life, insights into our nature and ways to enlightenment or how one has wandered off the path--or better yet, how there is no path and no wandering. Unlike many Zen tales, which can be deeply mystifying to non-initiates, most of the ones presented here are luminous.Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki, who are the transcribers, begin with the famous tale of Zen master Nan-in overflowing a visiting professor's tea cup to illustrate how filled the professor is with himself, so filled he cannot learn anything new. Included are two of my favorites, (1) that of Tanzan and Ekido, the former a monk who carried a pretty girl across a muddy road and his monastic friend who could not let go of her in his mind; and (2) the parable attributed to the Buddha about a man hanging over a cliff holding onto a vine being gnawed on by two mice (one black and one white--yin and yang, perhaps), with a tiger above and another below, and a luscious strawberry. How sweet it tasted indeed! By the way I have recently learned that a variant of this story comes from the Mahabharata as reported by Georg Feuerstein in The Essence of Yoga (1974). There the mice are rats (still black and white) and the man is hanging from a tree over a pit in which waits a giant serpent. He is drinking honey.Next there is a presentation of the Buddhist classic about koans, their answers, and a commentary called "The Gateless Gate" by the Chinese master Ekai (also known as Mu-mon,1183-1260 c.e.). The spirit of The Gateless Gate" is irreverent and mischievous. The central idea is that the truth lies somewhere beyond the thesis and the antithesis--or, that which can be said and that which cannot be said do not include the whole of it. Most of Mu-mon's comments are deliberately non-rational, but here is one in the form of a poem that expresses the essence of Zen in a nutshell:It is too clear and so it is hard to see.A dunce once searched for a fire with a lighted lantern.Had he known what fire was,He could have cooked his rice much sooner.The third book is the famous search for the bull from Taoism which ends in no bull, no search-all transcended, which is an allegory of life and a symbolic representation of learning to meditate. Zen has added here two extra frames which I will not comment on.The fourth book is something Reps calls "Centering" from an ancient Sanskrit manuscript. It is said to be four thousand years old and purports to be Shiva guiding Devi in enlightenment. There are 112 ways. Its yoga-becoming-Zen feel is really startling. Here are three examples:8. Attention between eyebrows, let mind be before thought. Let form fill with breath-essence to the top of the head, and there <shower as light>.15. Intone a sound, as a-u-m, slowly. As sound enters soundfulness, <so do you>.26. Unminding mind, keep in the middle--<until>.The book title comes from a story about the first Zen patriarch, Bodhidharma, who rewarded a couple of his disciples for their apperception by saying the one has his flesh and the other had his bones. A third monk won the "contest" by remaining silent. About him, Bodhidharma said, "you have my marrow."All four books are wonderful, and there is not a speck of dust on any page.--Dennis Littrell, author of "Yoga: Sacred and Profane (Beyond Hatha Yoga)"

If you only have 5 books on Buddhism, this must be one of them! The first section, Zen Stories, is sheer delight with short but eloquent guides to the center of the Dharma.I will quote the first sentence of the second section: If you like sweets and easy living, skip this book. Amen. This is only for the extremely dedicated as the truths are not readily available.I might say the same about the third section, but it is a Buddhist classic and actually easier going than the second section.As to the fourth section--from one breath to everything and nothing.

Rapid, well-packed, exactly as described. I would definitely order from this vendor again.

When I was 11 I bought a used copy of this book on Amazon for a penny plus shipping. It came and was an old mystical looking book. I know now it's because It was an original copy lol. It was my first book on Buddhism and because of its appearance it entranced me and just holding it made me feel deeper. Many more books came after that but this one I read and reread for over 20 years and ever few years I would realize I understood more and more of it. A few years ago I let a budding student of the way borrow it and didn't realize until much later that I was saying goodbye for good. This book guided me as well as any living teacher and I am beyond greatful. If you are beginning than remember that this book just like life contains all the answers to your questions and it is up to you to grow into them. Be patient, be kind, and remember that if you are thinking of buying it, you've already set foot on your path. It's never strait, it's rarely easy, but when looking back........... well you'll see. Amituofo.

good Zen primer. all about the joy of now.

I don't know how long I have been without this book now. I first read it over 40 years ago and somehow I no longer have it. Perhaps one of my housemates took it and did not return it to the common room book shelf (I would certainly never discard it, and I'm not in the habit of lending books). However I do remember how wonderful this book was, and I remember some of the stories, but more than anything I remember the subtlety, the ingenious in-a-nutshell quality that imbued the stories. It gave me my lifelong sense of zen and contributed considerably in my quest to have the wit to adapt and grow in life's unpredictable circumstances.A couple of days ago the question arose "how did I get into zen?" I looked for the book, half realizing I no longer had it (although I have other books on zen), and then searched Amazon for zen books and after looking at maybe 2 dozen titles saw it, and I'm not at all surprised that there are 50 some reviews and the average is 5 stars.Edit: A month or so after writing this review I ordered a copy, received it yesterday. The cover is different, of course. It's interesting to see that on the cover there are testimonials by several very famous people attesting to the decades long impact this book has had on their lives.

I absolutely love this book and happy to recommend it. It’s a collection of short stories; I mean really, really short tales. Though they are Buddhist tales, anyone religious or non- religious, including aethists can enjoy it; after all Buddhism is a philosophy, not really a religion as made out by men (mostly) in society. So go read it, and enjoy.

I've lent out my old copy but can't wait for it to come back. This it precious. It's about the actualisation of Zen. Rather than reading from sacred texts it shows the practice. Highly recommended.

A very accessible book. Thought provoking and philosophical. The texts work on multiple levels and can have more than one interpretation. I have bought many copies of this book over the years for close friends and colleagues. I refuse to accept money for the book and give it purely for its spiritual and meditative aspect. Reading this book gives me a contemplative sense of inner calm.

I love this book since I bought it in the year 1992. In 1992 I was in Munich and found this book coincidental in a library and bought it. This book was written in German and it was a treasure for me since this time. After I have learned English in 1998 and my progress in this language, I can read this in English now. I am glad that I bought this, some things are better to understand, if you can read this one in the language of the original.Great book which offers the true sense of ZEN

Zen Flesh Zen bones really confirmed my lifelong Buddhist faith and has always been a confort over the years. I recommend this important and moving book to anyone.Eternally the stream flows.