Daisetz T. Suzuki

Zen and Japanese Culture is a classic that has influenced generations of readers and played a major role in shaping conceptions of Zen’s influence on Japanese traditional arts. In simple and poetic language, Daisetz Suzuki describes Zen and its historical evolution. He connects Zen to the philosophy of the samurai, and subtly portrays the relationship between Zen and swordsmanship, haiku, tea ceremonies, and the Japanese love of nature. Suzuki uses anecdotes, poetry, and illustrations of silk screens, calligraphy, and architecture. The book features an introduction by Richard Jaffe that acquaints readers with Suzuki’s life and career and analyzes the book’s reception in light of contemporary criticism, especially by scholars of Japanese Buddhism. Zen and Japanese Culture is a valuable source for those wishing to understand Zen in the context of Japanese life and art, and remains one of the leading works on the subject.

Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki had a profound and lasting influence in bringing the teachings of Buddhism to the Western world. He lectured and wrote widely on the subject of Zen Buddhism and published some fifty books in Japanese and English, as well as a variety of articles and essays. For his famous two-volume translation of and commentary on the Lankavatara Sutra he was awarded an Hon. D. Litt. by Otani University in Kyoto. In this collection of essays and lectures, Dr. Suzuki illuminates a range of topics, from Mahayana Buddhism generally to the Zen school in particular; from Japanese art and culture to the first English translation of a sermon from the "Sayings of Rinzai"; from formal lectures to informal talks delivered to an enraptured audience at the Buddhist society in London; from the relationship between Zen Buddhism and Western psychology to a moving lecture on "The Supreme Spiritual Ideal." A brilliant and intuitive scholar, Dr. Suzuki communicates his insights in a lucid and energetic fashion. Thus "The Awakening of Zen" is a delight for the novice and the scholar alike.

No other figure in history has played a bigger part in opening the West to Buddhism than the eminent Zen author, D. T. Suzuki, and in this reissue of his best work readers are given the very heart of Zen teaching. Zen Buddhism, which sold more than 125,000 as an Anchor paperback after its publication in 1956, includes a basic historical background as well as a thorough overview of the techniques for Zen practice. Concepts and terminology such as satori, zazen, and koans, as well as the various elements of this philosophy are all given clear explanations. But while Suzuki takes nothing for granted in the reader's understanding of the fundamentals, he does not give a merely rudimentary overview. Each of the essays included here, particularly those on the unconscious mind and the relation of Zen to Western philosophy, go far beyond other sources for their penetrating insights and timeless wisdom. What is most important about D. T. Suzuki's work, however--and what comes across so powerfully in these selections--is his unparalleled ability to communicate the experiential aspect of Zen. The intensity here with which Zen philosophy comes to life is without parallel in the canon of Buddhist literature. Suzuki stands apart from all teachers before or since because of his exceptional ability to eloquently capture in words the seemingly inexpressible essence of Zen.