The Path of the Human Being: Zen Teachings on the Bodhisattva Way by Dennis Genpo Merzel (31-Dec-2004) Paperback

by Bernie Glassman

Dennis Merzel, one of the most highly regarded American Zen teachers, explains how meditation can gradually lead us to becoming more and more familiar with our minds, allowing us to better understand ourselves and the nature of human life. He explores the practice of meditation in depth, as well as a range of related topics connecting meditation practice to everyday life, understanding central Zen concepts, working with a teacher, and practicing meditation in the midst of difficult times.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Religion

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this was a compilation of discourses gathered into a book. There was a lot of interesting points made but it didn’t have any direction or thread of building through the book. Also, strangely, I would read about 20 pages and then want to take a nap. Kind of a weird reaction.

[Adrian Colesberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be a great book. I just find spiritual writings to be boring. Not dense enough to keep up my interest. But I pushed through and there were a few interesting things. These might be quotes or paraphrases, I don't know. I'll mark them as quotes to be safe.

"The Oryoki is a Japanese word meaning "contains just the right amount." It is the biggest of the Buddha monk begging bowls. Our lives can also be thought of as a begging bowl, which holds just the right amount.

"The illusion that you have destroyed your ego is very dangerous. Instead of vainly trying to destroy the ego, better to keep the ego in plain view."

That last one is pretty genius.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and useful, though its usefulness declines somewhat in the latter half of the text. Merzel's authorial voice tends to be more colloquial and, I think, straightforward than Bernie Glassman's, but he at times falls into the same trap of overly abstract language. All in all, though, I found this to be a decent overview of core Zen concepts and practices. Not to be read as a standalone authority, but a good supplement.

[Cindywho · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pile of talks from an enthusiastic teacher. Nice and short for my attention span. Not much new except for a decent attempt to explain being and not-being - how everything exists and doesn't exist at the same time.

[Joseph Harriott]

modern, to the point advice for us to get down to what matters.

[Brendan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only read 3/4ths of this. There's not a lot of point in reading about Zen ( especially other people's ) ~ does make the point of hammering on zazen ( over and over and over ) ~

[Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a lot of books containing collections of talks given by Buddhist teachers. This is one of them.

[Velvetea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was wonderful~ so many subjects are covered and all around, it makes you feel at peace. A beautiful lesson in how to look inside yourself.