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What More Do You Want?: Zen Questions, Zen Answers
All readers, both novice and longtime practitioners, will encounter in this book new answers, and new questions, to the what, why and how of Zen practice.
We've all had moments in our lives when we've thought, "Something is missing. There must be more to life than this." It is this sense that often brings people to the practice of Zen. By turning to Zen, they acknowledge that this "something" lies not in externals, but rather in seeking to transcend desire and attachment. The journey toward that transcendence begins with questioning, and questions will be part of the path until awakening is attained.
In What More do You Want? a fascinating new book by renowned Zen master Albert Low, he addresses some of the questions students have posed about the practice of Why do we practice? Why should we seek to understand our reasons for practicing? How can we distinguish between true and false practice? What is awakening? In addition, Low shares with his readers four teishos —talks that comment on a text or koan in order to enhance meditation practice—on zazen or seated meditation, on pain and suffering, and on the very nature of practice itself. Finally, Low shares with readers an experience of satori , a glimpse into Buddha nature.
We've all had moments in our lives when we've thought, "Something is missing. There must be more to life than this." It is this sense that often brings people to the practice of Zen. By turning to Zen, they acknowledge that this "something" lies not in externals, but rather in seeking to transcend desire and attachment. The journey toward that transcendence begins with questioning, and questions will be part of the path until awakening is attained.
In What More do You Want? a fascinating new book by renowned Zen master Albert Low, he addresses some of the questions students have posed about the practice of Why do we practice? Why should we seek to understand our reasons for practicing? How can we distinguish between true and false practice? What is awakening? In addition, Low shares with his readers four teishos —talks that comment on a text or koan in order to enhance meditation practice—on zazen or seated meditation, on pain and suffering, and on the very nature of practice itself. Finally, Low shares with readers an experience of satori , a glimpse into Buddha nature.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2013
12 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Albert Low
49 books7 followersAlbert William Low was a western Zen master in the Philip Kapleau-lineage, an internationally published author, and a former human resources executive. He lived in England, South Africa, Canada, and the United States and resided in Montreal since 1979. He held a BA degree in Philosophy and Psychology, and was a trained counselor. In 2003, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws for scholastic attainment and community service by Queen's University, in Kingston, Ontario.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 2, 2018
Zen practice is more of a journey than a destination. This is all portrayed quite well in this book “What More Do You Want?” by Albert Low. With questions about the practice of doing Zazen and other ideas, this book is for more advanced practitioners. Questions are asked and answers are given. Some of them are remarkably sublime and deep, while some of them are merely about sticking to the practice of doing Zen. The book is fantastic in that sense. With a great deal of experience but no self-important poise, this Albert Low seems like a pretty interesting guy.
In any case, this book is great. It is a good source of quotes and ideas on Zen practice. So I would recommend it if you can find a copy. There really isn’t much else to say about this book, though it doesn’t merely have a question and answer format to it. That may be the lion’s share of the book, but there is also a section on the actual point of becoming enlightened and four Teishos or Talks that were given by the author.
In any case, this book is great. It is a good source of quotes and ideas on Zen practice. So I would recommend it if you can find a copy. There really isn’t much else to say about this book, though it doesn’t merely have a question and answer format to it. That may be the lion’s share of the book, but there is also a section on the actual point of becoming enlightened and four Teishos or Talks that were given by the author.
June 30, 2013
When reading books on various philosophies, religions or spirituality I usually come away with an epiphany or two or at the very least a possible new way to look at things. This is one of the best on advanced zen. I found myself reading parts over and over again hoping to absorb it. It sometimes twisted my brain but that's easy enough to do. The book is in a question and answer format and since I'm not an advanced zen student a lot of it was tough reading but again I enjoy anything that makes me go deeper with my questioning.
November 5, 2021
A first-rate guide from a leading Zen master (sadly passed in 2016).
Low's last book, published 2013, compiles his responses to questions submitted by members of the Montreal Zen Center, of which he was Director for about 30 years (two-thirds of the book) followed by four teishos (talks) given at Zen retreats. The Q&A material is not organized thematically, but rather presented in the order the questions were submitted. This works perfectly well, since common themes underpin many of Low's answers, and these cumulate to provide a good sense of his teaching.
Low's approach differs from most Zen guides in starting from the question of "What is it that drives us to Zen?" He notes that many of us are tormented by the sense that "something is missing", that there ought to be "something more to life", that we are looking somehow to "transcend" day-to-day life. For Low, this drive is innate, and all religions, including Zen, find ways to address this need. He sees our sense of incompleteness coming from an instinctive division of the world into two parts: the internal part (our mind, body, personality, ego, etc.) and the external part (the rest of the world, including other people). The Buddha's teaching that life is Dukkha (or suffering/anxiety/unease--take your pick) is a direct result of this segmentation, as the ego's attempt to master the world always proves fruitless in light of the latter's continual change. The ego finds itself in a continual chase for satisfaction, feeling somehow incomplete.
Low teaches that the intuitive division of the world into internal and external is false. Through an intense examination of why we are incomplete and by asking "Who am I", a Zen practitioner can potentially achieve an awakening that confirms the experience of "I am" but without any sense of segmentation ("me vs. not me"). The difficulty is in describing the enlightened state to the large majority of us who have not experienced it. Because language about the self inherently uses the internal/external distinction, it is useless for describing awakening. Given this, Low uses analogies to hint at its character. At the same time, awakening has to be felt rather than reasoned, and Low emphasizes the importance of dedicated Zazen practice for achieving this goal.
I love this book which has given new impetus to my practice. It will be one of my go-to Zen guides, and extracts will be ideal for discussion at my Zendo's "tea and talk" sessions. Low puts a lifetime of Zen practice into his writing and it will stay relevant as your practice deepens.
One reservation for some may be Low's emphasis on the Rinzai side of the Harada-Yasutani lineage (see biographical materials below). For him, Zen practice has to be an all-out push toward kensho and enlightenment. The rigor that he advocates is not for everyone.
Biographical materials
Albert Low was in the Harada-Yasutani lineage, a student of Philip Kapleau (along with Toni Packer). He joined Kapleau's Rochester Zen Center in 1976 and three years later went to the Montreal Zen Center as teacher. He was confirmed as a Zen master by Kapleau in 1986. As Director of the Montreal Zen Center through 2016, he guided more than 200 students.
His position in the Harada-Yasutani lineage is as follows:
Daiun Sogaku Harada (1871-1961) --> Hakuun Ryoko Yasutani (1885-1973) --> Philip Kapleau (1912-2004) --> Albert Low (1928-2016)
My Zen reviews, ranked
Low's last book, published 2013, compiles his responses to questions submitted by members of the Montreal Zen Center, of which he was Director for about 30 years (two-thirds of the book) followed by four teishos (talks) given at Zen retreats. The Q&A material is not organized thematically, but rather presented in the order the questions were submitted. This works perfectly well, since common themes underpin many of Low's answers, and these cumulate to provide a good sense of his teaching.
Low's approach differs from most Zen guides in starting from the question of "What is it that drives us to Zen?" He notes that many of us are tormented by the sense that "something is missing", that there ought to be "something more to life", that we are looking somehow to "transcend" day-to-day life. For Low, this drive is innate, and all religions, including Zen, find ways to address this need. He sees our sense of incompleteness coming from an instinctive division of the world into two parts: the internal part (our mind, body, personality, ego, etc.) and the external part (the rest of the world, including other people). The Buddha's teaching that life is Dukkha (or suffering/anxiety/unease--take your pick) is a direct result of this segmentation, as the ego's attempt to master the world always proves fruitless in light of the latter's continual change. The ego finds itself in a continual chase for satisfaction, feeling somehow incomplete.
Low teaches that the intuitive division of the world into internal and external is false. Through an intense examination of why we are incomplete and by asking "Who am I", a Zen practitioner can potentially achieve an awakening that confirms the experience of "I am" but without any sense of segmentation ("me vs. not me"). The difficulty is in describing the enlightened state to the large majority of us who have not experienced it. Because language about the self inherently uses the internal/external distinction, it is useless for describing awakening. Given this, Low uses analogies to hint at its character. At the same time, awakening has to be felt rather than reasoned, and Low emphasizes the importance of dedicated Zazen practice for achieving this goal.
I love this book which has given new impetus to my practice. It will be one of my go-to Zen guides, and extracts will be ideal for discussion at my Zendo's "tea and talk" sessions. Low puts a lifetime of Zen practice into his writing and it will stay relevant as your practice deepens.
One reservation for some may be Low's emphasis on the Rinzai side of the Harada-Yasutani lineage (see biographical materials below). For him, Zen practice has to be an all-out push toward kensho and enlightenment. The rigor that he advocates is not for everyone.
Biographical materials
Albert Low was in the Harada-Yasutani lineage, a student of Philip Kapleau (along with Toni Packer). He joined Kapleau's Rochester Zen Center in 1976 and three years later went to the Montreal Zen Center as teacher. He was confirmed as a Zen master by Kapleau in 1986. As Director of the Montreal Zen Center through 2016, he guided more than 200 students.
His position in the Harada-Yasutani lineage is as follows:
Daiun Sogaku Harada (1871-1961) --> Hakuun Ryoko Yasutani (1885-1973) --> Philip Kapleau (1912-2004) --> Albert Low (1928-2016)
My Zen reviews, ranked
March 11, 2021
Written in the style of question-answer, I found this book was best taken a little bit at a time rather than reading a whole lot at once. I'd have to say that it's similar to a lot of books I've read on meditation, meaning I understood about half of it and the other half was pretty tough to relate to. That being said, it was still interesting and, at times, illuminating.
Compared to other types of mediation, Zen is very stark and strict. It was discouraging at times which put me off, but not enough to put the book down or abandon it.
Especially valuable at the end was the author's account of his awakening--what transpired, what he felt, thought, and did.
Recommended for people already familiar with Zen meditation; beginners won't find it quite as valuable.
Compared to other types of mediation, Zen is very stark and strict. It was discouraging at times which put me off, but not enough to put the book down or abandon it.
Especially valuable at the end was the author's account of his awakening--what transpired, what he felt, thought, and did.
Recommended for people already familiar with Zen meditation; beginners won't find it quite as valuable.
July 22, 2020
"What More Do You Want" is a question and answer book for those involved in a Zen practice that specifically addresses those day to day issues that arise from Zen meditation. As the author freely admits, this is not an easy book. The answers often appear cryptic, shrouded in riddles and the explanations seem well beyond any intellectual comprehension. The book clearly is for the experienced and seasoned Zen practitioner.
April 22, 2018
I am an external curious agent to the world of Zen and this book gives me a glimpse. It is a difficult world to enter because it exists through practice, primarily, which I am not committed to or have ever tried. But there are ideas here that are true in the purest of senses.
March 9, 2018
A Q&A with a zen teacher, which is often very considered and generous but the problem with all Q&A's rears its head in that everyone wants to ask the same three questions and honestly there's only so many times you can rephrase the same advice. This is just the nature of people.
May 28, 2014
It's a pragmatic book about the practice of zen, not the philosophy...
I initially thought there are some repetitions, but then realized it's just like our thoughts and practice. It's all repetition. Repetition of the breath, the practice, the worries, the relief..
I initially thought there are some repetitions, but then realized it's just like our thoughts and practice. It's all repetition. Repetition of the breath, the practice, the worries, the relief..
June 16, 2013
Excellent book on practice
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews