Unsui: A Diary of Zen Monastic Life

by Eshin Nishimura

Although the lines of the palm of the hand are barely visible in the early light, the monks of the Tofukuji monastery have been about their familiar rounds of daily tasks for several hours. Their routine is simple but faithfully practiced. Within its repetition lies the key to the self and the Buddha who resides within.



The daily life of the monastery is portrayed here in ninety-seven watercolor sketches. Drawn during his last years by the Zen monk Giei Sato, these sketches recollect his days as an unsui, an apprentice monk. With humor and steadfast warmth Sato depicts the day of leaving home and the day of returning; the rainy season and the snowy season; the chores, the celebrations, the days of cleaning, and the days of begging. Each of the charming drawings is enhanced by a brief description of the event portrayed, a touch of Zen teaching, or a note on monastic life.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Japan, Religion, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Spirituality

114 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1973

Reviews

[Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a little treasure that I found in the piles of books in the basement of the Black Squirrel in Ottawa. It is a lovingly illustrated book on the day to day activities of the monastic life in a Rinzai Zen temple in Japan, circa the 60s. Buddhist art is often rather formal, and what makes this book stand out is really the style, which is almost cartoonish. There is wonderful humour and approachability in those illustrations, that doesn’t take away the sacredness of the activities depicted, and reminds the reader of the humanity of the monks and their practices. Every picture is accompanied by a note explaining the illustrations, and how the activity is a part of the monks’ practices and how it is a way of embodying the Buddhist teachings.

Beautiful, informative and accessible.