Essential Chan Buddhism: The Character and Spirit of Chinese Zen

by Guo Jun, Kenneth Wapner (Editor), Robert A.F. Thurman (Foreword)

"Essential Chan Buddhism "is the rare unearthing of an ancient and remarkable Chinese spiritual tradition. Master Guo Jun speaks through hard-won wisdom on Chan's spiritual themes familiar to Western readers, such as mindfulness and relaxation in meditation, as well as profound, simply expressed teachings and insightful explorations of religious commitment. "Essential Chan Buddhism" filters formal spiritual practices through the lens of mundane and everyday life activities. The work captures the lyrical beauty and incantatory style of Guo Jun s spoken English from the talks he gave at a fourteen-day retreat near Jakarta in 2010 and in subsequent conversations with his editor Kenneth Wapner. This value-priced hardcover edition is both a distinctive addition to Buddhist collections and a thoughtful gift for anyone looking for spiritual guidance.Chan master Guo Jun is one of a new breed of international teachers taking the world s great wisdom traditions into the twenty-first century. He is currently abbot of Mahabodhi Monastery in Singapore and teaches internationally. Chan master Sheng Yen s youngest dharma heir, he served as abbot of his Pine Bush, New York, retreat center from 2005 to 2008. A native of Singapore, Guo Jun received his full monastic ordination in Taiwan. He is a lineage holder and successor in Chan as well as the Xianshou and Cien schools of Chinese Buddhism. "Essential Chan Buddhism "is his first book.Kenneth Wapner s Peekamouse Books is a book packager and editor. Clients include Bantam, Tarcher/Putnam, Ballantine, and Doubleday. He is well known for his work on "Rabbi Jesus," "Bones of the Master," and "The Zen of Creativity.""

Genres: Buddhism, Religion, Zen, Philosophy, Nonfiction

176 pages, ebook

First published April 2, 2013

Reviews

[Jerry Peace · Rating 5 out of 5]

What more to say? Come back to your breath, come back to the present moment, and relax.

[Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome awesome awesome! One of the best books on Chinese Buddhism around! I especially loved the parables and stories from the author's own history that he tells in this rather small book. I liked that even though he is a very experienced monk, he wrote his book for the layman/novice and made it very user friendly. Even going so far as to say that Buddhism isn't about avoiding social life and being a hermit. It's just the opposite in fact! Very similar in ways to being a magickian.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each chapter is very short and written in an easy-to-follow manner, it's not necessarily read from the beginning to the end. I'm learning zen meditation and has met Master Guo Jun once. Master a great zen master and his teachings is very inspiring and insightful. This book is a must read for every one practising Zen.