Nẻo Vào Thiền Học

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh brings his warmth and clarity to this unique explication of Zen Buddhism. Beginning with a discussion of daily life in a Zen monastery, Nhat Hanh illustrates the character of Zen as practiced in Vietnam, and gives the reader clear explanations of the central elements of Zen practice and philosophy. Thorough attention is given to concepts such as Awareness and Impermanence, and to contemporary issues such as the conflicts between modern technology and spirituality. The final section includes a set of 43 koans from the 13th century Vietnamese master, Tran Thai Tong, which are translated here for the first time into English. Originally published in 1974, Zen Keys has been unavailable for several years but is now reissued by popular demand. Readers will find it as fresh today as when it was first written, and will be struck by the timelessness of its insights. What makes this work particularly compelling is that Nhat Hanh is able to invigorate what in other presentations may seem like empty abstract principles. The example he has set in his own life as a relentless advocate for peace brings strength and a realistic understanding to idealistic Buddhist goals. In Zen Keys, Thich Nhat Hanh presents the philosophy which has enabled him to be mindful of peace in every moment. An excellent introduction from Philip Kapleau (author of the classic Three Pillars Of Zen ) provides background on the emerging American Zen tradition.

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

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Thích Nhất Hạnh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist who then lived in southwest France where he was in exile for many years. Born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo, Thích Nhất Hạnh joined a Zen (Vietnamese: Thiền) monastery at the age of 16, and studied Buddhism as a novitiate. Upon his ordination as a monk in 1949, he assumed the Dharma name Thích Nhất Hạnh. Thích is an honorary family name used by all Vietnamese monks and nuns, meaning that they are part of the Shakya (Shakyamuni Buddha) clan. He was often considered the most influential living figure in the lineage of Lâm Tế (Vietnamese Rinzai) Thiền, and perhaps also in Zen Buddhism as a whole.

Reviews

[Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the obvious exception of His Holiness the Dalai-Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay for short) is probably the world's most famous Buddhist; not to mention one of the most industrious when it comes to writing books! Even my local bookstore's (rather lackluster) section on Buddhism has two full shelves of his books. While I still think that his biography of the Buddha, "Old Path White Clouds" (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) is his masterwork, most of his shorter books are tailored for people who are interested in Buddhist ideas and philosophy, but not necessarily practice.

"Zen Keys" is a little bit different from the bulk of his published work: it is meant as a guidebook for Western Zen practitioners, and I wouldn't recommend it for newbies to be honest. The book assumes the reader to be familiar with basic philosophy, sutras and meditation techniques. But anyone interested in a deeper understanding of Zen practice should check this little book out!

I knew just from the introduction that this was a very special book: a lot of concepts that are part of Zen philosophy can be really abstract, and Thich Nhat Hanh definitely has a knack for explaining them clearly and elegantly. He studied both in Vietnam and America, and understands how to translate Eastern thinking into something that Western minds can digest easily.

Thich Nhat Hanh goes through a very clear explanation of non-self and interbeing and of the way language is used as a tool by Zen masters, especially when it comes of koans (or kung-ans). There is a section on how different traditions of Buddhism ended up becoming what we now know as Zen and how this "new" tradition spread from India, to China, Japan and eventually the rest of the world, as well as Thich Nhat Hanh's reflections on the current state of the world and of how Zen can make a difference. There is also a long section on emptiness, true nature and true reality, that while very interesting, is highly theoretical and mind-bending. The book concludes with a collection of koans.

As wonderful as the book is, it felt more like a theoretical overview of the practice of Zen, and not quite like the practical guide I was expecting. It is a very good resource to deepen one's understanding of the practice, but it's not quite a guidebook.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have not yet, I might recommend reading some of Thich Nhat Hanh's other works before getting to this one. If you're looking for one to start with, The Miracle of Mindfulness is perfect: very practical no matter your own traditions and great to return to again and again. After several years of learning from some of his other books and enjoying my own practice of mindfulness, I was ready to read this one which deals more about the history of Zen practice. It is unlike other books I have read from Thich Nhat Hanh. If I had started with this one, it would have been lost on me. This read was well timed for me, picking it up at Deer Park Monastery when visiting for a Day of Mindfulness with Thich Nhat Hanh during his US teaching tour this year---a wonderful experience. I have finished the main part of this book and am now spending some time with the 43 koans at the end. Because I was ready for this book, I really like it.

[Daniel Gargallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this shortly after Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind and found this to be a skillful second step. Zen Keys is a Swiss Army knife that will explain what kind of literature is out there and how you could engage it, how Zen Buddhism institutionally spread, and an overview of philosophical concepts, namely the concept of concepts (if you see the Buddha, kill the Buddha).

After reading this book I felt more prepared for Zazen as well as engaging source texts on Zen. you don’t need anything other than Zazen for Zazen, but Zen Keys can be very handy!

[Igor Girsanov · Rating 4 out of 5]

The compassionate and easygoing style of Thay is retained in this book, which gives a good introduction to Zen in general and Vietnamese Zen in particular. However, this book is definitely not for the beginner. He gets pretty good into concepts about Buddhism/Zen that a beginner may not be comfortable with. Although, if one is willing to persist, then can gain many useful things out of this book.

[Neilepiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that I have read the menu, I can begin with the food

[Wil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend it for anyone looking to study Zen Buddhism ideas.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great look at the foundations of Zen, its basic practices, and its purpose. Hanh offers a very easily read piece that even Westerners with no Buddhist understanding can follow. T

hich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen master, poet, and spokesman for the Vietnamese Buddhist peace movement. In 1967 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. He is the author of several books, including Peace is Every Step, The Miracle of Mindfulness, and Being Peace.

Thich Nhat Hanh brings his warmth and clarity to this unique explication of Zen Buddhism. Beginning with a discussion of daily life in a Zen monastery, Nhat Hanh illustrates the character of Zen as practiced in Vietnam, and gives the reader clear explanations of the central elements of Zen practice and philosophy. Thorough attention is given to concepts such as Awareness and Impermanence, and to contemporary issues such as the conflicts between modern technology and spirituality

[Zhen Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book on Zen Buddhism. It was an eye-opening experience. The book is so beautifully written, and Thich Nhat Hanh is a brilliant scholar who is able to explain extremely complex concepts and ideologies in simple terms using metaphors and real-life examples. His spirituality and compassion showed vividly in the book, and he described the beauty of Zen Buddhism so perfectly with his moving words. As a world traveled scholar, he took on the challenge of introducing Zen Buddhism, a profound and ancient Asian religion, to a new territory: the west, where people have completely different mindset and belief system, and he did a fantastic job. I recommend everyone who is interested in Zen Buddhism to read this book as well as other works by Thich Nhat Hanh.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is practical and wonderful introduction and overview into the practice and philosophy of Zen Buddhism. It provides tangible ways to introduce and practice Zen in one's life--a great starter book for the novice Eastern thinker.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

It does its best to be clear about zen and does suceed in some respects on conveying the history of the practise, but to be honest, it wasn't really worth the read. Some of the practises are still confusing, and with life and time so short, reading time should be devoted to better or clearer books.

[Stef A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book by Thich Nhat Hanh but not as much as his others. Some of the chapters I found a little difficult to digest, though I thoroughly enjoyed the koans in the last chapter. I borrowed this book from the library, but would consider purchasing it just to have access to the koans.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

verging on philosophy, piecharts of "reality" = deep

[Taka · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Impermanence is another name for not-self. In time, things are impermanent, in space they are devoid of a fixed identity" (39)

"The notion of impermanence, non-self, interbeing, and emptiness are means aimed at revealing the errors of knowledge rather than at giving a description of the objects of knowledge" (110)

"In reality in itself, there is no discrimination: subject/object, self/not-self, etc. This is not truly reality but an erroneous image of reality ... The flower that is near the window is a true flower in its undiscriminated reality. As soon as we discriminate, it is no longer revealed. In its place stands an erroneous image" (111)

"Reality cannot be conceived, nor can it be described in words. Reality is reality, it is thus. This is the significance of the word thusness (tathata)" (112)

"For this reason true emptiness is identical to the tathata, which is non-discriminated and non-conceptualized reality ... All that can be said is that emptiness or tathata is non-conceptualized reality. All concepts about emptiness are the enemies of emptiness, all concepts about the tathata are the enemies of the tathata" (113)

[BLDinMT · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am fond of Thich Nhat Hanh's writing and approach to living mindfully in daily life. But, MAN! This was a book I struggled through. (Four months, 12 days to read the mere 198 pages, to be exact.) I got bogged down and lost in the unfamiliar Buddhist dogma that made up the middle section of the book--so many foreign words, numbered precepts, and interconnecting diagrams! At one point I just had to concede that I didn't understand what was being discussed and to just keep reading until I got back into comprehensible territory again. Which did happen, eventually. And then the kung-ans appendix mostly lost me again, but... sometimes the spiritual quest is unclear. I wish I'd read this along with a scholar/teacher. The beginning and end would have gotten a three-star. The middle would have gotten one star....so we'll meet in the middle with two-stars. It was okay.

[Ginny Ip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parts of it was too philosophical for my taste but that last chapter earns a whole star by itself. Here's a taster:

"Contemporary man is dragged along in a producing and consuming treadmill to the point where he begins to become a part of the machine and loses mastery of himself. Daily life dissipates our spirit, eats up our time, and thus does not leave the opportunity to become aware of ourselves or return to our deeper self. Accustomed as we are to being constantly "occupied", if these occupations should be taken from us, we find ourselves empty and abandoned. Still, we refuse to confront ourself and instead go off in search of friends, to mix in with the crowd, to listen to the radio or to the television, to get rid of this impression of emptiness."

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

1973. This book really helped me understand what Zen is all about. I always knew it wasn't for me, but now I know why. For example, I had always thought koans were just non-sense and trying to work with them in any way was also non-sense. But Thich Nhat Hanh says, "The language of Zen always aims at destroying the habit-energies of those who only know how to think conceptually. It tends to provoke crises, whose function is to bring... awakening." Well, OK. I do know some people who are stuck in their own reasoning brain and can't see anything outside that. Maybe people like that can benefit from Zen.

[Courtney Trethric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course, 5 stars for Thich Nhat Hanh! Wonderfully written, and brought a lot of peace to the end of my day when reading before bed.

If you're new to Zen or Buddhism, I'd read a quick beginner's book so you can understand some of the basics referenced though. I have many pages marked here to go back to. As expected by the author, this book is such a beautiful way of approaching Zen. I can't recommend it enough.

The koans at the end are absolutely delightful! It was the perfect way to end this book.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to Thich Nhat Hanh and the style of Buddhism that he teaches. It is an older book, I think his first, so some of the concepts were a bit challenging to this westerner. I find his newer books a little easier to understand and contemplate. But it's worth having read this book for the origins of his teachings, which although perhaps explained in a more palatable way in newer writings, the core of which are unchanged. I can read and read and read his teachings and always learn a new way to think and to contemplate being. Thay is and forever will be the master.

[Kristin Boggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read three other books by Thich Nhat Hanh, and enjoyed them immensely. Incredibly profound in its simplicity. This book, however, delves deeper into Zen Buddhism practice and philosophy - and at times, I literally had no idea what he was talking about.

But I'm keeping this one on my bookshelf, and I know that at a different time, different space I might enjoy this....differently.

3.5 stars, mostly because Zen philosophy is way over my head.

[Anna Zannides · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Zen Keys when I was in my twenties and going through a difficult time. As someone that struggled in the religion I was born into, I wanted to find a way to better understand my life and Zen Keys was my introduction to Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings are simplistic and yet profound. I highly recommend starting with Zen Keys and then moving on to read some of his other works, you life will be changed.

[rumbledethumps · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to Zen, with some of the best explanations of what it is as I have ever found in a book. The middle might get weighed down a bit with the explanations of the various schools of Zen and the history of them in India and China. But overall, a really lucid explanation of what Zen is.

[David Sweet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the first book to dive into on Zen. Go to Suzuki for that. This has nuts and bolts and more esoteric aspects of the Zen monastic life. The koans were okay. As others have written, not Thich Nhat Hanh’s most accessible book.

[Gopal Krishan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thich Nhat Vietnamese most known popular Zen Master.Book gives practical introduction to practice s n philosophy of Zen Buddhism.It needs lot of understanding.He has blend eastern concepts with western,giving clear insight of Zen Buddhism.

[James McBean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concepts but difficult to follow unless you have a some knowledge in the space already. Many references are made to different peoples and concepts that use Buddhism specific words that have no meaning to the laymen.

[Ross Cohen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less of a guide, more of an academic study.

[Rol Ordaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book has a lot of material and real Zen history. for me it wasn't easy to follow it

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not super riveting, but very informative about Zen Buddhism. I think that it's a great book in understanding the practices and goals of Zen and in wrangling some of the more abstract concepts.

[Maughn Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only book by Thay I've read that is more theory than practice.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chapter "The Regeneration of Humanity" and the translated kung-ans at the end resonated with me a lot. A lucidly written, beginner-friendly book on Zen Buddhism.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as approachable as Miracle of Mindfulness, but wonderful for someone looking for additional detail and context.