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De reis van de wijze kat
Op een dag hoort de Kat over een oeroude pijnboom diep in het woud. Wie de boom vindt, verkrijgt grote innerlijke rust.
De Kat gaat op weg en ontmoet allerlei dieren, zoals de nieuwsgierige Haas, de praatgrage Aap en de vermoeide Schildpad. Elk vertellen zij hun eigen verhaal. Maar pas als de Kat het speelse jonge Katje leert kennen, begrijpt hij het doel van zijn reis...
De Kat gaat op weg en ontmoet allerlei dieren, zoals de nieuwsgierige Haas, de praatgrage Aap en de vermoeide Schildpad. Elk vertellen zij hun eigen verhaal. Maar pas als de Kat het speelse jonge Katje leert kennen, begrijpt hij het doel van zijn reis...
175 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2023
247 people are currently reading
21143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 821 reviews
May 6, 2024
This is one of those books that seems super cool at the beginning of a journey into Zen, and one that probably seems equally cool when you are nearing 10 or 20 years of experience with it. The middle 70% of the way may have you wanting to toss this away, calling it a scam in hardcover format, and running off to find some journal article that has attempted to find Zen in a 20-item questionnaire with Likert scales. Which is ironic. I am not implying that I have even close to 2-3 years of experience with practicing, but the mode of thought is familiar to me. I can see why this would be very useful for many folks, and I will be sure to recommend it accordingly.
Many gold nuggets in this one:
- The Cat nodded and smiled.
‘Thank you,’ said the Cub.
‘I didn’t do anything,’ said the Cat.
‘You listened,’ said the Cub, ‘and that made all the difference.’
- ‘I once heard someone say, it was not the journey or the destination that mattered most, but the company.’
- The obstacle IS the path.
Many gold nuggets in this one:
- The Cat nodded and smiled.
‘Thank you,’ said the Cub.
‘I didn’t do anything,’ said the Cat.
‘You listened,’ said the Cub, ‘and that made all the difference.’
- ‘I once heard someone say, it was not the journey or the destination that mattered most, but the company.’
- The obstacle IS the path.
May 16, 2024
I’ve learned that what we want is seldom what we need, and what we need is almost never what we want”
The Cat Who Taught Zen attempts to “approach zen in a practical way by taking some of it’s ideas and stories and making them more accessible and useful on a day to day level.” This is done by the journey of The Cat and the animals he meets along the way. These encounters are told through traditional zen stories, “which have been used for hundreds of years to point towards ideas without literally explaining them”.
The animal encounters/stories are illustrated by the author using multiple traditional drawing styles including one called sumi-e which was used in East Asia centuries ago. The drawings and the messages are the heart of this book.
On the path towards understanding, the the cat encounters a kitten who asks where his friends are. The cat replies that his is a solo journey and he doesn’t need friends. I loved the kitten's response:
“But friends are like magic” ‘When you share something good with a friend, you somehow get more than if you kept it to yourself’ ‘And if something isn’t right, just telling your friend can make it seem better, even though they might not know how to fix it’.
The Cat Who Taught Zen is a book you can pick up and read multiple times and find something new each time you read it, or just have it be a comfort for what you might need in this moment.
The Cat Who Taught Zen attempts to “approach zen in a practical way by taking some of it’s ideas and stories and making them more accessible and useful on a day to day level.” This is done by the journey of The Cat and the animals he meets along the way. These encounters are told through traditional zen stories, “which have been used for hundreds of years to point towards ideas without literally explaining them”.
The animal encounters/stories are illustrated by the author using multiple traditional drawing styles including one called sumi-e which was used in East Asia centuries ago. The drawings and the messages are the heart of this book.
On the path towards understanding, the the cat encounters a kitten who asks where his friends are. The cat replies that his is a solo journey and he doesn’t need friends. I loved the kitten's response:
“But friends are like magic” ‘When you share something good with a friend, you somehow get more than if you kept it to yourself’ ‘And if something isn’t right, just telling your friend can make it seem better, even though they might not know how to fix it’.
The Cat Who Taught Zen is a book you can pick up and read multiple times and find something new each time you read it, or just have it be a comfort for what you might need in this moment.
From the story of the kitten and the dragon:
‘Spend time in silence,
appreciate nature,
be mindful and seek peace’
October 31, 2023
4.25/5
Although I enjoyed reading this book outloud alongside my husband, we both agreed that ending feels kind of "stretched out" and that some lines are a bit "try hard to sound smart".
We did, however, enjoy beautiful illustrations and profound quotes. I expect we will revisit this book soon enough to seek some comfort and refuge.🐱🫶🏻
Beautiful book to contemplate and share with someone.♥️
Although I enjoyed reading this book outloud alongside my husband, we both agreed that ending feels kind of "stretched out" and that some lines are a bit "try hard to sound smart".
We did, however, enjoy beautiful illustrations and profound quotes. I expect we will revisit this book soon enough to seek some comfort and refuge.🐱🫶🏻
Beautiful book to contemplate and share with someone.♥️
December 14, 2023
Uvijek dok nešto čitam označavam lijepe citate i našla sam se ovdje u situaciji da bih najradije označila barem svaku drugu stranicu. Shvatila sam da nema smisla i ovaj put izdvajam samo tri koja mi u ovom trenutku „zvone“. Možda ćete i vi s njima rezonirati, a možda i nećete. Znajte da ćete sigurno u knjizi pronaći nešto za sebe i htjet ćete to izdvojiti i zapisati i staviti na neko vidljivo mjesto kako biste se svaki dan na tu misao mogli podsjećati.
Više o utiscima pročitajte klikom na link: https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...
Više o utiscima pročitajte klikom na link: https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...
December 4, 2023
“Spend time with those who bring out the best in you”
December 17, 2024
„— Nigdy nie miałem przyjaciela — powiedział Tygrys. — To bardzo dziwne, kiedy dwoje nieznajomych zaczyna iść razem.
— Nasze dusze niewiele się różnią — odrzekł Kot. — Tak naprawdę każdy z nas potrzebuje tego samego.”
Cudowna książka i są kotki, więc czego chcieć więcej hihi
— Nasze dusze niewiele się różnią — odrzekł Kot. — Tak naprawdę każdy z nas potrzebuje tego samego.”
Cudowna książka i są kotki, więc czego chcieć więcej hihi
September 22, 2025
آقا به شدت فوق العاده بود خیلی خوب بود هیچ وقت فکرشو نمی کردم یک داستان به این کوتاهی آرامی انقدر تاثیر بزار روی من و انقدر من رو تو فکر فرو ببره واقعا زیبا بود هر کدوم از حیوانات کتاب یک بعد شخصیت ما بودن و گربه کل ما بود که به دنبال آرامش و معنا بود واقعا زیبا بود و به همه توصیه میکنم خیلی زیبا بود خیلی
لذت بردم
پ.ن: مال من از انتشارات کوله پشتی بود و اسمش بود
گربه ای که راه و رسم زندگی یاد می داد
لذت بردم
پ.ن: مال من از انتشارات کوله پشتی بود و اسمش بود
گربه ای که راه و رسم زندگی یاد می داد
September 9, 2024
اگه بخوام فقط از طراحی های کتابه بگم عالی بودن. اون نقاشی های جوهری و آبرنگی وسطش خیلی روحنواز بودند. یه جوری بود که قشنگ بعدش احساس میکردی چشمات نوازش شدند.
December 25, 2025
۳/۵- راستشو بخواین فقط دنبال کتابی بودم که بتونم سریع بخونمش تا به چالش امسالم برسم و ایده ای نداشتم چیه..
ولی خب بهم ثابت شد این من نیستم که کتابارو انتخاب میکنم، بلکه این کتابان که موقعی که نیازشون دارم منو انتخاب میکنن بخونمشون :)✨
ولی خب بهم ثابت شد این من نیستم که کتابارو انتخاب میکنم، بلکه این کتابان که موقعی که نیازشون دارم منو انتخاب میکنن بخونمشون :)✨
October 9, 2025
اینو در مناسبترین وقتا ورق زدم ولی همون موقع راجبش ننوشتم چون فاکداپ بودم. الان که ۱۷ مهر ۱۴۰۴ لعنتیه مینویسم و تازه یکم هضم کردم "لابد" که اومدم بنویسم، اونم یهویی بدون فکر قبلی وقتی که مائدههای زمینی تموم کردم و اومدم read بزنم. کتاب حاضرو تو هفته اول جنگ دوازده روزه (۲۸۸ ساعته معادل ۱۷,۲۸۰ دقیقهای که ۱,۰۳۶,۸۰۰ لحظه فقط در عدد ولی یه یکسالی حس کردم میگذره) بین ما (ایران لعنتی) و اسرائیل لعنت شده کادو گرفتمو خوندم. اولین مواجهم عجیب بودن خرید اینترنتی همین بود چون اصلا نمیتونستم فایلشم باز کنم! سرور اپلیکیشنی که این کتابو تو این خرابشده میفروشه خارجیه و آیپی خارجو که سوراخشو بسته بودن! حتی گوگل باز نمیشد 😭 واقعا کف کرده بودم از کادو گرفتن پارتنرم تو اون شرایط و چاه اینترنت باز کردن وی تو اون شرایط.! جدا از اینکه حالا رفته خرید کرده تو اون شرایط🤣🤣 البته بعدا فهمیدم خیلیا خریدای اینجوری کردن! من جز اون دسته بودم که پولمو سفت چسبیدهبودم چون حس میکردم لازم چیزای جدی میشه، نیازهای سطح یک هرم مازلویی... عجب روزایی بودن اسمائیل... چی بگم! این کتابه خیلی لطیف و ملایم بود، درسته همدلی نمیکرد باهام و ربطی نداشت به شرایط و بدبختی زمانیم ولی شکل یه نوزاد معصوم و بیگناه جلو چشمم بود که خب تقصیر اون نبود. منم به هیچجاش نمیتونستم خُرده بگیرم. ازینکه چطوری رسیده بهدستم متحیر بودم. نرم و پاک و مهربون بود... خلاصه چیزی بود که یه بخشای فریز شده و منقبض رو درونم ماساژ داد عضلاتم شل شد.
به نوعی شکل همین بچهگربه بود خود کتاب برام، و منم کاراکتر روبهروش البته با فاصله و تفاوتهایی...
خیلی ممنون بودم از پارتنرم بعدش. خوشم اومد از کارش و اون قسمت وجودش تو اون شرایط😪
به نوعی شکل همین بچهگربه بود خود کتاب برام، و منم کاراکتر روبهروش البته با فاصله و تفاوتهایی...
خیلی ممنون بودم از پارتنرم بعدش. خوشم اومد از کارش و اون قسمت وجودش تو اون شرایط😪
November 5, 2023
No words for how much I love this series. It's just so timeless, relevant and full of reminders we can all do with. Some of my favourite takeaways:
❤️ Treat ourselves with gentleness because "after all, we are the one we spend the most time with, and we have a habit of taking our own opinions very seriously."
❤️ Sometimes what we think is bad ends up good, and something we have always wanted ends up harming us.
❤️ Fate leads us on a winding path and despite how bad a situation may appear, we can never really know how it will turn out, so don't stress.
❤️ Maybe we each have our own gift to offer the world, and we should celebrate them rather than wishing we had someone else's.
❤️ Listening can make all the difference.
❤️ It is better to begin the journey, make some mistakes and correct your course, than to wait until everything is perfect and never even start.
A beautiful read that I'd pick up over and over again. If money and space weren't an issue, I would definitely have the entire series permanently on my shelf.
Read my review of:
🐼 Big Panda & Tiny Dragon
🐼 The Journey
❤️ Treat ourselves with gentleness because "after all, we are the one we spend the most time with, and we have a habit of taking our own opinions very seriously."
❤️ Sometimes what we think is bad ends up good, and something we have always wanted ends up harming us.
❤️ Fate leads us on a winding path and despite how bad a situation may appear, we can never really know how it will turn out, so don't stress.
❤️ Maybe we each have our own gift to offer the world, and we should celebrate them rather than wishing we had someone else's.
❤️ Listening can make all the difference.
❤️ It is better to begin the journey, make some mistakes and correct your course, than to wait until everything is perfect and never even start.
A beautiful read that I'd pick up over and over again. If money and space weren't an issue, I would definitely have the entire series permanently on my shelf.
Read my review of:
🐼 Big Panda & Tiny Dragon
🐼 The Journey
March 17, 2024
i can not NOT like the books James Norbury writes and illustrates. even if you might think that some of these life lessons are kinda "duh", the sweet story and the beautiful images make reading this artwork a wonderful, unique experience.
October 31, 2025
Who could expect that this little creature could literally teach me about Zen? For me, that has been learning about awareness since a year ago, i realized that after I studied and embraced this kind of way of thinking, the only problem was to persevere in it. Almost all of my life i had been living my life on autopilot. I even struggled when i was driving a motorcycle because i could casually detach without me noticing it. It surely is hard for me to stick my focus in mindfulness without slowly losing its pace.
I have to believe and keep reminding myself about the importance of switching my focus to something i truly do. Not getting lost in my own scenario, but rather to actually live it. That’s why most of the time i feel sorry for every second that i've lost because of my desire to seek safety in my own head. So many times i feel heavy because i'm scared to face the possibility, but i have to change; i ought to seek a better approach.
Here, this little cat reminds me of something important. Now i don’t want to waste this momentum again; i'll keep it while i have it and be thankful for every opportunity i take.
I have to believe and keep reminding myself about the importance of switching my focus to something i truly do. Not getting lost in my own scenario, but rather to actually live it. That’s why most of the time i feel sorry for every second that i've lost because of my desire to seek safety in my own head. So many times i feel heavy because i'm scared to face the possibility, but i have to change; i ought to seek a better approach.
Here, this little cat reminds me of something important. Now i don’t want to waste this momentum again; i'll keep it while i have it and be thankful for every opportunity i take.
December 16, 2024
"— Oczywiście życie nie zawsze toczy się według planu — mówił dalej Kot. — A my nie zawsze jesteśmy wystarczająco uważni i mądrzy, by czerpać naukę z napotykanych przeszkód."
Ta książka była jak taki ciepły kocyk do opatulenia się i poznania na raz. Uwielbiam w niej wszystko, od tekstu, po przepiękne ilustracje. No i kocham kotki, oczywiście. Myślę, że to będzie moja comfort book.
Ta książka była jak taki ciepły kocyk do opatulenia się i poznania na raz. Uwielbiam w niej wszystko, od tekstu, po przepiękne ilustracje. No i kocham kotki, oczywiście. Myślę, że to będzie moja comfort book.
August 23, 2025
"گاهی اون چیزی که فکر میکنیم بَده آخرش خوب میشه و اون چیزی که همیشه خواهانش بودیم در نهایت بهمون آسیب میزنه..."
بعضی اوقات سادهترین کتابها، با کوتاهترین جملات آرامشی منتقل میکنن که هیچجور دیگهای نمیشد به اون آرامش برسی.
بعضی اوقات سادهترین کتابها، با کوتاهترین جملات آرامشی منتقل میکنن که هیچجور دیگهای نمیشد به اون آرامش برسی.
May 2, 2024
Ja, wat moet ik zeggen? Ik schrik hier zelf ook van. Ik moet altijd een beetje lachen om dit soort boeken maar kreeg deze cadeau van mijn ouders en dat op zich is al top, maar dan moet je het ook lezen natuurlijk. Ik vond dit boekje verrassend fijn om te lezen en de tekeningen ook erg mooi. Misschien zit ik op een raar punt in mijn leven (dat staat eigenlijk wel vast) en ben ik opeens ontvankelijk voor dit soort Jip en Janneke-spiruwaliteit. Nog ff en ik zit in een macrame-topje op Ibiza.
Oh, en zie je wel: alles wordt beter met een kat. Zelfs het leven van een andere kat.
Ieder moment is uniek in het leven,
en alleen voor jou.
Oh, en zie je wel: alles wordt beter met een kat. Zelfs het leven van een andere kat.
Ieder moment is uniek in het leven,
en alleen voor jou.
December 24, 2023
Net als Grote panda en kleine draak kreeg ik dit boek als kerstgeschenk van mijn leidinggevenden. Dat geeft het lezen nog wat extra’s! Sowieso is ook dit boek weer vol van wijsheden, lieflijke en leerzame momentjes en prachtige tekeningen.
November 9, 2025
معمولی بود
August 17, 2024
a meaningful journey through my inner self accompanied by beautiful drawings... 💕
November 5, 2024
Wait why did my third eye just open …
July 6, 2025
Super cute very thoughtful.
November 7, 2025
?Ik zocht een (filosofisch) tussendoortje uit eigen kast .
🤔Aardig boekje met mooie tekeningen, maar maakte op mij niet zoveel indruk als andere vergelijkbare boekjes als bijvoorbeeld De Kleine Prins
=> Misschien later nog eens overlezen?
MW7/11/25
🤔Aardig boekje met mooie tekeningen, maar maakte op mij niet zoveel indruk als andere vergelijkbare boekjes als bijvoorbeeld De Kleine Prins
=> Misschien later nog eens overlezen?
MW7/11/25
December 31, 2023
Тази книга ми донесе спокойствие и душевен мир. Много странно звучи, но книгите на автора са точно такива. Докато ги чета, винаги ми се оправя настроението и ми става едно такова леко.♥️
А за илюстрациите… НЕВЕРОЯТНИ СА♥️
А за илюстрациите… НЕВЕРОЯТНИ СА♥️
September 27, 2024
This was a wonderful book. I read it in about two hours, and needless to say, I learned so much in that time. It was a book I needed to read, and I enjoyed it throughout. I resonated with all the characters. It’s a book I’d totally recommend.
🌻My favorite quotes of the book:
" 'That signpost,' said the Cat `is not the destination. It simply points to it."
"Likewise, the books are not the way, although they can help you find it. Just like the signpost, if you spend all your time studying it you will never get where you're going."
"lt is better to begin the journey, make some mistakes and correct your course, than wait until everything is perfect and never even start."
🌻My takeaways:
As someone who has the tendency to wait for things to be perfect before taking action, I understood that there will never be perfection or the perfect time to do everything. There will be mistakes, obstacles, and difficulties sometimes, but that does not mean we should be discouraged on our journey to wherever we're heading or whatever we're doing.
We also tend to have so many resources at our disposal that can help us on any journey, but if we don’t utilize them by applying what we've learned to aid our journey, it's as if we haven't understood their purpose and significance.
Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.
🌻My favorite quotes of the book:
" 'That signpost,' said the Cat `is not the destination. It simply points to it."
"Likewise, the books are not the way, although they can help you find it. Just like the signpost, if you spend all your time studying it you will never get where you're going."
"lt is better to begin the journey, make some mistakes and correct your course, than wait until everything is perfect and never even start."
🌻My takeaways:
As someone who has the tendency to wait for things to be perfect before taking action, I understood that there will never be perfection or the perfect time to do everything. There will be mistakes, obstacles, and difficulties sometimes, but that does not mean we should be discouraged on our journey to wherever we're heading or whatever we're doing.
We also tend to have so many resources at our disposal that can help us on any journey, but if we don’t utilize them by applying what we've learned to aid our journey, it's as if we haven't understood their purpose and significance.
Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.
November 27, 2024
This book was genuinely so sweet.
I love the art style and the simple yet gorgeous quotes.
I think my favourite is "Wherever we go, we are our own companion".
I truly want to read everything James Norbury publishes, they're little gems.
I love the art style and the simple yet gorgeous quotes.
I think my favourite is "Wherever we go, we are our own companion".
I truly want to read everything James Norbury publishes, they're little gems.
November 11, 2024
4.5*
Vídeo de Opinião em: https://youtu.be/3SXVp9oEexE
Vídeo de Opinião em: https://youtu.be/3SXVp9oEexE
April 2, 2025
"We each have our own gifts to offer the world, and we should celebrate them, rather than wishing we had someone else's."
- a very beautifully illustrated Zen book.
- a very beautifully illustrated Zen book.
November 12, 2024
Schöne Aufmachung aber zu schnell erzählt Norbury verbindet hier zahlreiche Zen-buddhistische Weisheiten in einer Geschichte über eine Katze, die sich auf die Suche nach einem großen Baum macht, von dem man sagt, dass er Glückseligkeit bringt.
Die Idee den Zenbuddhismus zu popularisieren finde ich sehr schön und man sieht an den wunderschönen Illustrationen, dass sich Norbury dieser Aufgabe mit Inbrunst hingegeben hat.
Allerdings vermochte die Geschichte mich nicht ganz zu überzeugen. Anders als es der Titel suggeriert, sucht die Katze nicht nach Weisheit, sondern steht vielmehr anderen Tiereb mit klugen Ratschlägen zur Seite. Dadurch wird die Verinnerlichung dieser Weisheiten jedoch außerhalb der Katze verortet, was deren Umsetzung im Alltag weniger nachfühlbar machte. Zumal auch alle Tiere die Ratschläge sofort verstehen und umsetzen können. Schön fand ich, das die Katze auch über ihre Grenzen hinauswächst. Aber auch bei ihr wurde mir die Entwicklung zu schnell abgehandelt.
Trotzdem ist das Buch dank seiner hochwertigen Aufmachung ein sehr schönes Weihnachtsgeschenk.
Mehr zum Buch im Lesemonat Oktober auf meinem
YouTube Kanal „Japan Connect“.
https://youtu.be/F3jhgeNlPWY?si=ao1sv...
Die Idee den Zenbuddhismus zu popularisieren finde ich sehr schön und man sieht an den wunderschönen Illustrationen, dass sich Norbury dieser Aufgabe mit Inbrunst hingegeben hat.
Allerdings vermochte die Geschichte mich nicht ganz zu überzeugen. Anders als es der Titel suggeriert, sucht die Katze nicht nach Weisheit, sondern steht vielmehr anderen Tiereb mit klugen Ratschlägen zur Seite. Dadurch wird die Verinnerlichung dieser Weisheiten jedoch außerhalb der Katze verortet, was deren Umsetzung im Alltag weniger nachfühlbar machte. Zumal auch alle Tiere die Ratschläge sofort verstehen und umsetzen können. Schön fand ich, das die Katze auch über ihre Grenzen hinauswächst. Aber auch bei ihr wurde mir die Entwicklung zu schnell abgehandelt.
Trotzdem ist das Buch dank seiner hochwertigen Aufmachung ein sehr schönes Weihnachtsgeschenk.
Mehr zum Buch im Lesemonat Oktober auf meinem
YouTube Kanal „Japan Connect“.
https://youtu.be/F3jhgeNlPWY?si=ao1sv...
December 25, 2024
James Norbury beautifully illustrates Zen philosophy through drawings and stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 821 reviews