Storehouse of Treasures: Recovering the Riches of Chan and Zen

by Nelson Foster

Storehouse of Treasures unearths wise and beautiful elements of Chan and Zen still little known in the West, revealing unexpected aspects of the tradition and new implications for practice.

Since the dawn of Chan and Zen in medieval China and Japan, members of these schools have enlivened their teaching by creatively adopting and adapting terms, images, principles, poetry, and lore native to their societies. Unfortunately, so much of that cultural wealth has been “lost in translation” that Western practitioners have barely begun to discover and appreciate this extraordinarily rich legacy. In Storehouse of Treasures, second-generation American Zen teacher Nelson Foster makes a series of adventuresome forays into the trove of material laid up by the Dharma ancestors, bringing to
Masters’ delight in playing with words, stories, and inherited Buddhist concepts, bending them to express the Dharma in inspired ways 
The powerful influence that Taoist and Confucian thought exerted in the formation of Chan and Zen 
The emphasis the two schools have laid on excellence of character as well as on profound awakening 
The experiential meaning and enduring importance to the tradition of ideals little associated with it today, like integrity, shame, and contentment 
How “knowing the tune” of a fellow student, a mentor, or a teacher of old lies at the heart of transmitting the Dharma 
Lifting to attention a diverse set of ancient yet still luminous Dharma gems, Foster urges their relevance and value to us as students of the Buddha Way and as citizens of a world increasingly fractious and imperiled.

Genres: Buddhism

304 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2024

Reviews

[Tom Booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foster genuinely illuminates with his stellar knowledge of the Chinese language & Chinese and Japanese literature (Zen, Daoist and Confucian). He provides genuine insight for Zen practice, though the writings lean towards exoteric, philosophy/'how to live the good life' rather than esoteric aspects of Zen meditation. He effectively argues that Zen was imbued with Chinese 'this-worldliness' which clearly distinguishes Zen from other streams of Buddhism. His point that Dogen criticised the "three schools" thought, without realising just how deep Confucian had entered into Zen that he couldn't even recognise it, was shocking and enlightening for me.

The text is clearly written by a liberal American. I am also an environmentalist and agree that Zen is highly compatible with ecological harmony, again his take on Zen here is highly exoteric, and additionally - why not go a step further? It is high incomes that are associated with waste and environmental destruction; figures like Dogen clearly advocated for living in poverty - I assume Foster is not bold enough to suggest such a path to his readers or himself, when this is the most Zen/Buddhist and most environmentally-friendly way to live. I also think the book will feel very dated, mentioning Trump, I believe, three times. He is clearly not a fan and my view is that Zen should have very little to say about politicians. Furthermore, some of his appeals seem specifically for US coastal practitioners. His writing also feels a bit informal & he comes across as a bit old having trouble with his computer.

But generally, very worthwhile read, especially for the links between the three Chinese schools and the benefit of understanding esoteric (and even common) Zen texts.