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Zen Dog
Find enlightenment at the end of a leash with this delightful look at the Buddha nature of our canine companions.
An afternoon nap in a patch of sunlight, a meandering walk in the woods, a full-body shake to greet another soul. No other creature displays the joy of living in the moment quite like a dog or exhibits the unquestioning devotion, honesty, and sheer selflessness that is the essence of the Buddha nature. Zen Dog celebrates this great truth, bringing koans and canines together for the first time.
Inspiring quotations from the Buddha, Lao Tzu, and other Zen masters are paired with charming black-and-white photographs of dogs that illuminate the message. A dog wagging its tail in the breeze, for example, provides a surprisingly apt answer to the age-old question, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” And the image of a family pet awaiting a tasty table scrap offers a whole new perspective on the saying, “If you know the power of a generous heart, you will not let a single meal pass without giving to others.”
The perfect gift for dog lovers and spiritual seekers, Zen Dog might even prove who the true “masters” in pet-owner relationships really are.
An afternoon nap in a patch of sunlight, a meandering walk in the woods, a full-body shake to greet another soul. No other creature displays the joy of living in the moment quite like a dog or exhibits the unquestioning devotion, honesty, and sheer selflessness that is the essence of the Buddha nature. Zen Dog celebrates this great truth, bringing koans and canines together for the first time.
Inspiring quotations from the Buddha, Lao Tzu, and other Zen masters are paired with charming black-and-white photographs of dogs that illuminate the message. A dog wagging its tail in the breeze, for example, provides a surprisingly apt answer to the age-old question, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” And the image of a family pet awaiting a tasty table scrap offers a whole new perspective on the saying, “If you know the power of a generous heart, you will not let a single meal pass without giving to others.”
The perfect gift for dog lovers and spiritual seekers, Zen Dog might even prove who the true “masters” in pet-owner relationships really are.
- GenresNonfictionDogsBuddhism
108 pages, Hardcover
First published September 18, 2001
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 12, 2019
Zen Dog is a coffee-table book of dog photos. I guess it's no surprise that pets have a relaxing effect on the people who look at them. Ask any dog or cat person and I'm sure they'd agree that their pets help lower their blood pressure.
Sometime last year I enjoyed the photography collection Zen Dogs and I wanted to see how this older collection compared. I loved it too. There's simply a universal appeal to our furry friends.
I rated Alexandra Cearns book slightly higher than this because the eyes-closed postures of her subjects elevated it — in my opinion. In reality, they're both delightful and perfect for the dog lovers in your life.
The introduction to this collection is beautiful: "Dogs see us for who we are, or even more masterfully, they see us for who we can be. A dog's loyalty helps it cast a blind eye to the ugliness in people who mistreat him, seeing only the beauty within that person as he patiently waits for the better side to surface."
The quotations that are displayed alongside the pictures are charming and enhance the overall zen vibe. My favorite was: "Roam about until exhausted and then, dropping to the ground, in this dropping be whole." From an ancient sanskrit manuscript: Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Perfect.
If you enjoyed this book, you must take a look at Zen Dogs. Also recommended, but not a photography collection: The Art of Racing in the Rain.
Now I'm off to the library to find Zen Cat.
Sometime last year I enjoyed the photography collection Zen Dogs and I wanted to see how this older collection compared. I loved it too. There's simply a universal appeal to our furry friends.
I rated Alexandra Cearns book slightly higher than this because the eyes-closed postures of her subjects elevated it — in my opinion. In reality, they're both delightful and perfect for the dog lovers in your life.
The introduction to this collection is beautiful: "Dogs see us for who we are, or even more masterfully, they see us for who we can be. A dog's loyalty helps it cast a blind eye to the ugliness in people who mistreat him, seeing only the beauty within that person as he patiently waits for the better side to surface."
The quotations that are displayed alongside the pictures are charming and enhance the overall zen vibe. My favorite was: "Roam about until exhausted and then, dropping to the ground, in this dropping be whole." From an ancient sanskrit manuscript: Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Perfect.
If you enjoyed this book, you must take a look at Zen Dogs. Also recommended, but not a photography collection: The Art of Racing in the Rain.
Now I'm off to the library to find Zen Cat.
April 19, 2018
Snagged this book at a library book sale. Cover price is seventeen dollars and I paid less than a nickel. My point: I still got overcharged. For this price can't your book at least feature quality color photos? Normally I don't spend a lot of time criticizing visuals but if 50% of your book is photography it seems to me that should be something you'd put a little effort into. The quotes are spot on but the authors aren't writing those.
July 23, 2018
This interesting collection of photos and sayings will surely give the reader something to contemplate. The black and white photos are striking, and each is thoughtfully paired with a zen saying. Don’t skip the introduction - in it the authors talk about the zen quality of dogs and the unconditional love dogs have for their people.
July 27, 2008
Gotta be a dog lover!
October 9, 2008
Enjoyed the great pics and Zen sayings as well as the lovely intro.
July 20, 2016
Small book of photos of dogs with captions with "zen" ideas.
July 2, 2015
The book of quotes from Zen masters along with photos of dogs is brilliant.
January 7, 2019
This is the second zen dog book I’ve read in the past few days and I’ve decided I’m just not that into dogs chillin and doling our wisdom. I prefer cute, goofy dogs to sage, wise ones. Photos were nice, some good bits of wisdom were included but that was it. Nothing wowed me. Meh. Zen dogs don’t give off the enthusiasm that other dogs do. You’re still good dogos just not as much fun. Meditate on that zen dogos.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews