Tibetan Zen: Discovering a Lost Tradition

by Sam Van Schaik

Until the early twentieth century, hardly any traces of the Tibetan tradition of Chinese Chan Buddhism, or Zen, remained. Then the discovery of a sealed cave in Dunhuang, full of manuscripts in various languages dating from the first millennium CE, transformed our understanding of early Zen. This book translates some of the earliest surviving Tibetan Zen manuscripts preserved in Dunhuang. The translations illuminate different aspects of the Zen tradition, with brief introductions that not only discuss the roles of ritual, debate, lineage, and meditation in the early Zen tradition but also explain how these texts were embedded in actual practices.

Genres: Buddhism, History, Nonfiction, Eastern Philosophy, Zen

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2015

Reviews

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book. I love the format, the read-ability, and the informative feel to it. I am pleased to own this book and really have a sense that I understand more about Tibetan Zen and its tradition.

[Ommiolgi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book that translates some of the ‘hidden scrolls’ that give examples of the history of Buddhism in Tibet. The commentary is long winded, boring, and overly academic.
The translated texts are interesting but not ground breaking. Some of the authors assumptions seem incorrect to me in a historical context, others are interesting and expanded by knowledge of the history of Buddhism as well as Tibet.
Would not recommend.

[Robert Terrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seemed masterful.