Appreciate Your Life: The Essence of Zen Practice

by Taizan Maezumi, Bernie Glassman (Foreword), Wendy Egyoku Nakao (Editor)

A collection of short, inspiring teachings on Zen koans, the Buddha, and more—from a leader in introducing Zen Buddhism to the West
 
Here is the first major collection of the teachings of Taizan Maezumi Roshi (1931-1995), one of the first Japanese Zen masters to bring Zen to the West and founding abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles and Zen Mountain Center in Idyllwild, California. These short, inspiring readings illuminate Zen practice in simple, eloquent language. Topics include zazen and Zen koans, how to appreciate your life as the life of the Buddha, and the essential matter of life and death.

Appreciate Your Life  conveys Maezumi Roshi's unique spirit and teaching style, as well as his timeless insights into the practice of Zen. Never satisfied with merely conveying ideas, his  teisho,  the Zen talks he gave weekly and during retreats, evoked personal questions from his students. Maezumi Roshi insisted that his students address these questions in their own lives. As he often said, "Be intimate with your life."

The readings are not teachings or instructions in the traditional sense. They are transcriptions of the master's teisho, living presentations of his direct experience of Zen realization. These teisho are crystalline offerings of Zen insight intended to reach beyond the student's intellect to her or his deepest essence.

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

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 27, 2001

Reviews

[Irene Jurna]

Twee dingen die ik waardeer aan Maezumi Roshi:

1) Deze zenleraar was alcohol-verslaafd. Gek om dat inspirerend te noemen? Het hielp mij om met minder (voor)oordelen kijken naar alcohol in mijn omgeving.

2) Hij sluit in z’n lezingen af met ‘Alsjeblief waardeer je leven’. Een boodschap die ik niet vaak genoeg kan horen. En die doorheen tijd en ruimte troost bood.

Het boek klikte op dit punt in mijn leven niet zo. Ik voelde me moe van “vaag” zen-taalgebruik. Zijn documentaire daarentegen, geweldig: https://youtu.be/4C3C6jADV0o?si=5xWz1...

[Ed]

I trained with Maezumi Roshi at ZCLA for 22 years, until his untimely death in 1995. I stayed because there was always more to learn. I have a hard time being "objective" about this book. The editors did the best they could working from transcripts of taped talks and editing them for the page. I was probably present for all these talks. Whenever I read in the book it re-activates how I experienced him speaking. But what is on the page feels like it captures about 10-15% of whatever transpired when Maezumi spoke in the zendo. Still I give the book 4 stars because I think it is a very valuable document.

[Tom Booker]

Dogen taught that impermanence is the Buddha Nature. Maezumi encourages the Zen practitioner to realise that one already is Buddha, so just BE IT. To realise this, devices such as breath counting, shikantaza or koans can be used. One embodies these practices and hence realises all at once. It's not something that the "I" gets involved in. Thus the practice is one of faith, trust and persistence - being reminded of ones Buddha Nature and continually practising. And perhaps most importantly in Soto Zen - gratitude! The teachings are mainly exoteric (it's all right there - nothing to hide!), though also has esoteric elements mainly due to koans, which are also used as a teaching tool.

Buddha Nature teachings are beautiful and can lead to a life of peace and freedom. However, I noticed a distinct lack of teachings on the precepts and paramitas (only one chapter). Discipline is essential in Zen and I fear that overemphasising Buddha Nature without emphasis on the precepts can lead to karmically-disadvantageous behaviour that hampers ones spiritual progress.

[Barbara]

I read Appreciate Your Life: The Essence of Zen Practice out of respect for a friend who recently passed. I am not a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, so I was probably at a great disadvantage when reading the book. It was filled with patriarchal Zen lineage and was very ‘heady’. I found it difficult to stay focused and had to reread sections constantly. From my perspective, it is not a book for beginners. I’d suggest Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki as a good place to begin. I see that I haven’t reviewed it, so perhaps now is a good time to take Suzuki’s book off the shelf and do a reread. Appreciate Your Life: The Essence of Zen Practice is going into the donation pile. Hopefully, it will find a more deserving home. I am giving it two stars out of respect for the core ideas and for my friend.

[Tim Nowotny]

One of those books that can be read at any stage in your Progression and you find something. A marvel!

[Michael]

Insightful and a good read.

[Kyle]

I'll have to revisit this one when I am further in my Zen practice.

[Chris]

Reading books with my Zen Buddhist book group, is so meaningful. The book would be lovely on its own. With friends to discuss it with, it becomes so much more.

[Ben Ingraham]

Your zazen is the zazen of buddhas and ancestors!! How could it be any different!!

[Frenchie Bu]

Great way to dive deeper into Zen, a little dense at time. Definitely requires time and focus to appreciate the contents. Worth reading again and again.

[Enso 108]

A book that I will come back to again, much of Maezumi Roshi's wisdom is beyond my current understanding.
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, I really did. 4 stars next time when I'm ready maybe 5.

[Neill]

need to read this 3 more times to absorb its simple wisdom

[Dawn Trlak-Donahue]

Short book- not a quick or particularly interesting read. Too much focus on particular people and less on meditation than I would have preferred.

[Steve]

Excellent teisho dharma. The selections from Dogen in the appendix are a nice bonus.

[Eko]

This is a reread for me. Last read when it was published in 2001