Searching for the Path Within: From Poetry to Zen in the Sixties

by Christopher Lennox

At the dawn of the sixties, inspired by the Beat Generation to search for meaning, Christopher Lennox took time off from college to explore the creative ferment of modern jazz and avant-garde arts while living in New York's East Village and tutoring reading in Harlem. That summer he traveled through Mexico to Yucatán, writing along the way, then returned to college and studied poetry. In 1966 he went to San Francisco in time for the rising counterculture and protests against the Vietnam War. There he began to practice Zen meditation, in the city and at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Years later, he taught writing and literature, traveled in Europe and Asia, and continued meditating, writing, and translating poetry. Eventually he wrote this memoir of his experiences in the sixties. The narrative is interwoven with poems, including new translations of Rilke and Basho, and descriptions of listening to live jazz, rock, and blues. Filled with unexpected adventures, difficult lessons, and moments of insight, this is the story of finding a path of deeper awareness in everyday life.

304 pages, Paperback

Published February 15, 2021

Reviews

[Christopher Lennox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging story of a young man’s journey through the sixties.