The Practice of Perfection: The Paramitas from a Zen Buddhist Perspective

by Robert Aitken

Discusses the ten Transcendental Perfections of Zen Buddhist tradition, and provides advice on using these positive guidelines for spiritual development

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Spirituality

226 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Robert Aitken was a retired master of the Diamond Sangha, a Zen Buddhist society he founded in Honolulu in 1959 with his late wife Anne Hopkins Aitken.

A lifetime resident of Hawai‘i, Aitken Rōshi was a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i with a BA degree in English literature and an MA degree in Japanese studies. In 1941, he was captured on Guam by invading Japanese forces, and interned in Japan for the duration of World War II. In the camp, he met the British scholar R.H. Blyth, who introduced him to Zen Buddhism. After the war, he practiced Zen with Senzaki Nyogen Sensei in Los Angeles, and traveled frequently to Japan to practice in monasteries and lay centers with Nakagawa Sōen Rōshi, Yasutani Haku'un Rōshi, and Yamada Kōun Rōshi. In 1974, he was given approval to teach by the Yamada Rōshi, Abbot of the Sanbo Kyodan in Kamakura, Japan, who gave him transmission as an independent master in 1985.

Aitken Rōshi is the author of more than ten books on Zen Buddhism, and co-author of a book-length Buddhist-Christian dialogue. In Hawai‘i he was instrumental in founding the Koko An Zendo, the PĀlolo Zen Center, the Maui Zendo, and the Garden Island Sangha. A number of other centers in Europe, North and South America, and Australasia are part of the Diamond Sangha network.

Aitken Rōshi is co-founder of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (now with a local East Hawai‘i Chapter) and serves on its international board of advisors. He has been active in a number of peace, social justice, and ecological movements, and his writing reflects his concern that Buddhists be engaged in social applications of their experience.

Aitken Rōshi has given full transmission as independent masters to Nelson Foster, Honolulu Diamond Sangha and Ring of Bone Zendo in Nevada City, California; John Tarrant, Pacific Zen Institute in Santa Rosa, California; Patrick Hawk, Zen Desert Sangha in Tucson, Arizona, and Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Joseph Bobrow, Harbor Sangha in San Francisco, California; Jack Duffy, Three Treasures Sangha in Seattle, Washington; Augusto Alcalde, Vimalakirti Sangha, in Cordoba, Argentina and Rolf Drosten, Wolken-und-Mond-Sangha (Clouds and Moon Sangha), in Leverkusen, Germany. He authorized Pia Gyger, One Ground Zendo in Luzern, Switzerland, as an affiliate teacher of the Diamond Sangha. He joined with John Tarrant in giving transmission as independent masters to Subhana Barzaghi in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and to Ross Bolleter in Perth, Western Australia.

As a retired master, Aitken Rōshi worked with a few long-time students, and continued to study and write. His work, Zen Master Raven: Sayings and Doings of a Wise Bird , was published by Tuttle in 2002 [review]. His more recent publications, The Morning Star: New and Collected Zen Writings , and a new edition of A Zen Wave: Basho's Haiku and Zen , were released in October, 2003, by Shoemaker and Hoard.

Reviews

[Robert OKeefe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not meant for one testing the waters of Buddhism or even the Buddhist beginner. Rather, it addresses ways for the committed student to further their practice of Buddhism. The book is often anecdotal, always easy to read, and even humorous at times.
Aitken explains each of the ten practices with an introductory essay that includes examples from the way ancient Zen masters taught or exemplified the practice. He then includes a dialogue that takes the place of the interview a student would have with the master in formal training using questions he commonly receives. It's a nice structure and the dialogue often brings the practice into the real world.
The practices themselves start out rather simple, concepts many of us know we should strive for: generosity, morality, patience, passion, wisdom, focused meditation. But the later ones become more difficult to grasp and seemed repetitive likely because I am not a practitioner.
The many Asian names and terms in the book are a bit trying but the glossary is helpful. As Aitken states, Buddhism is a religion of the East and to provide translations of many of the key terms would water down the meaning and be disrespectful of tradition.
In all, the book is a great reminder of good practices we all should be striving for as we work our way through life.

[Reece · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read another review which said this book would be difficult to follow for a beginner due to the koan references dispersed throughout. That one got a chuckle.

'Difficult, difficult, difficult'

Aitken's writings are akin to the living room fireplace at early evening, warming the bones and the creaky floorboards. And in this case, he invites other students to this warmth for a recorded dialogue.

Informal anecdotes and dialogue can be as important as published writings in Zen practice. Some of the deepest conveyance of the dharma was shared with me whilst with a senior student chopping vegetables during observed silence. This book offers the anecdotes and writings, but you'll have to chop your own vegetables.

Took me nearly 2 years to finish reading this. That's my own resistance to the practice. Aitken gives you nothing to hold on to - not even the Paramitas. Don't be fooled. It all disappears in the dance. Now go and jump. Jump in the fire!

[Jmp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten Paramis from the Zen tradition. Well explained but different from the Vipassana tradition

[Chris Nettles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aiken does a nice job with the ten paramitas. His explanations have a decidedly Renzai Zen flavor; and hence, is a little difficult for the average reader to decipher. This is especially true when Aiken Roshi starts to refer to various koans. Overall, though, there is much to be gained by deeply considering Aiken's views. This is a book for the committed reader, especially those who are well steeped in Japanese Zen schools.