Living Zen

by Robert Linssen, R. Godel (Foreword), Diana Abrahams-Curiel (Translator)

Living Zen is that rare achievement, both a survey of the rich history of Zen Buddhism and a guide to the practice of this most demanding and effortless art of being. Linssen, a distinguished Belgian scholar, offers a sage corrective to the idea that the Zen way is available only to those prepared to sit life out under the Bhodi-Tree. Gently but insistently he undermines this typically Western view, inviting and enabling us, as Christmas Humphreys puts it in his preface, to take “the leap from thought to No-thought, from the ultimate duality of Illusion/Reality to a burst of laughter and a cup of tea.”

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Spirituality, Zen

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 1971

Reviews

[Craig Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living Zen was published in 1958 and there are places where it's very much embedded in its moment, especially when Linssen turns his attention to drawing connections between Zen and what were then the cutting edges of physics and psychology. If you have enough grounding in Buddhism (and more recent developments in the sciences) to triangulate around those passages, I highly recommend Living Zen as a clear presentation of what differentiates Zen from other forms of Buddhism. Linssen in very clear on the instantaneous nature of Zen consciousness, resisting all temptations to turn Zen into a method or doctrine. He goes farther, appropriately I think, than most others in arguing that Zen isn't quite compatible with regularly scheduled meditation, which will surprise many who encounter it via more recent Western channels. What remains is a type of awareness and presence closely aligned to Krishnamurti (as Linssen frequently notes). The last two sections of the main part of the book--there's quite a bit of appendix-style material in the edition--are devoted to similarities and differences of Zen and Krishnamurti. I'm not sure I see much of a real difference, even after having re-read the difference section a couple of times.

If you read Living Zen, you can probably just skip the chapter on Zen and Christianity,which bogs down a bit in Linssen's emphasis on a very particular sort of Francophone mid-20th century Christianity.

[Steve Payeur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent description of what Zen is and isn't, psychologically, emotionally, intellectually, and existentially, as well as how it relates to the then-current research on the related sciences. The version I read was published in 1958, but even then it had related information on quantum physics I had not encountered. Having read quite a few books on the subject, I'm impressed by its coverage, containing both insights and descriptions I had not encountered before and in that I find it a valuable resource for anyone interested in the subject. The book does go into some depth on the surrounding matters, which you may or may not want to skip, but in that it provides support for its ideas that are not often found in other books on Zen.

[Liz(ard) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed how comprehensive the book was, going into the history of concepts and relating them to similar ideologies. One fault I see in many westernized authors speaking on East Asian philosophy, or any other culture for that matter, is the use of Christian or otherwise biased translations. It’s hard to capture the full essence of some concepts- like wu wei- without acknowledging the limitations of the language you’re using to translate. At times this was acknowledged, but very minimally. A good read, and not too dense in terms of philosophy, but I wouldn’t recommend unless one has prior knowledge of Zen Buddhism and other East Asian schools of thought.

[DropOfOcean · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the very rare books which I have not been able to finish and perhaps never will. Writing is in such dry format that it just didn't manage to catch my interest. I may give it another chance someday.

[Chris Bassett · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so incredibly dry that you should have a Big Gulp Slurpee nearby before you crack the spine. Read it, and you will finally understand why the Buddha talked so much about suffering.

[Thomas Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good introduction to the thoughts and philosophy of Zen Buddhism.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Linssen, a mystic of our age. A man with an interesting life and a great simplicity...
Books that delve deeply into the search for Illumination and the overcoming of obstacles that prevent that illumination.

Maria Carmo

Lisbon, 8th. July 2011

[Kiehl Christie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book at a used store and quit halfway. I think this guy just doesn't have any idea what he's talking about.

[Mills College Library]

294.3927 L759 1988