Quick Summary: An easy to read, interesting overview of Zen’s origins and philosophy, interspersed with historical poems and artwork.
A Few More Words: Former Christian (Episcopal) priest Alan Watts bridges eastern and western thought in his multiple books and talks, many of which are available online.
In The Way of Zen, Watts spends the first third of the book giving readers an approachable history of Taoism (Daoism), Buddhism, and their intersection with the rise of Chinese Zen Buddhism and Zen’s extension into Japan.
Readers new to Eastern thought may find interest in Watt’s introduction to the subject:
Zen Buddhism is a way and a view of life which does not belong to any of the formal categories of modern Western thought. It it not religion or philosophy; it is not a psychology or a type of science.
The remainder of book combines history, explanation, painting and poetry to illustrate Zen thought and practice in life and nature.
One of my favorite Zenrin poems included in the book:
兀然無事坐，春來草自生。
Which roughly translates to:
Sitting quietly, doing nothing. Spring comes and the grass grows by itself.
I’ve never read this book from start to finish. Instead, I drop in and out, visiting pages and reading poems as I imagine Zhuangzi or other lovers of life might suggest.
In the spirit of self-cultivation and awareness, I encourage curious readers looking for an approachable overview of Zen Buddhism to check out this and other books by Alan Watts.
Author: Alan Watts
Number of pages: 226
Find the Book: Here!