Suggested readings
This page is a work in progress.Recommended texts for beginners
An Introduction to Zen Training
Zen priest, swordsman and calligrapher, Omori Sogen has been called the greatest Zen master of the 20th century. This is the English-language version of Omori Roshi's seminal text Sanzen Nyumon, translated by his student Dogen Hosokawa Roshi. Sanzen Nyumon is well- known in Japan as one of the most useful reference texts for both beginning and experienced Zen students. With clarity and directness, it lays out the "whys" and "hows" of Zen training. Beginners will find its instructions for meditation useful and reassuring, as Omori Roshi explains common difficulties and misunderstandings that often arise. Highly recommended for all Zen trainees.
Texts for students doing koan study
Two Zen Classics: The Gateless Gate and The Blue Cliff Records
Excellent translations of two major koan collections, the Mumonkan and the Hekiganroku, are joined together here in one volume. An essential volume for students doing koan study.
Zen Comments on the Mumonkan
Shibayama Roshi here gives us his teisho on each case of the Mumonkan. The translations differ slightly from those found in the Sekida's book; this, along with Shibayama Roshi's penetrating words, serves to give a different flavor to the cases.
Entangling Vines: Zen Koans of the Shumon Kattoshu
Kirchner, a Zen priest and scholar, does a great service with this meticulous translation of the Kattoshu, a major koan collection previously not fully available in English. Students doing koan study will find this book useful. Some of the Kattoshu koan are also found in the Mumonkan or Hekiganroku, and thus Kirchner's translations (with kanji) may be compared to those of Sekida, Shibayama and others.
Zen Sand: The Book of Capping Phrases for Koan Practice
A feature of Zen training in Japan that has not been widely transmitted to the West is the use of jakugo, or "capping phrases". Jakugo are taken from literature, the Buddhist sutras, and other sources; in traditional koan study, a student will demonstrate his insight into a koan by producing a capping phrase that expresses his understanding. Until now, the collection of capping phrases traditionally used for this practice has remained largely untranslated. Hori's book gives the English-speaking student access to this fascinating aspect of koan study.
Discourse on the Inexhaustible Lamp
Torei Enji was a successor of Hakuin Ekaku, the brilliant 18th century Zen priest who revitalized the Rinzai school and systemized the koan curriculum still used today. In this volume, Torei lays out the entire course of Rinzai Zen training from beginning to end, including common pitfalls and dangers that arise out of misunderstanding or attachment to one's insight. A challenging and inspirational read, the Discourse is an essential text for serious trainees. It is a book you'll return to constantly over the course of your life, each time finding new insight and energy for your training.
The Zen Koan: Its History and Use in Rinzai Zen
Zen Dust: The History of the Koan and Koan study in Rinzai (Lin-chi) Zen
The Zen Koan as a Means of Attaining Enlightenment
A classic study of the theory behind koan training, by the scholar who did the most to introduce Zen to the west.
Buddhist sutras and writings by Zen masters
The Diamond Sutra
The Vajrachchedika ("Diamond-cutter", or "Diamond") Sutra is a core text of the Prajnaparamita ("Perfecton of Wisdom") class of Mahayana sutras, which together form part of Zen's foundation. Tradition holds that the Sixth Zen Patriarch, Hui Neng, was enlightened spontaneously upon hearing one phrase from this sutra. The self-deconstructing, seemingly paradoxical language of the Diamond forces the reader to look behind concepts to the inexpressible point behind words; students will see the unique language play of Zen presaged within the Diamond Sutra.
The Heart Sutra
The Mahaprajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra, the "Great Perfect Wisdom Heart", or "Heart", sutra. This short text summarizes the entire Prajnaparamita teachings of the Mahayana. It is the most constantly chanted text in the Zen tradition, pointing directly to the insight beyond concepts and categories which is the rationale of the Zen school.
The Lankavatara Sutra: An Epitomized Version
The Lankavatara Sutra sets forth principles and practices which eventually were articulated by the Yogacara or Vijnanavada school, one of the two schools of Mahayana thought (along with Madhyamika) which underpin Zen teachings. Readers will find much in the Lankavatara which presages Zen. Some early references to Bodhidharma, in fact, describe him as a master of the Lankavatara Sutra.
The Vimilakirti Sutra
One of the most important and beloved of the Mahayana Sutras, and perhaps the most humorous. The character of Vimilakirti, a layman who manages to best even the closest disciples of the Buddha, became the model for the Zen ideal of the enlightened person who does not withdraw from the world but lives squarely and skillfully within it.
The Surangama Sutra
The Surangama Sutra is considered the king of the sutras that set forth principles of meditative practice. Reminding us that an understanding of Buddhist teaching is worthless without actual attainment, the Surangama clearly explains the cultivation of samadhi (meditative concentration), and the various obstructions and incorrect mental states for which the meditator must be on guard.
The Lotus Sutra
Perhaps the most widely revered Mahayana sutra. The eternal nature of Buddha, the mastery of skillful means, compassion as the expression of true insight, and the emptiness of even emptiness: these are some of the themes which have inspired readers for centuries.
The Avatamasaka Sutra
Another essential Mahayana text, the "Flower-Garland" (Chn.: Hua-yan, Jap.: Kegon) Sutra sets forth a vision of reality summed up by the memorable phrase, "all things interpenetrate freely without obstruction." The Chinese Hua-yen school focused on this sutra, and there was much mutual influence between Hua-yen and Ch'an, to the point that it has been said, "the philosophy of Ch'an is Hua-yen, and the practice of Hua-yen is Ch'an".
The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma
Four early short works traditionally attributed to the founder of Zen in China are here translated, with the original woodblocks shown alongside the English text.
The Zen Teaching of Huang-Po
Huang-po (Obaku in Japanese) was the dharma-heir of Pai-chang and the teacher of Lin-chi. Along with Pai-chang's teacher Ma-tsu, these teachers defined the style of what became the Lin-chi (Rinzai) school. Featuring recorded lectures and anecdotes of the master, this very accessible, pointed, and at times humorous text conveys both the warmth and the cutting power of this remarkable teacher.
The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-Chi [the Rinzairoku],
The vitality and slashing nature of the Zen inherited from Ma-tsu, Pai-chang and Huang-po is here seen brought to its fruition in the recorded sayings of Rinzai. The piercing insight and energy of Rinzai, giving birth to the line of Zen bearing his name, fairly explodes from the page. Episodes from the Rinzairoku are used as koan, so this text is an essential one for koan students.
The Record of Lin-Chi [the Rinzairoku]
Another translation of the Rinzairoku by Sasaki, the famous American Zen pioneer.
The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
The Platform Sutra is the only non-Indian Zen text to be accorded "sutra" status in the Zen canon. Containing the biography and recorded teachings of Hui Neng, the Platform Sutra is a pivotal document marking the emergence of Zen as we know it. Though Zen in China begins with Bodhidharma, Chinese Zen truly begins with Hui Neng. There are various translations available, including earlier versions discovered in the Tun-huang cache; the development of the Platform Sutra reveals the development of the Zen school's self-identity.
Dream Conversations
Muso Soseki, teacher to emperors and the founder of Tenryu-ji, was one of the two Japanese Zen masters (along with Shuho Myocho) who oversaw the birth of a truly Japanese Zen. His "Dream Conversations" is a short but profound text containing his personal thoughts and admonitions, originally written as replies to questions from students. An inspirational book.
Zen Words for the Heart: Hakuin's Commentary on the Heart Sutra
Actually titled "Poison Words from the Heart", Hakuin's line-by-line commentary brings life to our reading of the Heart Sutra. Hakuin reminds us of the uncompromising openness and transcendence to which the familiar text points; we are left feeling energized…and perhaps somewhat embarrassed at our own laziness!
Wild Ivy: The Spiritual Autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin
In a straightforward, conversational tone, Hakuin relates his own spiritual journey. Early fears, disillusionment with Buddhism, renewal of faith and effort, early insights, severe treatment at the hands of his teacher, bouts of "Zen sickness" … nothing is omitted in Hakuin's inspiring (and at times harrowing) tale.
Fudochi Shimmyo Roku
The Rinzai priest Takuan Soho was active during the culmination of Japan's period of civil war, and lived to see the country unified under the Tokugawa shogunate. He eventually served as an advisor to several shoguns, and also developed a friendship with the famous Yagyu family of swordsmen. Fudochi Shimmyo Roku, "The Record of the Wondrous Mind of Immovable Wisdom", is a letter written by Takuan to Yagyu Munenori. Within he explains the mind of Zen - the free-flowing mind that does not attach to objects or circumstance - practically in terms of swordsmanship. This text is foundational not only for those practicing Budo (martial ways), but also for anyone wishing to understand the practice of Zen in daily activity.
Zen and Budo
Omori Sogen's essay explains the practice of traditional martial arts as "Ways" of self-development that cut through dualistic concepts of "self" and "enemy". A short but masterful text for martial artists, written by a sword master who became a Zen master.
Texts for historical background and reference
What the Buddha Taught
A classic reference text laying out the essentials of Buddha's teachings as recorded in the Pali canon, written by a Theravadin monk and Buddhist scholar. The Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, Dependent Origination, and other fundamental points are clearly explained. This is essential reading for students of any Buddhist tradition, and important for understanding later Zen writings.
History of Zen Buddhism, Vol. 1 (India and China) and Vol. 2 (Japan)
Dumoulin's study is a landmark work that provides a comprehensive historical background in accessible language. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand where Zen fits within the larger stream of Buddhist development, and how it arose to become the most influential Mahayana school in east Asia.
Buddhism in China
Eloquent Zen: Daito and Early Japanese Zen
Shuho Myocho (Daito Kokushi) was, along with Muso Soseki, one of the great early Zen masters in Japan who defined a truly Japanese Zen: both austere in practice and rich in cultural sophistication. Kraft's book serves as a useful introduction to the life of this great master, and also to the Zen use of language and literature (for example poetry and jakugo) which reached its culmination in the Gozan literature of the great Kyoto temples.
The Bodhidharma Anthology: The Earliest Records of Zen
The discovery of the trove of Buddhist texts in the Tun-huang caves included early versions of important Zen documents. The Bodhidharma Anthology presents texts dealing with Zen's legendary founder, and sheds new light on who Bodhidharma may actually have been, and what he taught.
Seeing through Zen: Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism
An important historical treatment of the Zen tradition, challenging us to see through traditional accounts of Zen lineage and history and to view Zen within the larger context of Chinese social, cultural and political development.
A Manual of Zen Buddhism
Suzuki's Zen reference work, containing translations of Zen okyo and other materials essential for the practitioner. These were some of the first translations into English that were widely available, and they are still used today.
Zen and Japanese Culture
Suzuki's exploration of Zen's contribution to the development of the Japanese worldview and aesthetic, particularly as expressed in traditional fine arts (tea, calligraphy) and the samurai disciplines and ethos. Another classic and influential Suzuki work that served to introduce Zen to the west.
Zen and the Ways
Legget, a Briton, spent years residing in Japan and experiencing firsthand the disciplines of Zen and martial art training. In this work he combines translations of several key texts with his own anecdotes and experiences, exploring a uniquely Japanese contribution to Zen: the transformation of seemingly unrelated arts and disciplines, such as swordsmanship, into "Ways" of self-development and spiritual maturation.
Art of the Zen Master [an Omori Sogen biography]
Hosokawa Roshi here gives us a biography of Omori Roshi, his teacher and the transmitter of our Zen line to the west. A life of training in Zen, fine arts, and martial Ways is revealed beautifully through Hosokawa Roshi's text and the many photographs.
Ch'an and Zen Teaching
Among other things contains transmission gathas of all Patriarchs (Indian and Chinese), and information on the Five Houses of Zen.
