Get Free Ebook Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford
Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford Exactly how a basic idea by reading can enhance you to be an effective individual? Checking out Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford is an extremely simple task. However, how can lots of people be so lazy to check out? They will certainly prefer to invest their downtime to talking or hanging out. When in fact, reviewing Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford will give you much more possibilities to be successful completed with the efforts.
Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford
Get Free Ebook Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford
Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford. What are you doing when having leisure? Chatting or surfing? Why don't you aim to check out some book? Why should be reviewing? Reviewing is just one of fun and also delightful task to do in your extra time. By checking out from numerous resources, you could find brand-new info and encounter. Guides Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford to read will certainly be countless beginning with scientific e-books to the fiction publications. It suggests that you can review the books based on the necessity that you intend to take. Certainly, it will certainly be different and also you can check out all book types whenever. As right here, we will show you a publication need to be reviewed. This publication Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford is the choice.
This book Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford is expected to be one of the most effective vendor publication that will make you feel satisfied to buy as well as read it for completed. As understood could typical, every book will have particular points that will make somebody interested a lot. Also it originates from the writer, kind, content, and even the author. However, many individuals likewise take the book Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford based upon the theme as well as title that make them impressed in. and right here, this Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford is very recommended for you because it has fascinating title as well as motif to review.
Are you really a follower of this Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford If that's so, why do not you take this book now? Be the first person that such as and also lead this book Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford, so you could get the reason and messages from this book. Don't bother to be puzzled where to get it. As the other, we share the link to see as well as download and install the soft file ebook Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford So, you might not lug the published publication Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford all over.
The visibility of the on the internet publication or soft file of the Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford will alleviate individuals to obtain guide. It will likewise save more time to just search the title or writer or author to obtain up until your book Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford is exposed. After that, you can visit the link download to check out that is given by this site. So, this will be a great time to begin enjoying this publication Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford to review. Consistently good time with book Zen Master Who?: A Guide To The People And Stories Of Zen, By James Ishmael Ford, constantly great time with cash to spend!
Zen Master Who? is the first-ever book to provide a history of Zen's arrival in North America, surveying the shifts and challenges to Zen as it finds its Western home. With the exception of parts of Rick Field's How the Swans Came to the Lake, there has been no previous attempt to write this chronicle.
James Ishmael Ford begins by tracing Zen's history in Asia, looking at some of Zen's most seminal figures--the Sixth Ancestor Huineng, Dogen Zenji (the founder of the Soto Zen school), Hakuin Ekaku (the great reformer of the Rinzai koan way), and many others--and then outlines the state of Zen in North America today. Clear-eyed and even-handed, Ford shows us the history and development of the institution of Zen--both its beauty and its warts.
Ford also outlines the many subtle differences in teachings, training, ordination, and transmission among schools and lineages. This book will aid those looking for a Zen center or a teacher, but who may not know where to start. Suggesting what might be possible, skillful, and fruitful in our communities, it will also be of use to those who lead the Zen centers of today and tomorrow.
- Sales Rank: #584199 in Books
- Brand: Brand: Wisdom Publications
- Published on: 2006-10-20
- Released on: 2006-10-20
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x .70" w x 6.00" l, .85 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 280 pages
Features
- Used Book in Good Condition
From Publishers Weekly
Taxonomists rejoice: for all who have wondered about the difference between a roshi and a sensei, this book sorts these two kinds of Zen Buddhist teachers and offers lots more information about Zen schools and influences. A longtime Zen student and Unitarian minister, Ford is a sympathetic insider who knows much of his history firsthand, yet sees clearly enough to acknowledge the distortions and even abuses in the history of Zen as it came to this country. His delineations form a road map to persons and places in Zen in America. His eye is especially keen in appreciating the early teachers who brought Zen from Japan and adapted it to an audience growing in numbers and receptivity to Asian religious wisdom. End matter, including a guide to finding a teacher, is helpful; missing, however, is some graphic representation—a family tree, perhaps?—that could have summarized paragraphs of prose about lineages and who taught whom. The very existence of the book is evidence of the growth and maturation of a small but culturally significant group of what Ford rightly characterizes as religious believers. Beyond the obvious niche audience, this book holds interest for all curious about American Zen Buddhism and contemporary expressions of American spirituality. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Ford, a Soto Zen priest and Unitarian Universalist minister, has put together a rich and eminently readable resource on Zen in the West. He begins with an overview of the history of Zen, then thoroughly covers the teachers who first came West, the traditions and practices they brought with them, the schools they founded, and their many successors. Ford's engaging portraits of the many personalities that make up Wester Zen today are especially interesting and can be read straight through or dipped into here and there for a satisfying taste of any one of the diverse forms the tradition is taking today." (Tricycle: The Buddhist Review)
"For all who have wondered about the difference between a roshi and a sensei, this book sorts these two kinds of Zen Buddhist teachers and offers lots more information about Zen schools and influences. [...] Ford is a sympathetic insider who knows much of his history firsthand, yet sees clearly enough to acknowledge the distortions and even abuses in the history of Zen as it came to this country. His delineations form a road map to persons and places in Zen in America. His eye is especially keen in appreciating the early teachers who brought Zen from Japan and adapted it to an audience growing in numbers and receptivity to Asian religious wisdom. End matter, including a guide to finding a teacher, is helpful [...] The very existence of the book is evidence of the growth and maturation of a small but culturally significant group of what Ford rightly characterizes as religious believers. Beyond the obvious niche audience, this book holds interest for all curious about American Zen Buddhism and contemporary expressions of American spirituality." (Publishers Weekly)
"James Ford is a charming and thoughtful guide to the who, how and why of Zen coming to the West. That's because he is a Zen master himself, with an unparalleled knowledge of the people, the big trends and the interesting details. James is a major figure in adapting Zen to America and this book will give you the inside picture." (John Tarrant, author of Bring Me the Rhinoceros (and Other Zen Koans to Bring You Joy))
"In his forty-year study of the tradition, Zen teacher and Unitarian Universalist minister James Ishmael Ford has digested the 'whos and whats' of Zen, presenting a personable and readable introduction to its major players and teachings, both in the East and West. Zen Master WHO? is a friendly orientation to Zen for the new student of Buddhism, and the book's final section, in which Ford considers the future of Zen in the West, will prompt discussion among its older students." (Shambhala Sun)
"Provides a thorough orientation for the prospective student of North American Zen... in a balanced, straightforward style, peppered with enough original anecdotes to make it enjoyable, even to Zen students already familiar with the basic material." (Buddhadharma)
"At last, a book that helps those beginning Zen practice figure out who's who and how they became a Who. Zen Master Who? is a greatly useful guide, bringing together the legendary, the historical, and the contemporary in one compact, engaging read. You'll feel like an insider after reading this book." (Sumi Loundon, editor of Blue Jean Buddha and The Buddha's Apprentices)
"Zen Master Who? is a comprehensive survey of the Asian masters who first brought Zen to America and of their American students who have been empowered to carry on their legacy. It tells the story of American Zen clearly - and honestly. By telling the story of real people, with real problems and real accomplishments, Ford makes us ponder just what it is we expec from practice, from teachers and from ourselves. This is a great book." (Barry Magid, author of Ordinary Mind)
"What happened when the Bodhidharma came to the West? From an insider's perspective, James Ishmael Ford tells us stories and gives colorful portrayals of the major figures linked to the ongoing transmission of Zen in the North American continent. A respected Zen Master himself, he describes his spiritual ancestors and Dharma sisters and brothers in candid and also endearing terms." (Ruben Habito, author of Living Zen, Loving God and Healing Breath)
"Ford brings to all his work a keen mind grounded in a thorough understanding of Zen practice and the nuances which pervade its development in the Western world. His insights are clear, unbiased and aim at presenting an honest picture of the development of Zen." (Diane Eshin Rizzetto, author of Waking Up to What You Do)
"Apart from Rick Fields' classic How the Swans Came to the Lake, reportage on the history of Zen in the West has tended to center on one or at most two traditions, e.g., Japanese Soto and Rinzai schools. James Ishmael Ford has instead taken a broad perspective, covering not only the Japanese and Chinese pioneers and influences but also extending his coverage to Korean, Vietnamese, and the syncretic Harada/Yasutani lineages. I found his clear account of the Korean Kwan Um school's Dharma transmission model to be especially interesting. Informal in tone and extensive in coverage, Zen Master Who? should prove both informative and absorbing reading for a new generation of Zen students and teachers alike." (John Daishin Buksbazen, author of Zen Meditation in Plain English)
About the Author
James Ishmael Ford is a senior guiding teacher of Boundless Way Zen. James has been a student of Zen Buddhism for over forty years. He is also a senior Unitarian Universalist minister serving at the First Unitarian Church of Providence and a member of both the American Zen Teachers Association and the Soto Zen Buddhist Association. He lives outside Providence.
Most helpful customer reviews
42 of 44 people found the following review helpful.
"Enlightened" Doesn't Mean Ethical, Compassionate or Good Teacher
By Len Moskowitz
Before I start reading a book I don't know if I'll be moved to write a review. But when I find myself making notes in the margins as I read (as I did with this one), there's a good chance that I'll review the book to help others decide if the book will be useful to them.
James Ishmael Ford's fine book "Zen Master Who?" is worth reading if you want a bit of information about who's who in the Western Zen Buddhist world, how it got the way it is and where it might be heading.
It's written in three parts. The first restates what he calls the Buddhist founding "myths". The second tries to to give us a feel for the story of the people who brought Zen to the West from China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, concentrating a bit more on Japan, as to-date the Japanese have had the most visible impact on establishing Zen in the West. The third and shortest part discusses the directions in which Zen in the West may be headed.
My most serious criticism? I felt that Ford's description of the last few generations of Zen Masters was not even-handed. I didn't appreciate how the serious character failings (e.g., inappropriate sexual relationships, substance abuse, financial misdeeds) of some Zen Masters were described in some depth while others were only mentioned in passing and those of many others (including his teachers) were omitted completely.
In the same vein, he glosses over the critical discussion of what "enlightenment" means in the context of unethical behavior by simply saying that Zen Masters are not perfect masters, not "gurus" and are subject to the same desires and temptations that all of us face. We would have been better served if he'd spent a few more pages (or a chapter) discussing how one can be an fully awakened master and still be an alcoholic, an adulterer, a supporter of national violence on an international scale, or financially irresponsible to friends, family and sangha. In the recent history of Zen, some of the best known Masters suffered these serious failings. There are lots of very odd people in the Zen world, and to choose a teacher one must know and understand this.
In his discussion of Christianity and Judaism in Zen, he misses an obvious disparity. We find Christian clergy from many different backgrounds (spanning the range from Jesuit Catholics to Unitarian Universalists and everything in between) becoming Zen lay-people, teachers and masters. In severe contrast, though many notable teachers and lay-folk in Western Zen come from Jewish backgrounds, they almost invariably are secular or non-religious Jews. There are essentially no traditionally religious Jews associated with (much less teaching) Zen in the West, and certainly no traditionally observant rabbis. Isn't this disparity worth some discussion?
I enjoyed his concise formulation of the Second Truth, of how suffering as the result of clinging is related to the co-arising of all things.
His very short (three page) appendix on "What to Look For When Looking for a Zen Teacher" can be boiled down to three suggestions: get into it slowly to see how you like it, ask other people about the teacher and try to evaluate the teacher by the quality of their students and the community as a whole. All of this is obvious but worth the time and space he devotes to it.
If you're interested in this book, you might also read "Zen in America" by Helen Tworkov (Kodansha Globe, 1994). Tworkov discusses five Zen masters (four of whom are mentioned by Ford), but in much more depth and detail.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
A great survey of Zen
By Michael J. Mccormick
I found this book a very useful and entertaining survey. It covers the most seminal figures of the East Asian Zen traditions that are now found in North America and there is a very clear exposition of the practices of shikan taza (just sitting) and koan introspection. The capsule biographies of the many men and women who were instrumental in establishing Zen in North America were very interesting and really helped me to understand who was who, what was what, and most importantly of all what is out there now for someone who wants to take up Zen practice. The last part of the book goes over important issues concerning the continuing adaptation of Zen outside its original East Asian setting. There is also an appendix containing advice on what a beginner should look for in a Zen teacher, which I think would help save many people unecessary grief. All in all it is a great book for beginners, and even those who have been involved in Zen for awhile might find this a helpful summary and overview of the many traditions (including Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese lineages that are now in America in addtion to the Japanese lines which themselves crisscross).
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
Interesting Information for Zendoids - Highly Readable
By W. Giesey
Among the rash of current historical/biographical Zen offerings, James Ford's Zen Master Who stands out as one of the more informative and certainly one of the most enjoyable reads. He starts with a focused reprise of the key historical Zen myths, and includes not only the thematic essentials but also by anecdote gives these stories a human dimension. He then moves on to his main subject, profiling a prodigious number of notable individuals and trends in recent and current Western Zen evolution, in a style both informative and enjoyable to read. Ford's wry humor, insight and compassion are apparent on every page, and the effect is engagingly conversational and personal. Another unique element of this book is the summary and discussion of the implications of all this material; where it might be leading us, and where we might try leading it. Not surprisingly, given that Ford is not only a Dharma heir but also a Unitarian Universalist minister, he evokes some intriguing possibilities for a liberal Western Zen of focused practice combined with committed social action, in a community of responsible and open-minded mutual support and self-determination. Altogether a lively and thought-provoking work.
See all 11 customer reviews...
Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford PDF
Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford EPub
Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford Doc
Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford iBooks
Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford rtf
Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford Mobipocket
Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford Kindle
@ Get Free Ebook Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford Doc
@ Get Free Ebook Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford Doc
@ Get Free Ebook Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford Doc
@ Get Free Ebook Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford Doc
