Chan Buddhism

This book is a general survey of Chan Buddhism written by a respected scholar. It is that simple. It is well written and easy to follow. The author uses images and analogies in relating buddhist teachings, some drawn from the buddhist tradition, others are more secular and contemporary. It is an accessible book for the general reader, though it could also be useful to those more advanced in religious studies. With all the different "Buddhisms" out there, it was nice to find a book that stuck to the Chinese version of the tradition. So often Chinese, Japanese, and Korean forms of buddhism get lumped together. What I liked most about this book were the distinctions he presented between Indian Buddhism and Chan, making clear how they were different and why they were different. His honest accounting of the influence of Taoism and Chinese culture on a foriegn religious tradition was educating and helpful and answered many growing questions in my own study of this tradition. His discussion of the development of Buddha-nature, interdependence, creativity, and energy work--especially as they are unique to the Chan tradition--provide the reader with a good grounding in the basic teachings of the Chinese tradition. I am, however, still a little fuzzy in my thinking about karma and reincarnation, and perhaps this is an area of the book that is lacking. It is the only criticism I would offer. If you are looking for an outstanding introduction to this subject, I would recommend this book. The University of Hawai'i Press offers many fine books on this subject. Further reading can be found there.

Out of an extensive library of western philosophy and Buddhist thought this is one of my favorites. I have read some of the negative comments here and could not disagree more. You have to read this book several times to piece together Hershocks vision. But his is a vision I feel accurately explicates the poetic abstractions of Ch'an (Zen). Unlike at least one commentor, I did not find the writing to be dry, distant or confusing. I thought the writing was exemplary, to the point, and strung together a picture of Ch'an that very few others have done. When it comes to these kind of books, there are tons of them written by very good practioners who do not have the background in western philosophy or as writers to adequately paint a lucid picture in non-poetic terms. Unravelling the poetic language of Ch'an can be a challenge, and Hershock does a masterful job of it. I highly recommend this book.

This is one of the required readings in my Buddhism training. A great book which gives us some application, history and information. It's not the easiest book to get through, but it isn't hard either. If you're looking for layman's terms on Buddhism, you might check out Buddhism Plain and Simple, or the Complete Idiot's Guide to Buddhism, or Buddhism for Dummies.

I should start by saying that I am not, clearly, an expert on Chan, Zen, or Buddhism. As a lay reader, my main area of interest is history, which is to say, I am exceedingly interested in the cultural mileau in which Buddhist schools developed. That said, I have to admit that the first time I read this book (about one year ago) I was, like the most recent reviewer, exceedingly disappointed. To be honest, I found that Prof. Hershock too often attributed the growth or decline of certain Buddhist schools to the socio-political atmosphere of dynasties in power at the time without adequately explaining why. Further, Prof. Hershock's tone and writing style came off as cold and a tad snobby. You see, Prof. Hershock's fine effort does, in fact, read like a dry as dust thesis paper (at times) written for a college philosophy course, which is not bad in and of itself, but there does seem to be a hint of condescention here and there. That is a minor flaw, I admit, but every now again he alludes to his own Buddhist practice, as if that had some kind of connection to the task at hand. To be fair, it is tough to combine the wonderfully blithe spiritual impulse and passion of Buddhism with History, but that is what Herschock tried (but failed to, in my opinion) deliver. However, I returned to this book after reading copious texts on Chinese and Indian history. With a second reading, then, I was able to pick up on many fascinating connections that I had missed (out of ignorance, I know) the first time, such as this nugget about the rise of Buddhism in India: "The contemplative and ascetic practices undertaken by these strivers toward spiritual freedom may in part represent a resurgence of indigenous traditions from pre-Aryan India." WOW! This book needs a slow read, I think, which is, after all, the point of Zen - that is, concentration on the task at hand (I have a bad habit of zipping through books too quickly). Thus, I would recommend this book to readers with some reasonably detailed knowledge of Indian and Chinese history (obvious, I know), as the the strength of this text is the clarity in which Pro. Hershock articulates key points, e.g., the "middle path" of Buddhism between Confucianism and Taoism. Finally, I will say that if you have a good knowledge of Buddhism or Asian history, this book is a great choice. For those readers who are just dipping their big toe into the sea of Buddhist thought and history, I might look elsewhere, such as Heinrich Dumoulin's well-received history of Zen Buddhism.

Without picking or choosing, how to review this book? There's much helpful history here. Did you know that in one Buddhist university, Nalanda, there were at least 10,000 students and 2,000 faculty in residence by the 7th century. That in 707 as much as 80% of the total wealth of the Chinese empire may have belonged to Buddhist organizations and, as such, been untaxed? That in the 8th century, 1 out of 85 Chinese were either a Buddhist monk or nun? That between 755 and 764 A.D. two-thirds of all Chinese either died or were missing (missing to where?). That it was the persecutions of Buddhists that led to Chan's special place as a surviving Buddhist teaching, because it depended much less than on Buddhist teachings on the texts that were to a large extent destroyed during the persecutions. There's much helpful insight from Hershock into the relevance of Chan to Buddhist practitioners then and now. That willful control would only lead to further need to control. That the positive qualities of a Buddha don't rise above the ordinary world. That moral clarity is important but cannot be contained in rules but instead requires skillful improvisation. That compassionate engagement is more important than finding any correct posture. That teachers have nothing to teach and students nothing to learn. That without complete confidence in yourself, you will proceed in confusion. That there is no time to step back to consider because life is moving ahead too quickly. That we must somehow, as a famous koan said, stop picking and choosing. That we need not to waste energy because we need it to have complete presence. And more. Where did Hershock acquire so much wisdom? Undoubtedly in good measure from his study of Chan and from his own Buddhist practice but not every Buddhist or scholar has so much to offer.