The Empty Mirror

I hadn't realized when I picked up this book that it was written in 1973 about experiences in the 1950's. Although it remains relevant in this time, it is rather surprising to think of a time when Eastern philosophy was difficult for Westerners to find. (Mind you, I say this as a resident of a Zen Buddhist abbey in Detroit.) At the time van de Wetering traveled to Japan, one wouldn't find Zen teachers in America or Europe, much less Zen communities. In this way, van de Wetering's journey paved the way for us, and for that I thank him deeply.In some ways, the book provides a basic introduction to the Zen precepts and the monastic way of life. After all, when he was writing it, there were very few books on Westerners practicing Zen. So in some ways, this book covers ground that many more recent, more popular books have covered.However, this book is full of surprises for people who might have a one-dimensional view of monastic life. There is peaceful meditation, but there are also arguments among the monks. Van de Wetering apparently expected to transcend human life in the monastery, but inside, he found the same problems as outside. He also found his own need to escape, to occasionally go out for a beer. It's a central paradox most readers who practice Zen will sympathize with; we want tranquility, but suffering is so darn interesting. Sometimes this paradox, as van de Wetering presents it, is hilarious. Traditional Zen stories can be vulgar, and so can contemporary Zen stories. We, like the author, must reflect on our expectations and assumptions to see what is really there

I read this book when I became fascinated with the literature of retreat and monastic practice. Besides being a good introduction to how a Zen monastary in Kyoto operates, Empty Mirror is a heartfelt examination of one man's struggle to find meaning in life, and meaning in his search for meaning. Anyone who has wandered the path of truth will have had times when s/he wonders: what is this for? what am I accomplishing? what have I learned? will this mean anything to anyone but me? what is the larger meaning?Jan-san (as the author is called by his fellow monks) is totally honest in his account of his stay in Japan. His monastic life is mixed with occasional days off visiting brothels and eating food outside the monastary gates, while within its walls, the monks and master crack jokes, goof off, watch TV and share cigarettes. Empty Mirror can at times be disillusioning, but only in the best way possible: the author approaches his new surroundings and genuine attempts at truth-seeking with that wonderful Western virtue of skepticism. A quick, memorable book that reads as much like a novel as it does a memoir.

I read this when I first became interested in Buddhism and found it inspiring. On reflection, it is obvious that van der Wetering is a writer at heart, and he forges something like a story from his struggles and experiences. Having, in a less serious way, also gone on retreat in Asia (Thailand in my case) I recognise the sense of confusion trying to come to terms with truth in an alien culture. It seems to me that this book is inspiring because it does not attempt to hide that confusion and ambiguity. The sequel, A Glimpse of Nothingness, is also worth a read if you like this.

The major thing about this book is that it portraits life in a Zen monastery and the people there as really not so outlandish (for the uniniciated westerner) as one (I) would have believed them to be. You get to know much about Zen-Buddhism and also much about the effort of the author to find a right way to live. But probably the most enlightening bit of information for me was that serene Zen-masters also like to watch baseball on TV and laugh about jokes like everybody else. That made this encounter with Zen and the struggle of a person with the meaning of life so readable for me.

I was first required to read this title in an Introduction to Buddhism course in undergraduate school. Since then, I have read probably two dozen books on Zen and/or Buddhism and I owe it all to 'The Empty Mirror.' The author has done a great job of describing life in a Zen monastery, the Zen koan, and it's a great introduction to the religion/philosophy. I'd recommend it to any student of religion, philosophy, or Zen Buddhism or anyone wanting to expand their knowledge on Buddhist monastic life. Janwillem Van de Watering does a good job of keeping the reader interested with light humor and a mix of day-to-day experiences during his stay at the monastery.