The Mirror of Zen: The Classic Guide to Buddhist Practice

~This is really a top notch book. I am not sure if this is the only book you will ever need on Zen, there is often so much packed into two or three short sentences that the beginner might need some supplementary material to fully realise a sutra's inner hidden meaning. However having said that, this book is the most accessible work on Zen philosophy I have come across both on the internet and in book stores. There are some parts of this book I have read 10-15x and I still discover something new from time to time. I would certainly recommend this to any person starting to discover zen however to really get value out of this book, I would recommend using it in conjunction with further reading, only then will you discover that a page from this book is worth several from any other. For the Zen master, this book holds nothing but lies. ;-)

I have read and own many books on Zen. This is the only book on Zen you will ever need. Don't waste your time on the others, this is by far the best. There is enough in this book to last you in this life and the next.