Zen Meditation in Plain English

I was encouraged to "just sit" when I started practicing Zen meditation, but John Daishun Buksbazen's meditation manual offers much easier intructions to Zen practice. In his Foreward to Buksbazen's how-to guide, Peter Matthiessen notes that "this gentle book . . . is a wonderful introduction to Zen Buddhism, and also an invitation to a new life" (p. 13). Buksbazen is a Zen Buddhist priest and a psychoanalyst. Meditation offers us "a way of getting deeply in touch with the true Self," he observes; "not just the narrow self; that much can be accomplished through psychotherapy or a number of other disciplines. But sitting deals with the 'big-S'-Self, that most basic level of reality that has nothing to do with culture, social status, intellect, or even personality. It deals with who you really are beyond all specifics of time and place. And who you really are, ultimately, is the universe itself" (p. 35).Organized into three parts, "Buddhas," "Sitting," and "Community," and then followed by a section of "Frequently Asked Questions," Buksbazen's 123-page book offers its reader an excellent introduction to taming our minds and discovering who we are through the practice of Zen meditation.G. Merritt

This book does an admirable job of explaining the fundamentals of Zen meditation. There are many, many good books out now that include some discussion of meditation technique, but usually that's as a part of a larger discussion of Buddhism and Buddhist thought, and the mechanics of meditation often get inadequate attention. With this book, the reader will get a solid introduction to meditation, sufficient to get actual practice off to a good start. I would not be surprised if it becomes a classic in the field. Very well done.

Honestly, I have never seen a better book on the pracitce of zazen, the Zen Buddhist meditation. This book is not only a practical guide to the (deceptively) simple process of sitting still, breathing and clearing your mind, it's inspiration itself--and just a plain good read. Buksbazen has written one of those books you can open to any page and find something relevent for the moment you are in. I find myself returning to this slim guide again and again. Highly recommended.

This book has been a blessing for me. My organization provides a prison outreach program for inmates,who want to learn meditation,and this is the guide we will be putting in their hands. Daishin has provided the tools that any person, beginner or experienced practioner can use. His list of Frequently Asked Questions addresses those points that some people may feel shy in asking and his illustrations of sitting positions and exercises are most useful When you read the book, you feel he is talking directly to you. His use of quotes from his teacher, the late Maezumi Roshi,brings a deeper understanding of what Zen and the practice of meditation is all about. If you could only choose one book on meditation, I would advise you to give this one serious consideration.

I found this book to be delightful. Fresh and direct, with a simplicity and straightforwardness, the author lays the foundation for a clear understanding of what we're about when we meditate. He removes any doubt or anxiety that a beginner might have about their technique, and lays to rest any fears we may have that we'll look silly and inept in a room of practiced professionals. Most of all, he gives us the knowledge that enables us to sit confidently.