영성, 몸-마음, 젠더, 생태, 평화 Scapbook

2024/09/09

Living by ZEN : Amazon.com.au: Books

Living by ZEN : Amazon.com.au: Books

https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/livi.pdf

Living by ZEN Paperback – 7 December 1994

5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 4 ratings

One of the most important works on Zen Buddhism. the author explains this unique approach to enlightenment to Western readers. It is a direct, profound, and immensely practical way of life, which has helped mold the philosophy and culture of China and Japan for over 1200 years.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Red Wheel/Weiser (7 December 1994)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 187 pages

Top reviews from other countries

M B Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars The first review? Surely not...Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2014
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It is hard to do this book justice in a review. It is a little hard to get into at first, and can be challenging, but if persisted at will give you a true insight into Zen and lots of ideas for your own practice. Suzuki has written a number of books on Zen and Japanese culture, this one, in my view, is the pick of the bunch.

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Living by Zen: A Synthesis of the Historical & Practical Aspects of Zen Buddhism

D.T. Suzuki

3.85

82 ratings10 reviews

One of the most important works on Zen Buddhism. the author explains this unique approach to enlightenment to Western readers. It is a direct, profound, and immensely practical way of life, which has helped mold the philosophy and culture of China and Japan for over 1200 years.

Genres

Buddhism

Zen

Philosophy

Spirituality

Religion

Eastern Philosophy

Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1950

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About the author

Profile Image for D.T. Suzuki.

D.T. Suzuki

308 books408 followers

Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki (鈴木大拙貞太郎 Suzuki Daisetsu Teitarō; rendered "Daisetz" after 1893) was Professor of Buddhist philosophies at Ōtani University. As a translator and writer on Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, he greatly helped to popularize Japanese Zen in the West.

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3.85

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Matt Dowdy

23 reviews

1 follower

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September 5, 2023

“Zen’s life is not teleologically defined; it is like the sun’s rising in the East and setting in the West; it is like the plants flowering in spring and bearing fruits in autumn. It is we humans who take all these phenomena of Nature as having some definite design in relation to human destiny and welfare, but this homo centric interpretation of the world always ends in tragedy, if not in utter confusion of thought.”

“Our satori must have a fresh outlook on the world and humanity; it must prove itself useful and valuable in our daily life not only as an individual but as a world citizen, as a member in a system of infinite complexities which contain every conceivable existence, non-sentient as well as sentient.”

Continuing my journey into zen, fulfilling and confusing, I go on

2 likes

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Mila

236 reviews

11 followers

January 12, 2017

Suzuki (1870-1966) thinks of himself as a cultural ambassador. In this series of conferences and articles, he tries to put Zen doctrine and principles within reach of Western audiences. A great challenge since Zen is a question of intuitive comprehension that resists any expression and can hardly be translated into the intellectual categories of Western languages.

What is the meaning of Zen? How did the doctrine travel from India to China and Japan? Which virtues does its adept have to master? What are the differences between Great and Smaller vehicle? All those general introductory questions are tackled but Suzuki also aims at showing the manifestations and traits of Zen in Eastern - more specifically Japanese- culture: painting, architecture, gardens, tea ceremony, poetry. For his audience, he breaks some “mondos”, those Buddhist riddles, and highlights the concreteness of the essence of Zen in some haikus.

More interesting, he brings out a cross cultural perspective and builds bridges between Zen experience and Western religious tradition. It is in Eckhart’s writings that he happens to find the spirit of Zen at its fullest expression, as an experience of unity.

japanese

nonfiction

1 like

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Bankim

8 reviews

September 15, 2017

This little book is jam-packed with very informative and deeply inspiring articles on essential aspects of the Zen path.I had gone through Alan Watts' earlier book 'Spirit of Zen' many years ago.But somehow it was this book by D.T.Suzuki which compelled me to explore more on the Koan introspection aspect.Also it compelled me to go deep in to basic buddhism in general and the Mahayana doctrine in particular.

Suzuki's english is superb,well suited to modern reader,and he writes from his heart.

1 like

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Gille Liath

168 reviews

3 followers

June 22, 2023

Zen is not a belief system; you could maybe call it, not an absence-of-belief system, but a belief absence-of-system. It’s all about that essential spiritual truth, the ultimate Oneness of All, and the fact that this cannot be put into rational concepts. Great – especially for a Catholic like me, this is necessary balance to our tendency to over-conceptualise and systematise. But, by itself, Zen seems empty of content. Some have even thought that it is compatible with positivist materialism and atheism. It isn’t, it is the very antithesis, as a positivist cannot (if they are consistent) believe in transcendent Oneness; but it does rely on having some belief system as background (and it is pretty clear that Suzuki does, as he keeps referring to God). Equally, though, you could say that ii is compatible to some extent with any religion. It’s sad, though, to see so much tell-tale sniping against Christianity. Few supposedly spiritual writers have enough peace in their hearts to resist picking holes in other’s coats where they think they can.

In the end this has the same problem as all books about Zen: the whole point about Zen, like Fight Club, is that you can’t talk about it. The one clue Suzuki does give us is that the teaching needs to be passed on by personal contact; but, given that there are almost no authentic masters, that is hardly very helpful. Most of us will just have to keep making our own way, making use of such pointers as we can find here and elsewhere.

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Kent Walker

28 reviews

November 5, 2022

Heavily focused on satori it'll give words to your own personal experiences. Written with Suzuki's characteristic simplicity and depth, and filled with classic esoteric Zen stories of the old masters.

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darío hereñú

112 reviews

13 followers

May 25, 2011

Acercarse al zen requiere paciencia.

Alcanzar el satori muchísimo más.

Como alguna vez leí de J.L. Borges, se puede "utilizar la lógica para -precisamente- destruirla".

A través de los "mondos" (varios por doquier en buena parte del libro) ilustra el autor como se va logrando esa transición.

Este, como muchos más, pone contra las cuerdas al pensamiento occidental, cartesiano.

La ilógica se transforma en lógica ("un perro no es un perro", "el puente es el que fluye y no el agua", "cual es el sonido de una mano aplaudiendo?").

Para ser una introducción al Zen (este es mi caso), resultó como jugar al juego de la oca o leer a Foucault. Avanzás una carilla, una página, pero necesitás retrotraerte a un par atrás.

Extrañamente, el paso del tiempo -sospecho- hará sus milagros.

Lo que requirió horas de abstracciones, de pronto, lo comprenderás intuitivamente, en la completa talidad de las cosas.

Recomendable para aquellos que se atreven ver el bosque y el árbol, al mismo tiempo.

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Anthony Buckley

Author

10 books

113 followers

January 17, 2009

I have an ambiguous relationship to Zen, and an ambiguous relationship to this book which years ago introduced me to Zen. I am not and am unlikely ever to achieve anything that could be called "enlightened". Nevertheless, Zen holds out to me the hope that enlightenment might just be possible. I don't follow a Zen path, but I keep getting drawn back to it.

Suzuki is quite a dry old stick, and this for me makes his writings attractive. This particular book is quite personal, unlike other books of his that are a bit more philosophical in spirit. I've never really felt there was any bullshit in what he wrote. He just explains the way things appear to him to be. I get the same from Alan Watts, who has a more popular style.

philosophy

religion

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Tim Weakley

693 reviews

25 followers

April 8, 2010

A very difficult book. I think I was 130 pages into before I read something which I thought I completely understood. While written by the best Zen scholar of the last hundred odd years I really didn't find the book approachable for the average reader.

50-book-challenge-2010

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Jan

2 reviews

September 21, 2010

At the time, I was looking for a more practical oriented book than this, but, nevertheless, a great and understandable introduction into the topic.

philosophy

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Dovofthegalilee

200 reviews

December 15, 2013

It answered my questions, probably bit more than I really wanted. A better choice would be Zen for Dummies.

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Taechang Kim

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Taechang Kim

스즈끼 다이세쓰

《선으로 살다(Living By Zen)》

(춘추사, 1990년11월20일초판제1쇄발행. 2020년9월25일 신판제1쇄발행).

이책은 처음에 영문으로 쓰였고 Living By Zen이라는 책명으로 1950년에 영국의 라이더 출판사 와 일본의 산세이도에서 동시출판되었고 특히 그 땍사지의 저서에서는 분명하게 밣긴 바 없었던 <선의식> 이라는 측면을 설명하려 했던 노작이다. 이 책의 특징이라 할 수 있는 사상은 '선을 살다'

(To live Zen)로는 충분치 못하고 더 나가서 "선으로 살다" (Living by Zen)가 되지 않으면 진정으로 선이 인간의 생활 가운데 살아 있는 일이 되지 못한다.

그렇다면 선으로 산다는 것은 어떤 삶인가. 여기서 구미서양의 뿌리바탕이 되어 있는 <신神> 또는 <신성한 의식> 이라는 것이 도입되고 있다. 그러나 어데까지나 상호이해를 위한 방편으로서 선활용되고 있을뿐 거기에 억매이면 서에서 멀어진다. 귀를 통해 듣고 눈을 통해 이해하는 것은 참된 선이 아니다. 선은 인간이 자기의 온맘몸을 한 통으로 투탈透脱(透体脱落)해가는 실천이다. 그 현장이 좌선이다.

2024/09/08

Schrödinger: Life and Thought : Moore, Walter J.: Amazon.com.au: Books

Schrödinger: Life and Thought : Moore, Walter J.: Amazon.com.au: Books
https://archive.org/details/schrodingerlifet00moor

Kindle $30.05 Available instantly

Paperback $31.95

Schrödinger: Life and Thought Hardcover – 28 July 1989
by Walter J. Moore (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

Erwin Schrödinger was a brilliant and charming Austrian, a great scientist, and a man with a passionate interest in people and ideas. In this, the first comprehensive biography of Schrödinger, Walter Moore draws upon recollections of Schrödinger's friends, family and colleagues, and on contemporary records, letters and diaries. Schrödinger's life is portrayed against the backdrop of Europe at a time of change and unrest. His best-known scientific work was the discovery of wave mechanics, for which he was awarded the Nobel prize in 1933. However, Erwin was also an enthusiastic explorer of the ideas of Hindu mysticism, and in the mountains of his beloved Tyrol he sought a philosophic unity of Mind and Nature. Although not Jewish, he left his prestigious position at Berlin University as soon as the Nazis seized power. After a short time in Oxford he moved to Graz, but barely escaped from Austria after the Anschluss. He then helped Eamon de Valera establish an Institute for Advanced Studies in Dublin. It was here that he spent the happiest years of his life, and also where he wrote his most famous and influential book What is Life?, which attracted some of the brightest minds of his generation into molecular biology. Schrodinger enjoyed a close friendship with Einstein, and the two maintained a prolific correspondence all their lives. Schrödinger led a very intense life, both in his scientific research and in his personal life. Walter Moore has written a highly readable biography of this fascinating and complex man which will appeal not only to scientists but to anyone interested in the history of our times, and in the life and thought of one of the great men of twentieth-century science.
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Review
"It is an attempt to analyze a soul, and in that respect, it surpasses even `The Double Helix' by James Watson in its examination of the most visceral drives of a great scientist." The New York Times Book Review

"What is Life? That Schrödinger knew the answer, in more ways than one, is revealed to us in this biograpy." Nature

"This is the best book available today on the life and work of Schrödinger." Times Higher Education Supplement

"It is really two books in one: a clear, elegant and complete account of Schrödinger's scientific life and achievements, and a detailed and insightful account of Schrödinger's private life." Physics Today

"...a literate, readable biography accessible to scientists and humanists alike." American Historical Review

"It is very good on the science--sometimes too good--for it does not shirk detailed expositions of Schrödinger's theories." Observer

"An unusually thorough and competent scientific biography of one of the founders of 20th-century physical theory...an absorbing account of the social and scientific culture of Europe in the period after WWI." Choice

"...full and candid story." New York Review of Books

"The quality of this biography is outstanding, and it promises to be the key authority on the life of work of Erwin Schrödinger for years to come." Science Books and Films

"...a delightfully interesting and sympathetic view of a complex and multifaceted man....This book can be recommended as one of the best scientific biographies for how veridically and sympathetically it treats its difficult, complex subject." Perceptual and Motor Skills

Product details
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press; 1st edition (28 July 1989)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 528 pages

===

From other countries

Rolando Blest

Schrödinger

Reviewed in the United States on 28 April 2019

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Good:The book is a very good history about the life of Schrödinger. For meit gave details that I did not know. If you wanto to know how is the life of a physicist during the 30's and 40's ( Second War World) this is the book.
Bad: the quality of the pressing is not got in the pages where there are photographies. I hope that in the future pressing this could be resolved.
Lo bueno. Este libro es muy bueno si uno desea conocer la vida de Schrödinger. Al leerlo ( aún no lo termino pues estoy en la página 356) lo he encontrado muy claro y con detalles que no conocía. Además hace notar los hechos situados en el período de la Segunda Guerra Mundial donde las cosas eran muy dificiles para todo el mundo.
Lo malo: La calidad de la impresión en las páginas donde hay fotografías no es buena. espero que en las próximas ediciones mejoren este tema.

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Junior

Interesting

Reviewed in Germany on 6 June 2019

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Very interesting book. Of course, not all passages correspond to their own interests, but since I selected something, I learned a lot. The physical descriptions of his works and thoughts were very exciting.

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Leo Carter

AN EXCELLENT ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND WORK OF AN INCREDIBLY GIFTED SCIENTIST

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 February 2009

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Of all those who have walked this Earth, none can deny that Erwin Schrodinger must rank as one of the greatest geniuses of all time. He developed wave mechanics, the inspired discovery which revolutionized quantum mechanics. He derived both the non-relativistic and relativistic versions of his Schrodinger wave equation - the foundations of modern quantum mechanics. He also proved that the mathematical result arrived at by both wave and matrix mechanics was identical, thereby unifying quantum mechanics into a coherent whole. In short, Schrodinger helped us come closer to understanding the true nature of atoms and subatomic particles than perhaps anyone before or after him. His work made it possible for DNA to be discovered and for molecular biology to develop into the vibrant field that it is today. His discoveries are also relevant to the study of consciousness thanks to their applications to the 'Quantum Mind Theory'.

In the light of these great facts about Erwin Schrodinger, one would expect a considerably excellent effort to be made on any biography written about him. This is the case here. The author has written a thoroughly detailed and accurate account of the scientist's personal and professional life. All of his discoveries are described and explained in understandable language (the author is a research scientist himself). Care is also taken to emphasise the passion that Schrodinger had regarding his quest to find answers to seemingly insurmountable mathematical and physical questions.

Overall, this is a great and fitting book about the greatest of scientists.

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Clara Janés

Five Stars

Reviewed in Spain on 29 November 2014

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muy muy bueno

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ivassena

Positive review

Reviewed in Italy on 23 August 2014

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Prompt delivery. Product complies with expectations. Extensive biography, sympathetically elaborated and with objective historical evaluation. Recommended for those who want to understand how a visionary grows and takes place.

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Maria Eugenia Nunez

TOTAL PERFECTION.

Reviewed in the United States on 4 August 2015

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THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TOTAL PERFECTION. MAILED SUPER FAST. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THIS BOOK IN THEIR LIBRARY.

Adam Carlton

Great physicist - dubious kind of guy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 August 2009

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I was impressed by the freshness of Moore's writing and his diligence in unearthing the daily life of Erwin Schrodinger over so many years. What do you make of a guy who spent his life falling in love easily with so many women and then seducing them? A man who in his forties suffers what Moore euphemistically calls a 'Lolita complex'? He ends up with three daughters, none by his wife, who he remains married to until the end. At least the girls got good intellectual genes.

Schrodinger was no friend to the concept of 'bourgeois marriage', and it might be argued in these enlightened times that he was doing nothing wrong. However, his lifelong self-centred and adolescent attitude to relationships led to collateral damage to many (not all) of the woman with whom he involved himself. Typically it was the younger or less well-educated who were left holding the baby, or worse.

His work was mostly blindingly competent in the spirit of mathematical physics. A strong visualiser, he was close in philosophy to Einstein and had little patience with the Bohr-Born interpretation of his wave equation. His culture, approach, techniques and beliefs all seem curiously dated now, but this was a first rate scientific biography.

This version of the book has the physics as well as the sex. The level is not particularly daunting ... first degree in physics or maths is fine.

4 people found this helpful

Klaus Stiefel

All aspects of Schrödinger covered

Reviewed in the United States on 26 December 2005

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Walter Moore captures the life of Erwin Schrödinger, one of the most important theoretical physicists of the 20th century, covering his career, science, philosophy and personal life.

In this ambitious book Moore tries to shed light on all aspects of Schrödinger's life, and tries to connect them, but no coherent picture evolves. I had the impression, however, that this is not Moore's fault, but that the pieces that made up Erwin Schrödinger did not fit into a coherent whole.

A gifted student from an early age on, he took on physics. After initially dwelling in different sub-fields, he developed wave mechanics at the (for creative work in theoretical physics) late age of 38. His almost unparalelled mathematical skills made this advance possible. Schrödinger never saw mathematics only as a tool, but he greatly appreciated it's beauty. Moore does an excellent job in describing the intellectual journey towards this discovery, as well as the giants on who's shoulders Schrödinger was standing. For this work Schrödinger received the Nobel prize in 1933.

In his later years, he dedicated a substantial part of his efforts to the search for a unified (quantum mechanics - relativity) theory of physics. Just like Einstein, with whom he had an extensive correspondence about the mater, he failed. Schrödinger's scientific work is explained in quite a bit of detail. Despite being quite familiar with differential equations, but without a background in theoretical physics, I must admit that I had a hard time following Schrödinger's insights as presented by Moore.

From his student days on, Erwin Schrödinger was a believer in the Indian teachings of Vedanta, proclaiming a one-ness of all minds, which make up reality. It is hard to see how a rational 20th century scientist could adhere so uncritically to an ancient religion. However, these beliefs seemingly did not influence his science much and neither did they influence his personal life.

His personal life was, nevertheless, unusual. He was a lover of interesting women, and he had many (I am all for that!), but many of his loves were still teenagers, while he was in his 30s and 40s (very weired!). For a man of such high intellectual capacity, this shows very poor moral judgment. He was not solely interested in sex, but sincerely in love with many of them and wrote them love poems.

Schrödinger also showed somewhat poor moral judgment in terms of politics, although the turmoils of the 20th century greatly affected him (he was removed from his professorship in Graz by the Nazis). He was not an opportunist, like so many of his fellow Austrian and German physicists. Although he leaned to the left, he basically was not interested in politics at all. An irresponsible neglect during the rise of fascism in Europe!

Moore brings together all these aspects of Erwin Schrödinger, and he does so with lots of knowledge of the local culture and history of the places Schrödinger visited and lived at (Vienna, Graz, Dublin, Cambridge). This is a well researched book in all aspects and one with lots of sympathy for "Erwin".

13 people found this helpful

Miketang

A brilliant book in every way

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 July 2014

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A brilliant book in every way, covering thoroughly and judiciously the physics and life of Schrodinger as well as placing both in historical context. Yes, at first sight the physics and mathematical equations may make this appear a specialist academic tome only of interest to mathematical physicists. But the math may be skipped around. The remainder gives a fascinating insight to the scientific networks and historical background against which the quantum revolution was worked out. The author writes in a straightforward, lucid style, scientific but including at suitable points nice references (for the literate) to, for example, Goethe, Virgil and Shakespeare (not to mention Schrodinger's own ditties). A compelling, highly recommended read.

4 people found this helpful

prudence davison

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 August 2017

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Brilliant book. Arrived well on time and was well packaged. This was a gift and apparently the person has not yet read it, but I am sure he will be delighted. Thanks.