Chinul (1158–1210) was the founder of the Korean tradition of Zen. He provides one of the most lucid and accessible accounts of Zen practice and meditation to be found anywhere in East Asian literature. Tracing Back the Radiance, an abridgment of Buswell’s Korean Approach to Zen: The Collected Works of Chinul, combines an extensive introduction to Chinul’s life and thought with translations of three of his most representative works.
Editorial Reviews
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Buswell’s linguistic ability is commendable, as is his impressive understanding of Buddhist philosophy and unflagging commitment to historic accuracy., Journal of Asian Studies
About the Author
Robert E. Buswell, Jr. holds the Irving and Jean Stone Endowed Chair in Humanities at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he is also Distinguished Professor of Buddhist Studies in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and founding director of the university’s Center for Buddhist Studies and Center for Korean Studies.
Product details
Series: Kuroda Classics in East Asian Buddhism (Book 2)
Paperback: 246 pages
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press; Later Printing edition (November 1, 1991)
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JBAuthor
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent text, clearer than many others
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2018
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I am a Zen practitioner at a zendo in the Korean lineage, and am sadly deficient in both practice and realization. I have a small library of books on Zen, most of them describing both the theory and practice of zazen. Many of them are difficult to understand when one gets down to the particulars of sitting to realize something that can only be described by analogy, poetry, or by what it is not. They also tend have many pages on describing the wonders of enlightenment and the horrors of rebirth into samsara, and few pages on actual practice. I find that Tracing Back The Radiance, with the particular Korean synthesis of Chinese Zen, does a better job of explaining the theory and practice of zazen than the other books in my library, and I wish that I had found it sooner.
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mukunda777
5.0 out of 5 stars Worthy of Prolonged Study
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2016
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I am just now finishing this utterly astonishing book and after recommending it to all my Zen friends, I'd now like to recommend it to the general public. The introduction, though one of the longest I've encountered in Zen study, is of deep value in clarifying both the history and in-road psychological techniques of the earlier schools of Chan ( Niu-Tou, Ho-tse, Hung Chao, and "Northern"). Also, there is a richly specific comparison by Tsung-mi of both the benefit and the restriction of perspective that results from using these various psychological techniques that is truly invaluable. In particular for me, being a Zen student for over four decades, the explication of "numinous awareness" and its distinction from "numinous attention" was (and is) particularly riveting. But nearly every explication in this book carries similar significant import. The directness of idea and the return from so many different perspectives to the main focus of Zen practice and its goal-less goal is truly admirable, as is the artfulness in making such an abundance of subtle ideas so accessible. Lastly, Both Tsung-mi and Chinul return repeatedly to the
need to balance scriptural study and actual Zazen practice, which, particularly here in America, where formal study is so undervalued, is an essential reminder. I now view Robert E. Buswell Jr. as another of the current American translator-scholars worthy of practicing Buddhists' deepest gratitude. Obviously, I cannot recommend this book highly enough, in particular, to the Zen practitioner.
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Paul Yoon
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2019
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Robert E. Buswell is the pioneer and jewel of this English-speaking Buddhist world who introduces Korean Zen Buddhism. He's not only a fine scholar but also a faithful practitioner. His introduction to Chinul provides Chinul's historic context and his relationship with Tsung-Mi. Sudden awakening/gradual cultivation is the key to Chinul's teaching in which he reconciles both the Son (Zen) school and the scholastic school in his time. This is a superb work, especially for those who would like to apply their learning to their practice.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars No book will get you There!
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2019
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Good book to read.
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Zengo
5.0 out of 5 stars Important Philosopher in Korean Zen
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2013
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Though Chinul is accredited with being one of the, if not the most, influential philosophers of the Korean buddhist tradition, he is vastly under-read by scholars and Buddhist practicioners alike. Chinul provides penetrating insights into the relationship between language and enlightenment in a way that is both analytically rich while still possessing the mysterious poetics of Zen.
Chinul also provides a nescessary criticism of the misrepresentation of Zen that is seen so commonly in the West. Zen is not a form of anti-intellectualism as some might argue, rather it is a practice that emphasizes the need to break away from the addiction to conceptualization, not abandon it. Cognition and intellectual inquiry is not the problem; these in fact, as Chinul argues, are quite useful and nescessary tools for meditation. Chinul's writings bring our attention to two important aspects of Zen; the need for the restructuring of conceptualization as well as the need to realize the co-dependent relationship between the conceptual and the nonconceptual.
All in all, this is a book I highly recommend and I hope that many people will benefit from Chinul's insights.
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integral reader
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent intro
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2013
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Having spent years practicing Korean Zen, this book is such a gift. It is a treasure trove of ideas about the practice of Son, but more than that, it is a powerful exposition of the perspective that Korean Son Buddhism takes on reality. A must read for Buddhist practitioners.
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Avi D. Schneier
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2013
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If you are looking for a fresh view on Zen, Chinul is the man to get it from. The book clearly explains his viewpoint.
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David C. Flynn
5.0 out of 5 stars Zen at it's best.
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2013
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Chinul, could very well be considered a Bodhisattva at least. Anyone interested in Korean Zen, or Zen as a whole, would do well to purchase this book.
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Ven. Hyoenjin Prajna
5.0 out of 5 stars Transformative book.
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2015
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Wonderful book. Essential reading for Zen practitioners in the Korean tradition.
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Ted Biringer
5.0 out of 5 stars Buswell's work offers us more than the usual examination of a Zen master
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2008
Born in 1158, Chinul almost single-handedly reformed and re-vitalized Zen in Korea by the time of his death in 1210. An intellectual giant, and deeply enlightened master, Chinul's influence of Buddhism in Korea parallels that of the greatest masters of all time. All of the surviving Korean schools of Zen trace their lineage through this uniquely gifted Zen master.
Chinul, is sometimes called the "Dogen of Korea", and this abridgement of Robert Buswell's masterpiece makes it clear why. Buswell's work offers us more than the usual examination of a Zen master. Provides readers with a thorough account of the history of Buddhism in Korea, as well as an account of Chinul's remarkable life, including detailed examinations of all three major awakenings that shaped the future course of Chinul's teachings.
Buswell walks us through a meticulous examination of the Chinul's thought and teaching. From Chinul's exposition and integration of Huayen Buddhism, especially as presented by Tsung-mi, to his understanding of original enlightenment and gradual cultivation, and his view on koan practice, and more.
Perhaps the greatest treasure is Buswell's inclusion of translations from Chinul's major works including Secrets on Cultivating the Mind, Straight Talk on the True Mind, Excerpts from the Dharma Collection and Special Practice Record, and more...
All the extras of a scholarly work, including an extensive and detailed easy to use index. This text will is a great exploration of the classic wisdom of Zen.
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