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Thich Nhat Hanh brings his warmth and clarity to this unique explication of Zen Buddhism. Beginning with a discussion of daily life in a Zen monastery, Nhat Hanh illustrates the character of Zen as practiced in Vietnam, and gives the reader clear explanations of the central elements of Zen practice and philosophy.
Thorough attention is given to concepts such as Awareness and Impermanence, and to contemporary issues such as the conflicts between modern technology and spirituality. The final section includes a set of 43 koans from the 13th century Vietnamese master, Tran Thai Tong, which are translated here for the first time into English.
Originally published in 1974, Zen Keys has been unavailable for several years but is now reissued by popular demand. Readers will find it as fresh today as when it was first written, and will be struck by the timelessness of its insights. What makes this work particularly compelling is that Nhat Hanh is able to invigorate what in other presentations may seem like empty abstract principles. The example he has set in his own life as a relentless advocate for peace brings strength and a realistic understanding to idealistic Buddhist goals.
In Zen Keys, Thich Nhat Hanh presents the philosophy which has enabled him to be mindful of peace in every moment. An excellent introduction from Philip Kapleau (author of the classic Three Pillars Of Zen ) provides background on the emerging American Zen tradition.
From the Back Cover
Thich Nhat Hanh brings his warmth and clarity to this unique explication of Zen Buddhism. Beginning with a discussion of daily life in a Zen monastery, Nhat Hanh illustrates the character of Zen as practiced in Vietnam, and gives the reader clear explanations of the central elements of Zen practice and philosophy. Thorough attention is given to concepts such as Awareness and Impermanence, and to contemporary issues such as the conflicts between modern technology and spirituality. The final section includes a set of 43 koans from the 13th century Vietnamese master, Tran Thai Tong, which are translated here for the first time into English. Originally published in 1974, "Zen Keys has been unavailable for several years but is now reissued by popular demand. Readers will find it as fresh today as when it was first written, and will be struck by the timelessness of its insights. What makes this work particularly compelling is that Nhat Hanh is able to invigorate what in other presentations may seem like empty abstract principles. The example he has set in his own life as a relentless advocate for peace brings strength and a realistic understanding to idealistic Buddhist goals. In "Zen Keys, Thich Nhat Hanh presents the philosophy which has enabled him to be mindful of peace in every moment. An excellent introduction from Philip Kapleau (author of the classic "Three Pillars Of Zen ) provides background on the emerging American Zen tradition.
About the Author
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, and peacemaker who was nominated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize. The author of many books, including Living Buddha, Living Christ, he lives in France in the monastic community known as Plum Village and lectures and gives retreats regularly in North America.
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Finian Heavey
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent down to earth book on Zen.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 January 2016
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This book is about Zen practice. It covers a wide range, from novice practice through tea, Buddhist philosophy, to Ko-ans. This book is unusual. Thich Nhat Hanh, is both a practitioner and a Zen Master. So every word he writes is crafted from experience. It makes the book both special and valuable. The book helps us see the Zen Buddhist experience as a woven tapestry.
Another interesting point is that Vietnamese Zen exists separately from the more common Japanese Zen. They both owe a common origin to Chinese Ch'an. This means that Thich Nhat Hanh avoids the sectarian divisions between Soto and Rinzai schools, happily referring to both in the course of the book. To me this is refreshing. Also the ideas of the Madhyamika School of Nagarjuna. 'The eight negations of Nagarjuna,' are simply explained within the context of the Zen. Here wider Buddhist philosophy often associated with Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, is shown to have a place within Zen too. Finally the selection of koans comes from a Vietnamese source, which is unusual for those more used to the traditional collections. A useful little gem of a book.
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manjushri
5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANTReviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 August 2011
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THIS BOOK IS SO FULL I WILL BE READING IT FOR A LONG TIME.I UNDERSTOOD SOMETHING I HAD STRUGGLED WITH FOR YEARS FROM READING THIS WONDERFUL BOOK. I THINK IT IS FOR THOSE WITH SOME SMALL EXPERIENCE OF DHARMA NOT ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS.HE EXPLAINED HOW WE HAVE TO ABANDON LOGIC AT SOME POINT AND PRESENTS A SIMPLE AND UNDERSTANDABLE VERSION OF HOW CAN A SEED BE IN A SPROUT ETC.WHICH IS I BELIEVE NAGARJUNAS AND SHANTIDEVAS WAY OF WAKING US UP.BUT IT WAS SO EASY TO READ THE PRESENTATION FROM THIS WONDERFUL ZEN MASTER WHO MAKES US SEE THAT WE DONT HAVE TO STRUGGLE WITH COMPLICATED EXPLANATIONS AND WE CAN LET GO OF OUR IDEAS.
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RAB
5.0 out of 5 stars Zen KeysReviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 June 2013
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Postage and packaging as expected.Found it difficult to understand , more a phlosophical book than a zen handbook as I thought at first when I purchased it.
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A E TAYLOR
5.0 out of 5 stars ZENReviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 March 2013
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Massive fan of the writer,a peacemaker,buy this even if your not a Zen Buddhist.Recommended reading any of his work! AET
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dbarratt
5.0 out of 5 stars excellentReviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2019
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excellent
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Zen Keys: A Guide to Zen Practice
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Thich Nhat Hanh
4.02 · Rating details · 929 ratings · 44 reviews
Thich Nhat Hanh brings his warmth and clarity to this unique explication of Zen Buddhism. Beginning with a discussion of daily life in a Zen monastery, Nhat Hanh illustrates the character of Zen as practiced in Vietnam, and gives the reader clear explanations of the central elements of Zen practice and philosophy. Thorough attention is given to concepts such as Awareness and Impermanence, and to contemporary issues such as the conflicts between modern technology and spirituality. The final section includes a set of 43 koans from the 13th century Vietnamese master, Tran Thai Tong, which are translated here for the first time into English. Originally published in 1974, Zen Keys has been unavailable for several years but is now reissued by popular demand. Readers will find it as fresh today as when it was first written, and will be struck by the timelessness of its insights. What makes this work particularly compelling is that Nhat Hanh is able to invigorate what in other presentations may seem like empty abstract principles. The example he has set in his own life as a relentless advocate for peace brings strength and a realistic understanding to idealistic Buddhist goals. In Zen Keys, Thich Nhat Hanh presents the philosophy which has enabled him to be mindful of peace in every moment. An excellent introduction from Philip Kapleau (author of the classic Three Pillars Of Zen ) provides background on the emerging American Zen tradition. (less)
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Paperback, 210 pages
Published December 1st 1994 by Harmony (first published 1974)
Original Title
Zen Keys: A Guide to Zen Practice
ISBN
0385475616 (ISBN13: 9780385475617)
Edition Language
English
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Apr 02, 2018Gabrielle rated it really liked it
Shelves: philosophy, own-a-copy, reviewed, non-fiction, zen, read-in-2018, buddhism
With the obvious exception of His Holiness the Dalai-Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay for short) is probably the world's most famous Buddhist; not to mention one of the most industrious when it comes to writing books! Even my local bookstore's (rather lackluster) section on Buddhism has two full shelves of his books. While I still think that his biography of the Buddha, "Old Path White Clouds" (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) is his masterwork, most of his shorter books are tailored for people who are interested in Buddhist ideas and philosophy, but not necessarily practice.
"Zen Keys" is a little bit different from the bulk of his published work: it is meant as a guidebook for Western Zen practitioners, and I wouldn't recommend it for newbies to be honest. The book assumes the reader to be familiar with basic philosophy, sutras and meditation techniques. But anyone interested in a deeper understanding of Zen practice should check this little book out!
I knew just from the introduction that this was a very special book: a lot of concepts that are part of Zen philosophy can be really abstract, and Thich Nhat Hanh definitely has a knack for explaining them clearly and elegantly. He studied both in Vietnam and America, and understands how to translate Eastern thinking into something that Western minds can digest easily.
Thich Nhat Hanh goes through a very clear explanation of non-self and interbeing and of the way language is used as a tool by Zen masters, especially when it comes of koans (or kung-ans). There is a section on how different traditions of Buddhism ended up becoming what we now know as Zen and how this "new" tradition spread from India, to China, Japan and eventually the rest of the world, as well as Thich Nhat Hanh's reflections on the current state of the world and of how Zen can make a difference. There is also a long section on emptiness, true nature and true reality, that while very interesting, is highly theoretical and mind-bending. The book concludes with a collection of koans.
As wonderful as the book is, it felt more like a theoretical overview of the practice of Zen, and not quite like the practical guide I was expecting. It is a very good resource to deepen one's understanding of the practice, but it's not quite a guidebook. (less)
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Dec 25, 2017Daniel Gargallo rated it it was amazing
Shelves: buddhism
I read this shortly after Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind and found this to be a skillful second step. Zen Keys is a Swiss Army knife that will explain what kind of literature is out there and how you could engage it, how Zen Buddhism institutionally spread, and an overview of philosophical concepts, namely the concept of concepts (if you see the Buddha, kill the Buddha).
After reading this book I felt more prepared for Zazen as well as engaging source texts on Zen. you don’t need anything other than Zazen for Zazen, but Zen Keys can be very handy! (less)
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Dec 23, 2009Sean rated it really liked it
Recommends it for: People who have read other books by Thich Nhat Hanh first.
If you have not yet, I might recommend reading some of Thich Nhat Hanh's other works before getting to this one. If you're looking for one to start with, The Miracle of Mindfulness is perfect: very practical no matter your own traditions and great to return to again and again. After several years of learning from some of his other books and enjoying my own practice of mindfulness, I was ready to read this one which deals more about the history of Zen practice. It is unlike other books I have read from Thich Nhat Hanh. If I had started with this one, it would have been lost on me. This read was well timed for me, picking it up at Deer Park Monastery when visiting for a Day of Mindfulness with Thich Nhat Hanh during his US teaching tour this year---a wonderful experience. I have finished the main part of this book and am now spending some time with the 43 koans at the end. Because I was ready for this book, I really like it. (less)
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Oct 10, 2019Wayne Sutton rated it liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: self-help, nonfiction, buddhism, zen
I don't really understand what this book is. It felt more like a brief, barely scratching the surface, explanation of Zen. I will try this book again in a while to see if I can get anything deeper out of it. Not a bad book by any means, but it didn't really answer any questions I have about the practice of Zen Buddhism. (less)
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Mar 28, 2016Igor Girsanov rated it really liked it
Shelves: spirituality
The compassionate and easygoing style of Thay is retained in this book, which gives a good introduction to Zen in general and Vietnamese Zen in particular. However, this book is definitely not for the beginner. He gets pretty good into concepts about Buddhism/Zen that a beginner may not be comfortable with. Although, if one is willing to persist, then can gain many useful things out of this book.
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May 07, 2022Neilepiel rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: philosophy, non-fiction, read-in-2022
Now that I have read the menu, I can begin with the food
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Mar 14, 2011Mqcarpenter rated it really liked it
Shelves: religion
A great look at the foundations of Zen, its basic practices, and its purpose. Hanh offers a very easily read piece that even Westerners with no Buddhist understanding can follow. T
hich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen master, poet, and spokesman for the Vietnamese Buddhist peace movement. In 1967 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. He is the author of several books, including Peace is Every Step, The Miracle of Mindfulness, and Being Peace.
Thich Nhat Hanh brings his warmth and clarity to this unique explication of Zen Buddhism. Beginning with a discussion of daily life in a Zen monastery, Nhat Hanh illustrates the character of Zen as practiced in Vietnam, and gives the reader clear explanations of the central elements of Zen practice and philosophy. Thorough attention is given to concepts such as Awareness and Impermanence, and to contemporary issues such as the conflicts between modern technology and spirituality (less)
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Jul 27, 2015Zhen Wang rated it it was amazing
My first book on Zen Buddhism. It was an eye-opening experience. The book is so beautifully written, and Thich Nhat Hanh is a brilliant scholar who is able to explain extremely complex concepts and ideologies in simple terms using metaphors and real-life examples. His spirituality and compassion showed vividly in the book, and he described the beauty of Zen Buddhism so perfectly with his moving words. As a world traveled scholar, he took on the challenge of introducing Zen Buddhism, a profound and ancient Asian religion, to a new territory: the west, where people have completely different mindset and belief system, and he did a fantastic job. I recommend everyone who is interested in Zen Buddhism to read this book as well as other works by Thich Nhat Hanh. (less)
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Mar 18, 2008Kyle rated it really liked it
This is practical and wonderful introduction and overview into the practice and philosophy of Zen Buddhism. It provides tangible ways to introduce and practice Zen in one's life--a great starter book for the novice Eastern thinker. (less)
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Jan 24, 2009Rebecca rated it it was ok
It does its best to be clear about zen and does suceed in some respects on conveying the history of the practise, but to be honest, it wasn't really worth the read. Some of the practises are still confusing, and with life and time so short, reading time should be devoted to better or clearer books. (less)
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Apr 04, 2011Stef A. rated it really liked it
I enjoyed this book by Thich Nhat Hanh but not as much as his others. Some of the chapters I found a little difficult to digest, though I thoroughly enjoyed the koans in the last chapter. I borrowed this book from the library, but would consider purchasing it just to have access to the koans.
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Mar 16, 2009Carrie rated it it was amazing
verging on philosophy, piecharts of "reality" = deep (less)
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May 13, 2018Phoebe Phelange rated it really liked it
Shelves: spiritual
Parts of it was too philosophical for my taste but that last chapter earns a whole star by itself. Here's a taster:
"Contemporary man is dragged along in a producing and consuming treadmill to the point where he begins to become a part of the machine and loses mastery of himself. Daily life dissipates our spirit, eats up our time, and thus does not leave the opportunity to become aware of ourselves or return to our deeper self. Accustomed as we are to being constantly "occupied", if these occupations should be taken from us, we find ourselves empty and abandoned. Still, we refuse to confront ourself and instead go off in search of friends, to mix in with the crowd, to listen to the radio or to the television, to get rid of this impression of emptiness." (less)
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Dec 02, 2021Eileen rated it liked it
Shelves: buddhist
1973. This book really helped me understand what Zen is all about. I always knew it wasn't for me, but now I know why. For example, I had always thought koans were just non-sense and trying to work with them in any way was also non-sense. But Thich Nhat Hanh says, "The language of Zen always aims at destroying the habit-energies of those who only know how to think conceptually. It tends to provoke crises, whose function is to bring... awakening." Well, OK. I do know some people who are stuck in their own reasoning brain and can't see anything outside that. Maybe people like that can benefit from Zen. (less)
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Aug 25, 2019rumbledethumps rated it really liked it
Shelves: spirituality, religion, zz_2019, gone, zen
A great introduction to Zen, with some of the best explanations of what it is as I have ever found in a book. The middle might get weighed down a bit with the explanations of the various schools of Zen and the history of them in India and China. But overall, a really lucid explanation of what Zen is.
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Feb 06, 2018David Sweet rated it it was ok
Not the first book to dive into on Zen. Go to Suzuki for that. This has nuts and bolts and more esoteric aspects of the Zen monastic life. The koans were okay. As others have written, not Thich Nhat Hanh’s most accessible book.
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Mar 06, 2020Gopal Krishan rated it really liked it
Thich Nhat Vietnamese most known popular Zen Master.Book gives practical introduction to practice s n philosophy of Zen Buddhism.It needs lot of understanding.He has blend eastern concepts with western,giving clear insight of Zen Buddhism.
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Jan 21, 2022James McBean rated it liked it
Interesting concepts but difficult to follow unless you have a some knowledge in the space already. Many references are made to different peoples and concepts that use Buddhism specific words that have no meaning to the laymen.
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Oct 25, 2017Ross Cohen rated it liked it
Less of a guide, more of an academic study.
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Nov 14, 2017Rol Ordaz rated it liked it
the book has a lot of material and real Zen history. for me it wasn't easy to follow it ...more
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Jan 24, 2018Cynthia rated it really liked it
Not super riveting, but very informative about Zen Buddhism. I think that it's a great book in understanding the practices and goals of Zen and in wrangling some of the more abstract concepts. (less)
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Nov 18, 2020Maughn Gregory rated it really liked it
Shelves: african-american
The only book by Thay I've read that is more theory than practice. (less)
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Jun 07, 2021Elizabeth rated it it was amazing
Shelves: university-of-san-francisco
The chapter "The Regeneration of Humanity" and the translated kung-ans at the end resonated with me a lot. A lucidly written, beginner-friendly book on Zen Buddhism. (less)
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May 26, 2022Daniel rated it it was amazing
Not as approachable as Miracle of Mindfulness, but wonderful for someone looking for additional detail and context.
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Aug 18, 2021Nick rated it really liked it
A truly great primer on the valuable teachings of Zen, with both simple and complex teachings. Also includes an account of monastery life, Zen Buddhist history, and features a collection of Zen koans at the end.
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Jul 05, 2013Eric Piotrowski rated it really liked it
Shelves: nonfiction, philosophy, zen
Thich Nhat Hanh is an engaging writer with a clear desire to make zen accessible to a lay audience. He does a good job here of blending eastern concepts with western sensibilities, giving us a clear insight into the foundations of zen.
My only complaint is the second half of Section V, "Footprints of Emptiness", which goes deep into murky territory of esoteric delineations such that I felt not only lost, but bored. An excerpt: "In reality vikalpa, paratantra, and nispanna are only states of knowledge. When knowledge is vikalpa, the object of knowledge is also vikalpa. When knowledge is clarified by the paratantra, the object of knowledge is revealed in its paratantra knowledge." And so on. It's possible that I was unable to delve into these delineations as I should have, in which cause the fault is not the author's. But I feel like a text such as this ought to be less confounding to the lay reader.
Still, a good overview of the subject and a worthwhile addition to any bookshelf about Buddhism. (less)
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Aug 03, 2007Ian rated it really liked it
Recommends it for: people interested in zen
for the most part i enjoyed this book, and it helped a lot to explain some concepts i have read about in other books but was never really clear on. for example, the meaning of all those koans, or at least why i don't get them, and the whole no mind non-being thing. there were a few chapters on the history of the various schools of buddhism and the beginnings of zen that i found somewhat hard to follow, but overall it was definitely worth the time to read.
it was also brutally honest about the fact that western culture and language differ enough from the asian homeland of zen that simply transplanting zen to europe and america as it is would not work. there's no negativity or pessimism here, just practical realism. asian zen masters and western students will have to learn about each other and meet each other halfway. (less)
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Jul 02, 2012Mark R. rated it liked it · review of another edition
Going into this book, I had little knowledge of Zen beliefs. I've read a bit here and there on eastern religions, Krishna and basic Buddhist teachings, but am by no means an expert.
"Zen Keys" is a good, brief read that provides answers for those curious to know what Zen is all about.
The book ends with a series of forty short meditations. Reading through these was somewhat tedious, but overall, the book does what it sets out to do, in a very read-able manner. (less)
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Jul 29, 2011guanaeps added it
Really clear and straight forward writing to help you understand these seemingly complex yet deceptively simple mindsets and mentalities of Zen Buddhists. goes fairly deep into the history, complete with long-hard-to-pronounce names. Very inyteresting read though, really got my brain thinking at moments.
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May 12, 2007Michael Mangos rated it it was ok
I liked this book, but it was substantially harder to get through than some of his other work. It just wasn't as enjoyable to read as other books on Buddhism I've read. Overall, though, I really like Thich Nhat Hanh's approach to Buddhism and his zen teachings. (less)
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