Zen Buddhism: A History (Japan) (Volume 2) (Treasures of the World's Religions) Paperback – August 16, 2005
by Heinrich Dumoulin (Author)
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Zen Buddhism: A History; Vol. 2: Japan (Nanzan Studies in Religion and Culture)
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520 pages
August 16, 2005
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Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
In 1988 and 1990, when his Zen Buddhism: A History, vols. 1 and 2 were published in English translation, Father Heinrich Dumoulin, S. J. was described on the back cover as "one of the world’s foremost Zen scholars." The fact that he was a Catholic priest reµected well on both him and his subject matter: here was a man who did not let his own Catholic faith prevent him from seeing the authentic spirituality of another religious tradition; here was a religious tradition whose authentic spirituality was evident even to people who were not its followers. Most of his publications were in the German language, but his publications in English included, A History of Zen Buddhism (1963), Zen Enlightenment (1979), and, with Ruth Fuller Sasaki, The Development of Chinese Zen (1953) as well as the entries for "Dogen" and "Kamo Mabuchi" in the Encyclopedia Britannica (1969), "Zen" in Encyclopedia of Japan (1983), and "Ch’an" and "Zen" in the The Encyclopedia of Religion (1987). His extensively revised two-volume, Zen Buddhism: A History, was his last, longest and most ambitious work. Yet even as it was being published, the scholarly tide was turning. His several books had helped promote a certain vision of Ch’an/Zen and in the years following the publication of his last book, this vision of Zen Buddhism came under critical attack from many sides. -Victor Hori
About the Author
Heinrich Dumoulin was one of the world’s foremost Zen scholars. He was the first director of the Nanzan Institute of Religion and Culture in Japan. He died in 1995 at the age of 90.
Victor Sogen Hori received his doctoral degree in philosophy from Stanford University in 1976 and was ordained a Zen monk in Kyoto. He is currently professor of Japanese religions in the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University.
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Product details
Publisher : World Wisdom; First Edition (August 16, 2005)
Language : English
Paperback : 520 pages
ISBN-10 : 0941532909
ISBN-13 : 978-0941532907
Item Weight : 0.035 ounces
Dimensions : 6.08 x 1.54 x 8.96 inchesBest Sellers Rank: #176,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)#18 in Buddhist History (Books)
#125 in Zen SpiritualityCustomer Reviews:
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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Zen Elder
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, As AlwaysReviewed in the United States on April 28, 2014
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I already had Dumoulin's book on India and China, so I knew what I was getting. There have been further findings since he wrote Zen Buddhism: A History (Japan), but the basics are there, and it's readable. Glad this got updated and printed again.
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Ted Biringer
4.0 out of 5 stars Still, an essential reference for all Zen students/practitionersReviewed in the United States on August 29, 2008
An essential reference for all Zen students/practitioners
This book along with its companion volume (Zen Buddhism: A History, Vol. 1 - India & China), also by Heinrich Dumoulin, is unique in offering the only extensive single-set history of Zen Buddhism available.
As such it is an essential reference for all Zen students, teachers, and practitioners. It also has plenty to offer students of Buddhism of all traditions, especially those of Mahayana.
While not as informative as its companion: Zen Buddhism, Volume 1: A History - India and China, it does offering an extensive overview of the rise and development of Zen in Japan.
After furnishing the reader with an overview of the spiritual landscape of the Japan during the time of its incorporation of Zen, Heinrich Dumoulin examines the lives and teachings of the major figures associated with the transmission of Zen from China.
Dumoulin then traces the developments of the two major sects of Zen Buddhism as they developed and competed for recognition and authority. While many of the details fail to acknowledge recent scholarship, Dumoulin's work still manages to provide readers with a general overview of these schools.
Providing both, historical and traditional accounts and information concerning the more influential Japanese Zen masters, Dumoulin offers readers some insights into the elements that distinguish the Ch'an of China from Zen Buddhist schools of Japan.
While this book, in offers an extensive overview, it does not offer in-depth examinations, unlike Volume One, some of the out-dated material is at significant odds with recent scholarship.
Nevertheless, with all the trimmings, front and back matter of quality scholarship (notes, detailed index, glossary, etc) this second of the two-volume history of Zen offers plenty of unique material that will be welcomed by Zen students for many generations to come.
6 people found this helpful
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The Doc
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic!Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2000
It's a real shame that this book is out of print. This is one of the great, classic studies of the history of the development of Zen. Volume 1 (this one) covers the antecedents of Zen in India to its development in China. Volume 2 covers Zen in Japan. I've only read volume 1, but I learned a lot about both the history of Zen and also its philosophy. Dumoulin is one of the great scholars of the history of Zen, and although he is not always philosophically acute, you will get some genuine insights into Zen doctrine by reading this. (Of course, according to Zen, the doctrine isn't really what's important!)
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Tara
4.0 out of 5 stars Book not for everyoneReviewed in Canada on October 19, 2020
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Well very difficult to read, very small letters and too much information for one book
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars and easily finished it during the summerReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2016
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I bought this just before the summer, and easily finished it during the summer.It encouraged me to know more, hence buying several other zen books.
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giovanna
