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The Way of Zen Kindle Edition
by Alan Watts (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
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'The perfect guide for a course correction in life' Deepak Chopra
If we open our eyes and see clearly it becomes obvious that there is no other time than this instant
An insightful exploration into the origins and history of Zen Buddhism from pioneering Zen scholar Alan Watts. With a rare combination of freshness and lucidity, Watts explores the principles of Zen and how it can revolutionize our daily life.
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Ebury Digital
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15 July 2021
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To be free from convention is not to spurn it but not to be deceived by it. It is to be able to use it as an instrument instead of being used by it.
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Reasonable–that is, human–men will always be capable of compromise, but men who have dehumanized themselves by becoming the blind worshipers of an idea or an ideal are fanatics whose devotion to abstractions makes them the enemies of life.
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“The perfect man employs his mind as a mirror. It grasps nothing; it refuses nothing. It receives, but does not keep.”
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“The perfect man employs his mind as a mirror. It grasps nothing; it refuses nothing. It receives, but does not keep.”
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About the Author
Alan Watts was a British philosopher, writer and speaker who was best known for his expertise in Eastern philosophies including Zen Buddhism and Taoism. He wrote over 25 books and numerous articles on subjects such as personal identity, the true nature of reality, higher consciousness, the meaning of life, concepts and images of God and the non-material pursuit of happiness. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
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ASIN : B08Q7QFSJR
Publisher : Ebury Digital (15 July 2021)
Language : English
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Print length : 243 pagesBest Sellers Rank: 37,184 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)9 in Zen Philosophy (Kindle Store)
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4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,876 ratings
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Alan Watts
Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was a British-born American philosopher, writer, and speaker, best known as an interpreter and populariser of Eastern philosophy for a Western audience. Born in Chislehurst, England, he moved to the United States in 1938 and began Zen training in New York. Pursuing a career, he attended Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, where he received a master's degree in theology. Watts became an Episcopal priest in 1945, then left the ministry in 1950 and moved to California, where he joined the faculty of the American Academy of Asian Studies.
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From Australia
Niam Sun
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on 24 September 2015
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philly
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on 20 December 2015
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This book was good for nothing ....I loved it !
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S Dennis
5.0 out of 5 stars Luminous clarity
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 17 June 2023
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Rereading this book after a span of more than half a lifetime I am struck, not only by the enormous clarity of the author's intellect but by his humanity as well. It breathes a spirit of tolerance, catholicity of viewpoint and demystifying groundedness or commonsense. If I had stuck closer to Watts' understanding I would not now have to revise my one-sided judgement of Buddhism as a life-negating, puritanical creed. Zen, in particular, seems imbued with a more positive flavour. The author points out that the Buddha did not 'found a religion' since at that time the notion of 'religion,' did not exist. There were simply diverse 'traditions'.
As it happens I think this is Watts' best book and deserves a place on the shelf (or Kindle) of anyone interested in eastern spirituality or 'religion'. I cannot recommend it more highly.
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Dennis Littrell
HALL OF FAME
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth a couple dozen other books on Zen Buddhism
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 19 December 2001
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This can be seen as a significant book in the transmission of the dharma to the Western world, even though, or perhaps especially because, it is written by a Westerner. Consistently admired since its first publication in 1957, and reprinted many times, The Way of Zen is that rarest of books, a popular and academic success. You will not read far before seeing why. Watts's style is reasoned and reasonable, clear and authoritative, but without a hint of affectation. Watts knows what he is talking about and to whom he is speaking. Because of his perspective between two worlds, he is, more than almost any other writer on Zen, able to match the ideas of the East to the mind of the West, and in doing so make the broader outlines of Zen as clear as the polished, dustless mirror.
The book is divided into two parts, "Background and History" and Principles and Practice," each with four chapters. There is a bibliography also divided into two parts, the first referring to original sources and second to general works on Zen in European languages. There are 16 pages of Chinese Notes in calligraphy keyed to the text, and an Index.
"The Way" in the title refers to the "watercourse way" from Taoism, a philosophy to which Zen owes much, as Watts makes clear in the first two chapters, "The Philosophy of the Tao" and "The Origins of Buddhism." The first chapter is one of the best on Taoism that I have ever read, replete with insight and wisdom. Throughout, Watts expresses himself in an infectious style, even in the very scholarly chapters on the history of Buddhism where he traces Zen from its origin in India, through the Buddha under the Po tree, to Ch'an in China, and finally into Japan. Parallels between the unforced, natural way of Taoism and the spontaneity of Zen Buddhism are explored in a most convincing and engaging manner. Along the way we learn a little about Hinduism and Confucianism.
The chapters on the principles and practices of Zen, comprising a goodly portion of the book are nothing short of marvelous, full of wit and sly observations, revealing Watts's thorough knowledge of Zen and his deep appreciation. Here are some examples of Watts at work:
Referring obliquely to the rise of communism (a word he never uses in the book) he writes, "When the throne of the Absolute is left vacant, the relative usurps it..." (p. 11) Perhaps Watts is also indicating why he believes that humanism is not a complete answer.
On the cosmology of the Tao: "...the natural universe works mainly according to the principles of growth...If the universe were made, there would of course be someone who knows <how> it is made..." He adds, "...the Tao does not <know> how it produces the universe..." (pp. 16-17)
"Since opposed principles, or ideologies, are irreconcilable, wars fought over principle will be wars of mutual annihilation. But wars fought for simple greed will be far less destructive, because the aggressor will be careful not to destroy what he is fighting to capture." (pp. 29-30)
"Hindu philosophy has not made the mistake of imagining that one can make an informative, factual, and positive statement about the ultimate reality." (p, 34)
"Buddhism has frequently compared the course of time to the apparent motion of a wave, wherein the actual water only moves up and down, creating the illusion of a of water moving over the surface. It is a similar illusion that there is a constant <self> moving through successive experiences, constituting a link between them in such a way that the youth becomes the man who becomes the graybeard who becomes the corpse." (p. 123)
In his exploration of koans used by the Rinzai School of Zen, it becomes clear that one of the purposes of the koan is to put doubt into the mind of the young aspirant that he knows anything at all. From that redoubtable position, real learning can begin. I was reminded of a saying attributed to baseball's Earl Weaver, the very successful manager of the Baltimore Orioles in their glory years: "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
Here is a story from the Ch'uan Teng Lu, told by Watts about "a fascinating encounter between Tao-hsin and the sage Fa-yung, who lived in a lonely temple on Mount Niu-t'ou, and was so holy that the birds used to bring him offerings of flowers. As the two men were talking, a wild animal roared close by, and Tao-hsin jumped. Fa-yung commented, --referring, of course, to the instinctive (klesa) of fright. Shortly afterwards, while he was for a moment unobserved, Tao-hsin wrote the Chinese character for on the rock where Fa-yung was accustomed to sit. When Fa-yung returned to sit down again, he saw the sacred name and hesitated to sit. said Tao-hsin, At this remark Fa-yung was fully awakened...and the birds never brought any more flowers." (pp. 89-90).
While this is an excellent introduction to Zen--and more--for the educated person, it is especially a delight for those of you who have already read a few books on Zen. There is no other book that I know of that goes as deeply into Zen as agreeably as does The Way of Zen.
--Dennis Littrell, author of "Yoga: Sacred and Profane (Beyond Hatha Yoga)"
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Bryan Desmond
5.0 out of 5 stars '...Zen is a liberation from time.'
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 3 April 2020
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I have finally read one of Alan's books! I'm a big fan of Watts, and have listened to lots of his lectures and audiobooks but have never sat down to read his words rather than listen to them. Even switching formats I couldn't help but read it in Alan's voice. I think I picked a good one to start with too, seeing as how packed with information it is. I think half of it would have passed me by had I tried to listen to it instead. And the thing is that as dense as it is it's rich, and to me endlessly interesting material. This was the kind of book that I found myself highlighting or notating nearly every other page, and I know that revisiting those highlights will be something I do quite often. Not all of it was entirely new material for me, but it's presented and discussed in that inimitably 'Alan Watts' way that offers a clear perspective. And for a book published in 1957 it holds up remarkably well. Zen is--after all--a 'liberation from time'.
Anyone interested in the history and development of Zen practice (through it's roots in Taoism and Buddhism) as well as its principles and practice (in natural life and in the arts) should look no further than Alan's book. He presents ideas that are as frustrating as they are revelatory. The kind of ideas that you must not grasp to grasp. Ones that are grown of spontaneity rather than created by trying. It's fun to think about, fun to read, and offers plenty for an eventual reread as well. I loved it.
'Awakening almost necessarily involves a sense of relief because it brings to an end the habitual psychological cramp of trying to grasp the mind with the mind, which in turn generates the ego with all its conflicts and defenses. In time, the sense of relief wears off–but not the awakening, unless one has confused it with the sense of relief and has attempted to exploit it by indulging in ecstasy. Awakening is thus only incidentally pleasant or ecstatic, only at first an experience of intense emotional release. But in itself it is just the ending of an artificial and absurd use of the mind.'
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I order a lot
4.0 out of 5 stars It’s interesting but not every one could understand it.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 21 December 2022
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It’s a bit complicated to be this way
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Larry J. Babin
5.0 out of 5 stars The answers that most Translators of Buddhism Omit forgetting that giving meaning is the intent.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 21 February 2021
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I found that going directly to Part Two labeled Principles and Practice to be the most expedient means of illuminating Buddhism and Zen. This a powerful book and provides a direct pointing to the questions most have on the subject of the objective of Buddhist and Zen enlightenment. One must remember that the primary objective of both is the reduction of suffering in this life and freedom to enjoy life as it is. Alan points to the fact there is nothing metaphysical or mysterious about the practice and the goal. One must not forget that the points of enlightenment are not new. All since time began discuss the world of things as opposed to world of no things, The void, Form and Emptiness, Yin and Yang, Prusha and Maya, etc, etc. Each on the surface appears different but upon close examination are not just similar but exactly the same about Knowing, Not Knowing, Ignorance and Bliss. As Spinoza wrote is all comes in waves which at the zenith begins the collapse upon itself and dissolves back into the the sea of unknowing and unknown. Statistics point directly at the beginning of the collapse as day one with the large part of the population in ignorance populating the planet at an ever increasing rate.l
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Deniel Martinez
5.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to the concepts of Zen
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 16 December 2022
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This book was a little bit more complicated than i expected, considering that it is an introductory work to the concept of Zen Buddhism, but i became interested in the concepts of taoism and buddhism and it is a good starting point for those who want to dive deeper into eastern philosophy and spirituality.
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null
1.0 out of 5 stars great but BE CAREFUL!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 11 March 2013
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he takes you on a dazzling tour of the ideas behind zen buddhism from hinduism, original (theravada) buddhism, and general mahayana. then he introduces you to zen and how those concepts developed into zen proper. after that he gives you a great overview of zen and it's concepts and then a bit on practice and finally the arts of zen. it is well written, fun and informative. had me laughing out loud a few times, both his fun writing and the crazy antics of ancient zen masters conveyed through quotes of the old texts. he really seems to understand zen and it's functioning.
everything is perfect but he alludes to some things which are not accurate.
He, at points, implies that zen is about being spontaneous and that's about it. he really lays into it and gives numerous examples about monks and their teachers and how they, more or less, compete to see who can be the most spontaneous. this is where you have to be careful.
in my training in zen and readings of the ancient masters it is about reaching enlightenment. being spontaneous is part of it but it's both a practice to keep the mind in the right state and an effect of achieving such zen states of mind, it is not the goal. the masters, according to watts, praise their students for displaying spontaneity, when in reality they praise only the students whose spontaneity shows an understanding of zen enlightenment. in fact there are numerous stories where a student attempts to fake the spontaneity that shows understanding and the master sees right through it even though the students actions or words were certainly very spontaneous! spontaneity without understanding is no different than any other spontaneous person or idea, what makes it zen is enlightenment!
He also in so many words seems to imply that koan study is simply a release feeling. This implies it is basically pointless. In reality it is supposed to lead to a fantastic vision of non duality in a flash of wisdom called "kensho".
there are also a couple of points where he basically alludes to the idea that zen is taoism with a buddhist coat. this is absolutely true for certain sects and versions of zen, but there are also many that are very much buddhism with only a sprinkling of inevitable taoism (inevitable since it took root in a taoist environment). he is not wrong or anything here, i just wanted to make that clear for people who don't know this because he doesn't really specify which schools are mostly taoist and which are mostly buddhist. he just states spots where there is clear taoist influence and leaves it at that which, if read incorrectly, would imply that the entire thing is as such. zen shouldn't be written off as just a version of taoism, even if it sometimes, in some schools was just that, there are many types that are very much independent from taoism and maintain the spirit of even the older forms of buddhism.
but who knows? maybe i read him wrong? even so, assuming i am wrong, this stands as a warning that it should not be misread in this way as much as a warning that, if he did mean it that way, that one should know that it is incorrect!
So in the end this book is a solid, albeit extremely broad overview on zen but kills its own value by making uninformed assumptions about zen.
Watts was a religion enthusiast. He got into zen, then left zen study to ordain as a christian priest, then later in life studied and wrote much on taoism. He was also very into hinduism and vedanta.
It gives next to zero explanation on the actual practice of zen such as shikantaza or koan study and in the hands of someone uneducated on zen this book could be a serious hindrance.
I recommend "three pillars of zen" by phillip kapleau to actually understand zen in practice. And "the art of just sitting" and "sitting with koans" both compilations of writings by various authors ancient and modern edited by john daido loori to understand the two most common practices in zen.
And since this is a beloved classic, let the angry comments begin!
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JEANNE
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 15 January 2023
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This book is like a jewel with its pages full of precious insights that illuminates the mind with its valuable flow of new knowledge.
Couldn’t put the book down…
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brymor
4.0 out of 5 stars Zen and the Art of Buddhahood
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 3 February 2015
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I wanted to read this book to see how a counter-culture guru such as Watts would explain Zen to a Westerner, and was glad I did so. Not all the chapters are equally readable: the dissertation on Tao is excellent, and he makes a good shot at explaining Zen concepts such as "no mind" and "no thought".
He keeps repeating that Westerners find Zen thought baffling, but his explanations for why this is are not altogether convincing. This is possibly because he believes that in the West we think serially, using language (in our heads), rather than adopting the more holistic thought processes of the East. This view of Western thought is now rather dated - we all think holistically - so in fact Zen is closer to Western thought than he claims.
Also he struggles to clarify Zen morality. There is a sense in which the "no thought" approach evades morality entirely, which he tells us, but he does not go on to address the issue of how Zen adherents can commit violent and savage acts (the Samurai etc) with equanimity: No thought can equal No responsibility.
Nevertheless, Watts does succeed in presenting a complex subject to Western readers, in a book peppered with insightful observations.
Here are just three:
"the Mahayana is not so much a theoretical and speculative construction as an account of an inner experience."
"It [Zen] does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes."
"one does not practice Zen to become a Buddha; one practices it because one is a Buddha from the beginning–and this “original realization” is the starting point of the Zen life."
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Giovani
5.0 out of 5 stars A melhor introdução ao Zen
Reviewed in Brazil 🇧🇷 on 17 November 2022
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Depois de vários vídeos na internet sobre Alan Watts decidi comprar esse livro para entender mais sobre Zen e estou agora relendo pela terceira vez, é extremamente denso de conteúdo e cheio de pérolas para quem quer entender o "sabor de Zen", marquei o livro inteiro com frases que me fizeram refletir e apesar de ter lido outros dois livros do autor esse é o que mais me aprofundou
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G. Jacobson
5.0 out of 5 stars A book to be savored.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 18 December 2021
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Simultaneously dense and ethereal, this book is a challenging read, but well worth the effort. I can only imagine how difficult it was for Watts to write. But what an achievement! I won’t say I was captivated throughout. The section on the historical foundations of Zen, albeit necessary to give context to the evolution of ideas which gave rise to Zen, can become tedious. Yet there are so many places where I would read something and just be awestruck at some radically new perspective on life. It’s a bit like panning for gold. A few good nuggets will make light of the work. Pace yourself on this one to make sure you don’t miss any of those nuggets.
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Harshit Karnatak
5.0 out of 5 stars An elaborate and unique introduction to the Zen philosophy
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 22 June 2022
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I really liked the interpretation of Zen through the lens of Alan watts. Watts has been the pioneer in introducing Eastern philosto the West. His articulation skills and clarity in the ideas does all the magic in this book.
Alan watts drops some heavy knowledge bombs in the first half of the book!!! A must read
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D. J. B. James
3.0 out of 5 stars Heavy going
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 30 August 2021
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I found with this book as I find with a lot of Alan Watt's stuff, is that you wind up feeling liturgically constipated after an hour or so and have to put it down. Somehow he manages to get so drowned in detail and depth that it makes the work unenjoyable, being so stuffed with data that it's just not digestible. The book, for me, is good in parts, but I'd find it hard to recommend as the Way of Zen. Rather it's a hefty discourse on every nook and cranny that led to its development. These pages are littered by half a hundred luminaries you've never heard of before and are unlikely to hear of again, not unless you're doing a PhD in Chinese adventurists into the proto-esoteric world, even then they emerge sounding like a lot of bickering and petulant old point-scorers rather than still and smiling sages. I don't mean to slate Watts, I admire him a great deal, he had a formidable intellect but this, like so many of his works winds up with: 'you can't see the forest for the trees', to quote him directly.
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Swapnil
4.0 out of 5 stars Content is good.
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 15 June 2022
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Content is good. One star less because of the loose binding - pages are coming out of the book.
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Ankur Banerjee
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent explanation of Zen for the Western reader
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 13 January 2013
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"Zen is like YOLO for pretentious people" is what I found myself thinking - as a joke - when reading this book. I'm being flippant here, but I think that thought captures the joyous celebration of spontaneity that Zen indulges in while at the same the negative connotations that "YOLO" has in Western culture also succinctly captures how spontaneity or "action without thought" is looked down upon in Western culture.
In that sense, Alan Watt's book is excellent, because what many other books on Buddhism from Eastern Buddhist masters forget is that a person brought up in the West (or with Western cultural values) has fundamentally different basic beliefs regardless of their religious orientation that someone who lives in the East. Much of the subtleties that other Buddhist books try to teach can thus either be lost in dense terminology or a lack of proper cultural background.
Watts excels in giving a proper cultural background in Indian and Chinese / Japanese values wherever needed, especially giving attention to explaining the subtle differences in the meaning of terms that don't quite translate exactly into the English language. The book traces the journey of Buddhism from its Indian roots, to a deeper study of how Zen evolved as we know it in China and Japan, with fascinating chapters on how Zen has influenced literature and art too. Throughout the book, he employs the use of analogies to clarify dense concepts.
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Sapere Avde
4.0 out of 5 stars The author has a great depth of research
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 3 September 2015
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Pros: The author has a great depth of research. Reading this book I learned so much I didn't know before about Buddhism in general and Zen Buddhism in particular.
Cons: Most of the book concerns the duality of the illusory world (which comes to us through our bodily senses and mind) and the Oneness of awakening or satori (the indescribable realization that reality is a veneer, that all things are the Buddha and the Buddha is all things). This is admittedly a very difficult concept to fully grasp, even at an artificial level (since by definition one cannot "grasp" satori). However, once I grew comfortable with the idea, I found the book to be rather repetitive. Besides some interesting digressions on zazen and sumi artwork, the rest of the book seemed unnecessary, as all things tied in to the central idea. But perhaps this was Watts' point. Once my Unborn mind no longer spontaneously compelled me to read onward, I should have simply put down his book and picked up any other which struck my fancy.
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Mr. Bruce
5.0 out of 5 stars The Buddha is already within you.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 1 February 2014
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Zen believes truth cannot be put into words. So I'm at a loss. It is said "Those who know do not speak; Those who speak do not know." All I can say is read the book. Allan Watts is the only Westerner that I'm aware of who can make it a little clearer. The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama 563-483 BC, seems to say the more you strive to obtain nirvana the more elusive it becomes; and to "obtain nirvanna is also to obtain Buddhahood." So you see, from India, to China, Buddhaism has morphed into Zen over thousands of years. It's study, and that's the wrong word, it's living may take a lifetime to obtain satori, an awakening. It's almost like letting the Western, line by line, mind go. The logical, analytical, computer-like mind, I think, surrenders to the right side of the brain. It's a path, Tao, "acting in harmony with the essential nature of things." Monks train on paradoxes, koans, to give up the holding of ideas that never stop, like a monkey mind; they abandon the dependence on reasoning. If I could explain it better, I'd write a book. If Allan Watts is too easy for you, try Professor D . T. Suzuki.
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cali cohen
5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best books
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 7 August 2022
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alan watts introduce me to zen. O love all his books specially “The Way of Zen” ❤️
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Nathan Partridge
5.0 out of 5 stars Good intro to Daoist/Zen thought
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 4 February 2021
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Holds up surprisingly well considering the time it was written. A worthwhile and enjoyable book for people interested Zen. That said, let it be known that the book places large emphasis on the Dao as a cosmological foundation for Zen, and the treatment of actual Zen practice, Soto vs Rinzai schools of thought, etc, comes late. Traditions like the Vietnamese and Korean are absent. I would posit this as a good "absolute beginner" introduction before reading some other popular books for more information on practice and schools of thought.
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tal
5.0 out of 5 stars This book will tell you if you're interested in zen or not
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 27 March 2014
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It's a good book. Alan Watts is dead, but he has a youtube channel which is a very good supplement to this book. I bet Amazon has a policy against posting hyperlinks so I won't bother linking you to the youtube channel. It's called alanwattslectures; I leave the rest to you.
This book will not really teach you zen. It is full of discussion of zen, which will only serve to block zen off from you. I know this b/c I have meditated at a zen sangha every week since I read this book. Now that I feel I know a little of what I'm talking about, I can tell you that writing about zen is about as useful as "dancing about architecture", as they say. But what this book will do for you (maybe) is make you google zen centers near you and see if a zen master is within driving distance. If this book makes you curious -- and, as I said, that's all it can do -- then do yourself a favor and take the leap. Now taking that leap -- THAT is zen.
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Karow Foxx
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 16 September 2020
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This book is great for learning about Hinduism, Buddhism and Zen. It feels very different to other books that I have read and is written in quite a unique way. At times it can feel very academic and hard to follow, but other times you will read a bit and it will just make you think differently about certain things. Definitely worth a read.
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JGar
4.0 out of 5 stars Difficult Subject
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 19 November 2018
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Eastern religion is very difficult for the Western mind to understand. Alan Watts explains the history of Chinese Taoism and Indian Buddhism to provide context for Zen Buddhism, but I do not feel that he did a good job explaining Buddhism's history, philosophy, or theology.
Trying to explain Zen in particular is arguably much more difficult than trying to explain Buddhism in general. However, Alan Watts managed to convey Zen in a way I could grasp. I would guess Zen can never be truly understood, but at least now I know what Zen is, how it differs from mainstream Buddhism, and how much it has influenced Japanese and Chinese culture.
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Linda S.
4.0 out of 5 stars which is how good research works
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 9 March 2017
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Interesting problem for me, reviewing this book. I bought it for my character in a novel I'm working on now. He'll be perverting it for his own ends, which I think Zen lends itself to, as it provides no solid basis for ethical decisions while lending itself to misuse by the human potential movement of the 60s. Having said all that, I found the book informative, including inadvertently exposing many of the glaring contradictions of Zen thought and practice. The sections on koans and haikus were especially inspiring, though, for my character, and I'm grateful to the book for that. I bought a volume of haiku on that basis, which is how good research works; one book leads to another.
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Joseph P. Reel
5.0 out of 5 stars Still The Best
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 31 December 2005
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Receiving my first copy of The Way of Zen in 1959 set me on the path of exploring both the literature and the practices of Eastern traditions for the next 47 years. My original copy became so well-worn that I recently had to relegate it to archive status and purchase a new working copy. All these years later, this title still remains for me the classic work for Western understanding of Buddhism.
I am amazed at the proliferation of books on the subject to be currently found on Amazon.com. Separating the wheat from the chaff can be a daunting challenge. Many interpretations of the Dharma, especially by Western authors, often seem to be tainted by naive New Age idealism on the one hand, or dry pedantry on the other. Although Watts was academically disciplined, reading the text with appropriate reflection can be simultaneously an intellectual and experiential endeavor (although not in the "how-to" sense). Watts wisely points out, with ample historical support from past Zen masters, that while so-called techniques for enlightenment may serve as transitional supports along the path, they ultimately lead to dead ends.
The Way of Zen, despite some rather petty criticisms by pedants and literalists over the years, has survived as one of the most lucid expositions of Zen specifically and Buddhism in general. Highly recommended...still.
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Anna Bharati
5.0 out of 5 stars A must
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on 30 May 2021
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For anyone interested in Zen Buddhism, it’s the perfect book. Alan Watts gives the history of it first and then it explains the main points in the second part of the book. He explains with such clarity and simplicity that even someone that reads about Zen for the first time, will be able to grasp it.
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Fred Ramsey
5.0 out of 5 stars Not an Easy Read, but Gets to the Heart of the Matter
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 10 September 2020
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The first part of this book is a rather detailed history of Zen. It's not an easy read, but it guides you along the path towards understanding. Alan Watts is very good at explaining the unexplainable. By the end, you have a very good idea of what the heart of Zen really is. Putting it in practice is the harder part, but it's the best explanation I have found. Highly recommended.
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Redfour5
5.0 out of 5 stars The primary tool is the mind and at the same time it is the greatest obstacle. Get that and you will have a ...
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 30 August 2014
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I have walked my own path since I first read this in the late 80s. It resonated with a questioning mind still forming. It simply presented a way of viewing life while providing tools for seeing that which is for what it is without the illusions. It asked nothing of me and I mean nothing and pointed out that I had everything inside me to discover reality. I learned I live in an illusion and am typing within it at this moment. I don't need other human beings and their interpretations or tabernacles or agendas hidden even and often from themselves.
The primary tool is the mind and at the same time it is the greatest obstacle. Get that and you will have a window unto it all. There are no contradictions, simply mind sets incapable of encompassing the whole. Thanks Alan
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Brian Rose
4.0 out of 5 stars More a history book than a guide
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 29 November 2012
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This book does a great job of covering the history and development of Zen, and its various divisions. It tells the chronological story of the people and places that shaped Zen into what it is today.
It is very specific, using the original names of various people, places, concepts, and sects of Zen. There are hundreds of words you will encounter that you've never heard of, you will hope to retain due to intrigue, but will ultimately forget because you are not Rain Man (at least I'm no Kim Peak).
Interspersed into the rich history of Zen is a large amount of what Alan Watts is known for: profound, rich, yet simple, insight.
I found this book to be of use for both a history lesson and spiritual growth. Perhaps more a history lesson than a genuine spiritual guide.
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w de paz
5.0 out of 5 stars problem with kindle edition
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 11 September 2018
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This is a seminal work and a great intro to taoism, zen and everything in between and who better to explain it so clearly than Mr. Watts. But stay away from the kindle edition. Half way through the book it starts skipping pages (you can see the page number skipping, not just the obvious text jumps), sections of pages repeating, and text skipping (not page numbers skip but jumps in the text between pages where you don't know if it dropped a line or how many paragraphs). it seems that no one took the time to proof read it in an actual kindle device.
just buy the printed version and enjoy the feel and smell of paper and ink.
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Arupratan
5.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate Zen Handbook for the Beginners
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 13 March 2019
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I have an interest in Zen philosophy. I wanted to know about this age old way of living, rather thinking, which is so oriental but seems uniquely elusive and hard to understand. Previously I attempted to learn Zen from books written by monks or people who practice it first-hand. But those discourses were so cryptic and intricate that it was difficult to grasp the subject wholeheartedly. This is the first book that explains the subject in a lucid but accurate and fundamental fashion which left an impression that I was searching for. The author tries a historical as well as theoritical and practical approach to discuss Zen. This is a Zen 101 and if you're a beginner, this is the first book you should try before delving deeper into elsewhere.
7 people found this helpful
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Diana de Meijer
5.0 out of 5 stars great stuff
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 28 June 2022
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great content. will i abide by it? mm, maybe not. still, great content
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Johnny Utah
3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't like it too much... for now, at least
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 3 July 2007
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I give this book 3 stars b/c it was well written, and probably a good tome depending on what you are looking for. However, for me, I guess it was just the wrong book at the wrong time. I found it to be way too dry.... dare I say a bit boring, and I thought it sucked some of the fun and the life out of the subject matter. When you spend countless pages trying to logically explain how the universe can be looked at as a unified whole, it's just taking things a bit too far. Now, I guess that since this book is geared toward the logical Western mind, it makes sense to focus on logical arguments, I just felt that this book was overwrought intellectually, without enough consideration paid to the intuitive side of things. I would have rather had a bit more left to the imagination, especially given the subject matter.
At the same time, I recognize that this is meant as an academic work, so I guess it doesn't make sense to expect the tone to be more juicy. And, to be fair, I stopped reading about halfway through, so take my review with a grain of salt. Perhaps one day Ill come back to this book when the time is right for me, but for now I didn't feel like finishing it just for the sake of finishing it.
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Rahul Magotra
5.0 out of 5 stars After reading it You will not be the same
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 2 March 2017
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Extremely important for those caught in intricacies of duality. I have been watching Alan for the last two years....YouTube. But after reading The way of Zen, I can't resist to write a review. Alan's scholarly passion towards understanding the Zen and presenting it in a most authentic manner is really applaudable. We should thank him for serving Zen in a very lucid manner. And let me assure you ...you will not be the same even after reading it for once. The book will compel you to visit it again and again. I was awestruck just after finishing the first few chapters. He has been very efficient in bringing the wisdom of ages in just few pages.Incredibly awesome work. Just go for it.
Special mention for Amazon. The product was well packaged and reached in time. Even the publishers have done a nice job. Thanks amazon.
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j_
4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 21 September 2010
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Not only is this a great introduction into Zen (and larger philosophical problems), but also a competent critique of contemporary Zen Buddhism in Japan (of course by contemporary, I mean circa 1957). This work presents Zen as a specific historical hybrid of two similar cultural trajectories (Buddhism and Taoism). It is scholarly (including Chinese notes of the specific technical words/ideas and important passages and quotes) which allows Watts to be both an advocate for and a critic of this system of thought - at once shows the usefulness and also the contradictions inherent in Zen as a system or practice. It is never about finding a "new" system but about learning how to see one's own system as a construct that smooths over the randomness with the semblance of coherent consistency.
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A
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 20 October 2021
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This book is great at hitting on the gems with no fluff. I highly recommend checking it out, you won't regret it.
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BL
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is BRILLIANT. It is a great overview of Zen Buddhism ...
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 16 January 2018
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This book is BRILLIANT. It is a great overview of Zen Buddhism in the large context of Indian and Mahayana Buddhism and his insights and great writing will keep you spellbound until the end of the book. I wish I had read this years ago. This is one of a handful of great books on Buddhism (The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Hahn is another), and Mr. Watts has great skill in characterizing complex ideas in a simply way that will act like a koan on the reader. A powerful book that merits several reads. Highly recommended.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars It is wonderfully readable without ever glossing over the complexity and profundity ...
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 9 April 2017
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Of those available in English, this is still the outstanding combination of introduction, history and guide to Buddhism. What makes it so memorable - and yes, inspiring - are the elegance and clarity of the writing, the depth of scholarship and breadth of coverage. It is wonderfully readable without ever glossing over the complexity and profundity of the ideas presented or the historical, cultural and linguistic challenges of interpretation and translation. This is a remarkable achievement. One gets the feeling that Alan Watts understood his readership as well as he understood what he was writing about. He was in effect writing for and about both. Highly recommended
59 people found this helpful
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John Canjar
5.0 out of 5 stars Profound simplicity
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 7 March 2020
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Though the problems of the mind will never be solved at the level of the mind, this book’s description of the Zen perspective and ethos (or lack thereof) points beautifully to the direct experience of reality with which Zen ultimately concerns itself. Alan Watts' survey of the cultural, historical, and philosophical backgrounds underpinning the Zen school is unparalleled as well.
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From other countries
Robert Hull
4.0 out of 5 stars Alan Watts-The Way of Zen
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 13 May 2014
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I first met the voice of Alan Watts on the radio growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the Sixties. KPFA radio in Berkeley aired his program on all things enlightening every week then and I became a Watts devotee.
Is Zen a religion...maybe, maybe not? Is Buddha a god....no? Have I ever attained true enlightenment...no, and probably never will. But whatever you may think you want from Eastern thought and what you may not yet understand about it, Alan Watts will enlighten and entertain you in words you can comprehend.
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gingblack@aol.com
4.0 out of 5 stars Very enlightening
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 15 October 2017
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I enjoyed the books of Alan Watts. He informs and instructs on difficult ideas. Zen is not easy to Western minds. It is something that Watts says cant be described and then he spends a book trying to describe it. The first half of the book was not really engaging but the second half was very good.
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Nic
5.0 out of 5 stars Difficult concepts accessible
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 29 August 2017
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In spite of its age this book has been hailed as one of the best at explaining Zen to western minds that find some of the tenets of eastern philosophy hard to grasp. It is true that they are still hard to take in, but this book provides the clearest guide I have come across. The writing style is accessible and the explanations clear (though that doesn't mean they are universally easy to get a grip on).
This is the book for anyone interested in achieving a greater level of understanding of Buddhism and Zen in particular.
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Jacob Benary
5.0 out of 5 stars If zen could be explained
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 22 September 2018
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The task of exlaning something unfathomable as Zen is impossible and Alan Watts does that exactly. I found the book facsinating, the story of what is Zen and the history of all different schools is told with an inspiring voice. I recommend this book to those who are in a hurry, to those who want to accomplish goals and look at the future as the purpose of life.
20 people found this helpful
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mark nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars in depth study of otherwise elusive topic
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 6 May 2019
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Alan Watts gives westerners a comprehensive explanation of a topic that lends itself to being very unclear. I read DT Suzuki, Robert Blythe and could not figure out what the were talking about. One hand clapping?! This book is very clear but retains the respect and perspective that a study of NOW requires. zen is a method of enlightenment.
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Rainer Andraschky
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book Written by a Great Man
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on 15 March 2017
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For who ever wants to familiarize himself with Zen, this is the right book. Alan Watts had obviously found a deep understanding, the proper insight, and at the same time, as a Western philosopher, has chosen an extraordinary way to transmit his knowledge. As he distinguishes well between the essence of wisdom teachings and cultural tradition, this book is totally free of the common mistake of putting the ritual in the foreground, while paying too little attention to the actual subject.
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Derek
5.0 out of 5 stars I've owned more copies of this than of any other book
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 1 April 2012
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I've just written a review of my favorite science book (The Anthropic Cosmological Principle) and mentioned that I'd owned several copies - all but one of which I've lent and never got back.
This is the book that I've lent the most copies of (and equally never had any of them back).
I in turn borrowed my first copy from another student while I was at university. It was and is the best text on Taoism and Buddhism that I've ever read - and have never felt the need to go back to any other text - although I go back to this often.
It's the door to another way of being.
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Eliza
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good!!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 19 November 2020
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I gifted this to my husband who is a big Alan Watts fan and he loves it. Says he can't put it down, lol.
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JCH
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic and great book
Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on 14 December 2020
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Beautiful book, super recommended. Arrived perfect with Amazon, right in time.
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Second to NUN
4.0 out of 5 stars 禅への道
Reviewed in Japan 🇯🇵 on 23 July 2021
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アランワッツはおそらく米国で
禅の第一人者なんだと思います
日本語で読んでも難しかったりしますが
禅に親しみのない米国人向けに説明してる分
分かりやすいのかもしれません
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