Zen Ritual: Studies of Zen Buddhist Theory in Practice
| Date: 15 April 2011, 13:16
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Finally the study of Zen here in the States is coming of age, and this excellent book is a key contribution in that regard. Consisting of an assortment of interesting and scholarly articles by various writers, it is something of a successor to Heine and Wright's prior collections "The Zen Canon" and "Zen Classics" though it shifts the focus from Zen texts to Zen ritual praxis. Years ago I would've considered the very idea an oxymoron, since Zen has for decades been presented as spontaneous and anti-ritualistic--the reason I and others had this skewed impression are fully addressed herein, but the writers spend less time polemically slamming predecessors in the field and instead concentrate their efforts positively in exploring just what Zen rituals are and how they function in the Zen tradition, subtly overturning earlier misrepresentations in the process. This is one of the few studies of the subject that properly addresses what I actually saw Zen temples doing in Japan when I lived there back in the 1990's, too, and was something of a breath of fresh air in that regard--not abstract idealizations but concrete actualities. In fact, with the exception of the second article which looks at Chan historically in China, the overriding emphasis of this book is on Zen in Japan, with a fairly even balance between Soto and Rinzai Zen traditions along with extensive considerations of the role of Obaku Zen in their development. Each article is quite detailed but with larger implications, and the tone throughout is pleasantly academic and accessibly readable. I highly recommend this fine volume to anyone even remotely interested in Zen Buddhism: if you're an old hand at the topic you will surely find these articles every bit as fascinating and informative as I did, and if you're a beginner they'll correct for much of the misinformation out there in print (D.T. Suzuki especially) and nip such problems in the bud. One hand clapping, two thumbs up!
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