I've noticed that, of all the world religions, Zen tends to get the most respect on this board, which makes me wonder. What books does /lit/ recommend on the subject? I've been told that Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind is the only book that you need to practice Zen, but that just...that seems like it can't be right.
>>8002726
Lookin' ta get spooked?
Dōgen Zenji and Keizan Jōkin are the authorities
why don't you read the fucking book you cretin
Suzuki has a very specific vision of Zen, he was very consciously trying to promote it to 20th century westerners.
Personally, i'm not interested in 'practice', but I am interested in Zen as literature.
I'd recommend "The Record of Linji" translated by Ruth Fuller Sasaki. It's a translation of some 9th century Chinese stuff. Go to the source m8, it's weirder and more provoking than a polished 20th century self help book.
There's a free pdf if you google it.
>>8003300
This is interesting. Any other recommendations?
I've never noticed any respect.
>>8003334
12th century Chinese collection of Zen sayings:
Blue Cliff Record tr. Cleary and Cleary (pdf if you google)
Chinese Zen history:
The Northern School and the Formation of Early Ch'an Buddhism by John R. McRae (pdf if you google)
There are tonnes of book length Zen pdfs here:
http://terebess.hu/zen/textindex.html
But basically I would concentrate on all the footnotes in Sasaki's Record of Linji. Zen sayings are allusive as hell and written in 1000 year old colloquial Chinese. As a history/literature oriented guy I don't think it's not good enough to expect a direct mystical connection with a text without some historical guidance. Sasaki's is the only translation in English with this level of detailed footnotes.
Imagine a Chinese guy from 3016 trying to understand
"It was all a dream
I used to read word up magazine
salt-n-pepa and heavy d up in the limousine
hangin pictures on my wall
every saturday rap attack, mr. magic, marley marl
I let my tape rock til my tape popped
smoking weed on bambu, sipping on private stock
way back, when I had the red and black lumberjack
with the hat to match"
>>8003350
Most of the discussions about Zen that I've noticed on /lit/ have been incredibly productive, respectful and with lots of supportive dialogue and recommendations. There was a really long one a few months ago about koans that changed how I think about them.
>>8003413
>As a history/literature oriented guy I don't think it's not good enough to expect a direct mystical connection with a text without some historical guidance.
That's my fear, personally, when it comes to delving into the really old shit. Like, I come from a moderate Death of the Author position, and yet, I know that there's so much in these old readings that are nigh on unintelligible, even with the best possible translation, without context.
>>8003460
explain please?
>>8003985
Phew...I don't really remember. The question in the OP was about the purpose of koans, and whether they're meant to be answered, and it turned into a huge discussion about the topic. Everyone walked away from that thread having learned more, even the people who were already educated on the topic.
>>8002726
I'd kill a man for a good edition of the Shōbōgenzō.
>>8004029
Didn't Brad Warner do a translation of Shobogenzo?
The Gateless gate was fairly quick and seemed to wash over me like water, I can't remember much about it,...so it must have been neither good nor bad
>>8002726
The noble eightfold path By Bhikkhu Bodhi.
I can't recommend this book enough.
>>8004008
>Everyone walked away from that thread having learned more
>I don't really remember
fug :DDDDD
>>8004333
>I've retained and remembered everything that I've ever learned
>>8004350
>Having nice feels thread is learning.
>>8004354
I'm a Buddhist Christian. Ask me anything.
>>8004368
You must have the nicest feels in the world. God bless you.
>>8004369
No more questions.
>>8002726
....People are stupid. Always remember that.
I've noticed that, on most the 4chan boards, topics tend to get the reverse reaction when it tries to state a fact about its board, which makes me wonder, why does OP not realize this...it seems like this kind of logic can't be right.
>>8002726
> Zen tends to get the most respect on this board
And without justification, mostly by people without a strong understanding of what Zen was and is, and how it has dogma, rituals, and so forth just like any other religion.
Really it is the fact that there is this garbage western romanticism of Zen, and it is THAT which has the respect on this board.
>>8004456
Listen to yourself. Are you really the only one on here "special" enough to understand and respect zen?
