The story of the 80-year-old Catholic priest who sheds tears his first time meditating; the parable of potatoes that are best cleaned by being rubbed against each other; the koan about the sound of one hand--in 365 Zen, Jean Smith mines the now vast body of English language Zen literature, plucking out gems for appreciative handling. Laid out for daily contemplation, each passage is less than a page in length, and although short enough to be read in just a few moments, they have enough gleaming facets to keep you turning them over all day. Seasoned students and avid readers of Zen will find much of the material familiar--Thich Nhat Hanh, Shunryu Suzuki, Charlotte Joko Beck--but having it sorted and refined into daily doses makes for convenient practice. And whether you are a novice or an expert, you will be sure to find enough treasures to keep your mind unbusy every day of the year. --Brian Bruya
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Great content. Comment: I appreciate the variety of authors in this book. I use it as a daily reader to get my mind working in the morning, and am very satisfied in the content thus far. Last year I used "A Year with C. S. Lewis" for the same purpose, and thought it was a bit stifling at times. 365 Zen is somewhat more "universal" in my opinion.
I would prefer it to be formatted by month and date. Instead, it simply has 365 pages of readings. Customer Rating: Summary: Good book Comment: This collection is a good way to gain access to zen writing and writers. I have found it both inspirational and practical. The readings beg you to think and then to apply them to situations each of us encounter every day. I also highly recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold. Excellent! Customer Rating: Summary: Gentle Reminders on how we ought to live our lives Comment: Very thoughtful collection of quotes and stories. Kept on my desk, the book is opened when a reflective break is needed from the stress of daily life. These short reminders are effective guideposts on a subject that is evasive and impossible to learn through book learning. I highly recommend it. Customer Rating: Summary: Sloppy Collection as Usual Comment: As with other books edited or affiliated with Jean Smith, there seems to be confusion as to how many days there are in the year. This book says there's 365, while another of Smith's collections about Buddhism says there's 366. In fact, both books only have 356 entries. This type of glaringly obvious mistake is representative of the lack of depth and detailed consideration given to the content of this book. I would look elsewhere for "wisdom" if I were you. I wasted another fifteen bucks on this one. Customer Rating: Summary: An excellent introduction and anecdotal book Comment: This book sits in a very easy place to find in my apartment. Tt is the perfect book to pick up, read an entry and move on in your task. The lessons are all very easy to absorb and enjoyable to read. If you have even a passing interest in Zen, you'll find this an enjoyable book - as will any who visit you.
