Zen and the Ways

In Japanese Zen, every activity in life, including the martial arts, flower arrangement and serving tea, are considered a field for practicing inner control, meditation and inspiration, and can be termed the ‘Way’ when practiced in this manner. In this book, Trevor Leggett collects together translations of texts relating to this phenomenon, and offers his own thoughts and observations on the subject. Part One presents Zen in the words of twentieth-century masters, and deals particularly with the koan or riddle system that developed in China. Part Two, 'Kamakura Zen', describes the warrior Zen of the first three hundred years in Japan. It contains the classic text, ‘On Meditation’ by the master Daikaku, who was one of the founders of Zen in Japan. Part Three covers ‘The Kamakura Koans’ and in Part Four 'The Ways' are presented by texts from traditional sources, including the so-called ‘secret scrolls’, which were preserved in the schools of the Ways. Part Five presents extracts from the less cryptic parts of scrolls themselves, while Part Six includes some of the stories of the Ways in practice. These sections are accompanied by historical appendices and an index of names and technical terms. Read more