The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment - Softcover

Philip Kapleau Roshi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0385260938 ISBN 13: 9780385260930

Publisher: Vintage, 1989

Synopsis

Exploring the three pillars of Zen—teaching, practice, and enlightenment—the founder of one of the most influential Zen centers in the U.S. gives readers invaluable advice on how to develop their own practices.

"The Three Pillars of Zen has been the wellspring of Zen teachings for practitioners in the West, remaining as vital and fresh today as it was when it was originally published. It truly ranks among the timeless classics of Zen Buddhism." —Roshi John Daido Loori, Abbot, Zen Mountain Monastery

Roshi Philip Kapleau, founder of the eminent Rochester Zen Center, offers a personal account of his own experiences as a student and teacher, and in so doing presents a comprehensive overview of Zen Buddhism that includes practical guidance, insights from Zen masters, integration of Eastern and Western perspectives, and inspiration for personal transformation. 

A moving and eye-opening work in eleven sections, including Yasunati-roshi's Introductory Lectures on Zen Training and Commentary on the Koan Mu, The Three Pillars of Zen is the definitive introduction to the history and discipline of Zen.

Revised and updated, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs and a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede (who succeeded Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center), in addition to the following features:

• Foreword by Huston Smith, Professor of Philosophy at MIT
• Preface by Philip Kapleau
• Notes on the Anniversary Edition by Kenneth Kraft
• Notes on Zen Vocabulary and Buddhist Doctrine

About this title

About the Author

ROSHI PHILIP KAPLEAU was the founder of the Rochester Zen Center and the author of numerous books, including Zen: Merging of East and West and The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment. Kapleau studied and taught Zen for more than 50 years, completing over sixteen years of study and practice in both Japan and America. He died in 2004.

From the Back Cover

orations of the three pillars of Zen--teaching, practice, and enlightenment--Roshi Philip Kapleau presents a comprehensive overview of the history and discipline of Zen Buddhism.  An established classic, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs, as well as a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede, who has succeeded Philip Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center, one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States.

From the Inside Flap

Through explorations of the three pillars of Zen--teaching, practice, and enlightenment--Roshi Philip Kapleau presents a comprehensive overview of the history and discipline of Zen Buddhism.  An established classic, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs, as well as a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede, who has succeeded Philip Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center, one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States.

Edition details

• Publisher: Vintage
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0385260938
• ISBN 13: 9780385260930
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 480