Questions to a Zen Master: Practical and Spiritual Answers from the Great Japanese Master

“True religion,” the great Japanese teacher Taisen Deshimaru wrote, “is not esoteric or mystical, it is not an exercise in well-being or gymnastics. True religion is the highest Way, the absolute Way: zazen.”

Here, Deshimaru, the author of True Zen, offers practical suggestions for developing unitary mind-body consciousness through the principles of zazen (translated literally as "seated meditation"). Advice is given on posture, breathing, and concentration, and concepts such as karma and satori are clearly explained.

Taisen Deshimaru (1914–1982) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher, and founder of the Association Zen Internationale and La Gendronnière. Deshimaru trained many pupils and was the catalyst for the creation of a huge multitude of practice centers around the globe. He is the writer of Questions to a Zen Master, Ring of the Way, The Zen Way to Martial Arts, The Way of True Zen, The Voice of the Valley, and Sit. 

Nancy Amphoux is an editor and translator known for The Zen Way to Martial Arts, Questions to a Zen Master, Tolstoy, The Bathroom, Chanel, Tugenev, Toward the Brink, and many more.