Zen and Zen Classics (Volume Two): History of Zen

This work is a fascinating introduction to Zen and to the self-enlightenment and inner reason that has been a driving force in the history of Japan. In the volumes comprising Zen and Zen Classics, Reginald Horace Blyth (1898-1964) devotes himself to conveying the true character and attitude of Zen, leading the reader to a heightened sense of inner self and to an awakening of awareness of the surrounding universe and one's relationship to it.

In Volume Two of this work, Blyth covers in depth the great Zen masters and their disciples, paying particular heed to such foundational teachers as Sekitō, Seppō, Hōgen, and many others. He finishes with a discussion of Zen mysticism and existentialism, as well as a chapter on the potential pitfalls and obstacles to the practice of true Zen.

R.H. Blyth was born in London in 1898 and studied English literature at London University. He traveled extensively in the East before moving first to Korea and then Japan and teaching English at several universities. Blyth eventually became the English tutor to the Crown Prince of Japan. He also studied Zen Buddhism under Kayama Taigi Roshi. Blyth was interned during the war years, and it was during this time that he wrote his first book, Zen in English Literature. He went on to write numerous other books on Zen, haiku, senryu, and humor. Blyth was a man whose sensibility took root in two disparate cultures and found a harmony that he beautifully and effectively communicated in his writing.