The Empty Mirror: Experiences in a Japanese Zen monastery

"A vivid, humorous, and slightly disillusioning account of a Dutchman's frustrating struggle toward enlightenment in a Japanese Zen monastery. Insightful, funny." --Carl Rogers

"As might be expected, the author shows a deep respect for the teachings of Zen. What makes this account extraordinary, however, is that the book contains none of the convert's irritating certitude, and no suggestion that the reader rush to follow the author's example." --Time

"What is accessible is the day-to-day description of life, of the monks themselves and of the others he met, of the jokes they played and the food they ate, of the moments of satori, the explosive moment of an understanding surpassing understanding." --The Los Angeles Times

"What emerges is a work of nonfiction told through the ingenuous persona of van de Wetering, that is as enjoyable to read as a well-crafted novel." --East West Journal