The Zen Way

Written by one of today's most distinguished teachers, this Zen book provides an authoritative introduction to Zen training from the perspective of someone who has gone through it.

The author begins by setting out the basic Buddhist teaching based on the example of Buddha and then traces the fundamentals of the Zen way through a detail account of workings of a contemporary Zen monastery. She draws on her own experience of twelve year's study in a Rinzai monastery to present the pattern of its life: the harsh introduction that the novice endures, the daily routine of chanting, work and meditation, the seasonal festivals, retreats and rituals.

Through all this, Myokyo-ni shows that the Zen way leads to a genuine insight into the Buddhist teachings and provides what is necessary for the development of such insight to occur. Lastly, she demonstrates that this insight is not merely a mental exercise but a genuine restructuring and making whole.