Philosophical Meditations on Zen BuddhismThis book is the first to engage Zen Buddhism philosophically on crucial issues from a perspective that is informed by the traditions of Western philosophy and religion. It focuses on one renowned Zen master, Huang Po, whose recorded sayings exemplify the spirit of the "golden age" of Zen in medieval China, and on the transmission of these writings to the West. While deeply sympathetic to the Zen tradition, it raises serious questions about the kinds of claims that can be made on its behalf. |
Contents
Textuality the dependent origination of Huang Po | 1 |
Reading the practice of insight | 20 |
Understanding the context of enlightenment | 41 |
Language the sphere of immediacy | 63 |
Rhetoric the instrument of mediation | 82 |
History the genealogy of mind | 104 |
Freedom the practice of constraint | 119 |
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Common terms and phrases
already awakening background Bodhidharma Buddha Buddhist Ch'an China Chinese Buddhism claim classical Zen conceive concept context critical critique culture dependent origination dharma Diamond sutra dimension discourse doctrine emptiness encounter enlightened mind enlightenment essence essential experience freedom goal historical Huang Po texts Huang Po's Zen human Hung-chou ideals identity imitation impermanence interpretation John Blofeld koan Kuei-feng lineage linguistic Ma-tsu Mahayana means meditation metaphor modern monastic monks Mount Huang narrative Neo-Confucian nirvana one's Original Teachings P'ei P'ei-hsiu Pai-chang particular possible practitioner question reader reading Zen reality realization Recorded Sayings reflection relation rience romantic romanticism Sasaki Sayings of Lin-chi seek sense shape silence simply standing story Sung dynasty sutras Teaching of Hui textual theory things thinking thought tion transcendence transformation truth Tsung-mi understanding understood words Yanagida Zen Buddhism Zen literature Zen master Zen practice Zen rhetoric Zen Teaching Zen texts Zen tradition