Product Description

Koans are enigmatic spiritual formulas used for religious training in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Arguing that our understanding of the koan tradition has been extremely limited, contributors to this collection examine previously unrecognized factors in the formation of this tradition, and highlight the rich complexity and diversity of koan practice and literature.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #467305 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04-15
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.05 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Review
"Anyone who would spend words on koans had best absorb the knowledge demonstrated in this book first."--Journal of Chinese Religions

"...this volume is a must for serious students of Zen history, offering a range of new perspectives on koan Zen and the development of the Zen school in China and Japan while exposing many of the myths about these subjects that have accumulated over the years."--Zen Notes

"Those with a serious interest in the history of Zen Buddhism will find the essays collected here an invaluable resource. The koan, often subject of unwarranted mystification, is examined in a series of eleven substantial essays vy an international group of scholars."--Religious Studies Review

From the Publisher
4 figures

About the Author
Steven Heine is at Florida International University. Dale S. Wright is at Occidental College.