[.ca] Zen Buddhism (ISBN 038548349X)

From Amazon.com:
The premier metaphysician of the 20th century, Martin Heidegger, once said in regard to D. T. Suzuki, "If I understand this man correctly, this is what I have been trying to say in all my writings." Roman Catholic writer Thomas Merton, analytical psychologist Carl Jung, social psychologist Erich Fromm, avant-garde musician John Cage, writer and social critic Alan Watts, poet Gary Snyder -- all influential in their own rights, claim a debt to Mr. Suzuki and his writings, the most representative of which are gathered here in Zen Buddhism. An intellectual understanding of Zen begins with this book.

focus on the finger, and you'll miss all the heavenly glory:
this is the second book that i have read by dt suzuki. i started with 'introduction to zen...' where 'introduction' was just that, and introduction to many of the ideas of zen, this book extracts from several other writings to focus in greater detail on different subjects in zen. one chapter that i was excited (but later left feeling wanting for more) about was a comparison of zen with existentialism. furthermore, i feel as though i got enough out of the 'introduction...' that much of this book was superfluous. however, that which i did appreciate were the chapters on the history and development of zen that was lacking in the 'introduction...'

Zen authority?:
Suzuki is considered to be the foremost authority on Zen Buddhism. Suzuki brought Zen thought to America. The best of D.T. Suzuki is included here. I've read quite a bit on the subject and I believe Suzuki has the best grasp of Zen. The reading is difficult, but so is the topic. I highly recommend this book if you really want to get deep into Zen. Another slightly easier book to understand, 'Living Zen' by Robert Linssen uses Suzuki's material quite extensively.

Difficult to understand, but you'll get the hang of it:
It takes a while to understand, but Suzuki really knew what he was talking about. It provides a very good understanding of his take on Zen Buddhism.

An Excellent Selection from an Excellent Writer:
This was the first book I ever read on Zen, and it remains, in my mind, one of the best. D.T Suzuki is thorough and imaginative, linking the principles of Zen to the culture and history of Japan, as well as to Western philosophy. Suzuki has a well-deserved reputation as the 20th century's foremost authority on Japanese Zen. While perhaps more of a scholar's book than a practitioner's book, this selection of essays from Suzuki's Zen and Japanese Culture do a wonderful job of conveying the spirit and rich history of Japanese Zen, and its roots in Chinese Ch'an. Faced with a complex topic that by its very nature does not lend itself to written accounts, Suzuki manages to neither over-analyze the topic nor sidestep the issues by refusing comment. The essays selected give a good taste of the complex spectrum of Zen, and its many cultural and historical manifestations, without swamping the reader with material. A fine and complex work by a well-respected figure of the Zen tradition.