Re: OT zen for beginners

[Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com>]

mech advised:

*Or if you're looking just to throw him into the deep end, buy him a
copy of "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" and give it to him with no
explanations.  ;)


*I concur with mech's advice, with the exception that I became 
interested in Zen originally
because of stumbling on the book 'Zen Flesh, Zen Bones' so it was my 
introduction
to that world.    I wouldn't consider it the deep end at all if you have
 him read the section called *101 Zen Stories* first in that book.

It is really entertaining and after reading a bunch of these little one
and two page parables, you start to really get what Zen is about.

It is not really intellectual or challenging................some really 
good points are made that
are thought provoking.    I still quote from some of these stories to my
students 40 years after having read it for the first time.

I especially love the story of the young and old zen monk who help the 
beautiful woman cross the stream.
I even have a Japanese print on my bathroom door that illustrates the 
old monk carrying her across the stream in the illustrative
story about the nature and power of desire.
*



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