Overview

""Mushotoku mind"" means an attitude of no profit, no gain. It is the core of master Taisen Deshimaru's Zen. This respected teacher of Japanese Soto Zen moved from Japan in 1967 and brought this work to Paris, from where it was disseminated throughout the West. This book presents his commentary on the most renowned of Buddhist texts, the Heart Sutra, known in Japanese as Hannya Shingyo -- a philosophical investigation on the futility of philosophical investigation. Deshimaru's work fills a great gap in the interpretations of this seminal text in that he emphasises ""mind-emptiness"" (ku) as the foundation of Zen practice, in contrast to the usual ""mindfulness"" focus of many other Zen approaches. This ""emptiness"" and ""purpose of no purpose"" is one of the most difficult ideas for Westerners to understand. Yet we know that our most cherished values are based on mushotoku mind when it comes, for example, to love. We value the unselfish love of family or country that is based not on what we can get from the relationship but on what we can give. We know, too, that these virtues are not accomplished directly through our will but indirectly through dropping our expectations. His lectures on this subject have been translated by Ilsa Fatt and edited by Reiryu Philippe Coupey of Deshimaru's British and French groups; and here completely revised and reedited for an American audience by Reishin Richard Collins. This edition emphasises Deshimaru's chorus: Mushotoku mind is the key attitude characterising the way of the Buddha, the way of the bodhisattva, the way of Zen and zazen, and the way of all sutras (teachings).

Full Product Details

9781935387275

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Taisen Deshimaru.Founder of the Association Zen Internationale, one of the largest influences on Zen in the West. Raised by his grandfather, a former samurai, and educated in Christianity & Western philosophy, he became a successful businessman. He studied Rinzai Zen before finding his master, Kodo Sawaki & the practice of Dogen's Zen. Before his death, Sawaki asked Deshimaru to spread Zen. Deshimaru arrived in Paris in 1967. La Gendronniere, the practice center he founded in France, was established in 1979 & continues to be an important Zen center. He died in 1982, leaving a number of influential disciples. Richard Collins. A Zen teacher in the lineage of Taisen Deshimaru and Dean of Arts & Humanities at California State University, Bakersfield. He has held several research fellowships, including a Fulbright-Hays grant and a Fulbright Senior Lectureship. Collins has taught at the American University in Bulgaria, Louisiana State University, & Xavier University, where he was editor of the Xavier Review. He received monastic ordination from Robert Livingston Roshi. He founded the Zen Fellowship of Alexandria (Louisiana) and the Zen Fellowship of Bakersfield.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available