Philosophical Meditations on Zen Buddhism

by Dale S. Wright

Overview

This 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521590105
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/29/1998
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Religious Traditions , #13
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.29(h) x 0.83(d)

Table of Contents

1. Textuality: the 'dependent origination' of Huang Po; 2. Reading: the practice of insight; 3. Understanding: the context of enlightenment; 4. Language: the sphere of immediacy; 5. Rhetoric: the instrument of meditation; 6. History: the genealogy of mind; 7. Freedom: the practice of constraint; 8. Transcendence: 'going beyond' Huang Po; 9. Mind: the 'Great Matter'of Zen; 10. Enlightenment: the awakening of mind; Conclusion: Zen in theory and practice.

Editorial Reviews

It is clear that Philosophical Meditations on Zen Buddhism, written in a lucid and evocative, yet jargon-free, no-nonsense style, will quickly become a standard work for scholars and students interested in an intensive, detailed study of a leading exponent of the classical age of Zen thought.
— Journal of Buddhist Ethics \

Stephen Heine

"This book...will be most attractive to those with interests at the interface of philosophy and Asian studies." Choice

"Required reading for all scholars and teachers of Asian religion, and highly recommended for advanced students." Religious Studies Review

From the Publisher