The Most Important Point: Zen Teachings of Edward Espe Brown

by Edward Brown, Danny Parker (Editor), Danny Parker

Overview

From master baker, cook, and Zen priest Edward Espe Brown comes a collection of timeless essays on Zen, food, and life itself. Brown was one of the first Westerners to be ordained a priest by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, who had hoped that Zen might be transformed into a vibrant new form in the West. In The Most Important Point, Brown fulfills Suzuki’s wish with 60 essays that are distinctly American yet preserve the roots of traditional Japanese Zen.
Drawing from his time in the kitchen and on the cushion, Brown explores a range of topics, from basic sitting practice to making the "perfect" biscuit and much more. "In the words of my teacher," reflects Brown, "the most important point is to find out what is the most important point." Flavored with wise insights and irreverent humor, The Most Important Point brings together a treasury of teachings to inspire your own discovery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683641605
Publisher:	Sounds True, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/02/2019
Pages:	264
Sales rank:	1,096,727
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Edward Espe Brown
Edward Espe Brown began cooking and practicing Zen in 1965. He was the first head resident cook at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center from 1967 to 1970. He later worked at the celebrated Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, serving as busboy, waiter, floor manager, wine buyer, cashier, host, and manager. Ordained a priest by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, he has taught meditation retreats and vegetarian cooking classes throughout North America and Europe. He is the author of several bestselling cookbooks, including The Tassajara Bread Book, and the editor of Not Always So, a book of lectures by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. He is the subject of the critically acclaimed 2007 documentary film How to Cook Your Life. He resides in Fairfax, California.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Part I You Can't Always Get What You Want

Wild West Tassajara 2

Easy Is Right 9

Tasting the True Spirit of the Grain 12

Rotten Pickles 18

You Might As Well Dance 22

True Calm Is Not What You Thought 29

The Benefits of Meditation 37

A Misbehaving Egg 40

Rujing, the Great Road, and the Bandits of Dharma 44

Two Demons at the Door 48

Offer What You Have to Offer 54

Part II See What You Can Find Out

The Light in the Darkness 62

Even a Thousand Sages Can't Say 66

The Gift of Attention 72

Finding What You Really Want 80

Accepting Yourself Completely 83

Just Go Ahead 87

The Backward Step 92

Everything Is Coming from Beyond 97

Physical Challenges 100

Informed by a Daffodil 106

Part III Cooking Your Life

Giving and Receiving 110

Virtue and a Cook's Temperament 115

In Search of the Perfect Biscuit 122

Coffee Medication 126

A Cook's Inspiration 130

A Place at the Table 133

Trusting Your Own Experience 136

Honoring Leftovers 141

Dreaming of Pizza: A Talk for Children 146

Thanksgiving and Gratitude 149

Don't Put Another Head Above Your Own 154

Part IV The Uncalled For

The Ten Thousand Idiots 160

Subtle Feeling Reveals Illumination 166

Sitting with Tragedy 171

Rohatsu 176

Zen Practice and Meeting Early Childhood Trauma 179

Confronting War and Uncertainty 182

The Secret to Life 188

Enjoyment, Excitement, Greed, and Lust 194

When Is Adversity Useful? 198

Bugs in a Bowl 201

Part V Bites

Is My Practice Working? 208

Beginner's Mind 210

What Was Said to the Rose 212

Bewildered? 213

No Masterpieces, Just Cooking 215

Soft Mind 217

Misfits 219

Wherever I Go, I Meet Myself 222

Small Acts with Great Kindness 224

Each Moment a New Life 226

Afterword 229

Acknowledgments 230

Sources of Teachings 233

Permissions 239

About the Author and the Editor 241

Editorial Reviews

02/25/2019

Zen priest and chef Brown (The Tassajara Bread Book) presents relatable insights from his Zen study in this affecting collection. Adapted mostly from sermons given over the past several decades, these 50 brief essays cover such topics as living in the moment, struggling with the body during meditation, and coping with strong emotions. Brown readily admits his own failings in parable-like stories, such as frustration over spilling food or his discomfort with the aches of prolonged seated meditation. He also includes a cornucopia of recipes to accompany the teachings, so that, for instance, an encouragement to let go of idealized memories sits alongside a biscuit recipe Brown has spent years struggling to get right—and has finally found peace with the recipe. Poetry (especially quotes from Rumi) provides further context to his key points. He also includes the occasional riff on contemporary events, including a particularly powerful rumination on struggling with anxiety following 9/11. The diversity of topics and brevity of each piece make this a good resource for daily meditations. Practicing Buddhists as well as general readers looking for suggestions for leading a more mindful life will find plenty of inspiration here. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

[An] affecting collection...The diversity of topics and brevity of each piece make this a good resource for daily meditations. Practicing Buddhists as well as general readers looking for suggestions for leading a more mindful life will find plenty of inspiration here.” —Publishers Weekly

“These talks really capture the modesty and down-to-earth reality of Dogen and Suzuki Roshi’s, and now Ed Brown’s, Zen. I was deeply touched by them. One recipe after another for true practice, if you are ready to cook and be cooked. Enjoy!” —Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of MBSR and author of Falling Awake

“This is a book that will nourish all aspects of one's life. Smart, sharp, deep, like a good meal, the wisdom that Ed Espe Brown offers us is a treasure for all time. And it makes Zen digestible, even delicious!” —Roshi Joan Halifax, abbot of Upaya Zen Center and author of Standing at the Edge

“Suzuki Roshi once said, ‘The most important point is to find out what is the most important point.’ After a lifetime of practice inspired by his teacher, Suzuki Roshi, Ed Brown has discovered that the most important point is love and acceptance. No one expresses this most important point better than Ed. His simple, soulful, honest talks will melt your heart.” —Norman Fischer, poet, Zen priest, and author of Experience: Thinking, Writing, Language, and Religion

“Ed and Danny, two master chefs, have prepared a simple and elegant literary feast—with Tassajara magic for its background flavor. Humor and well-chosen poems add juice to dish after dish. The Most Important Point does not shy away from relating raw personal experiences with warmth and compassion. I have no doubt that many readers will find this book, as I have found it page after page, irresistible.” —Brother David Steindl-Rast, Benedictine monk, author of Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer: An Approach to Life in Fullness and May Cause Happiness: A Gratitude Journal, and cofounder of gratefulness.org

“Like the best teaching in any spiritual tradition, The Most Important Point speaks to you just where you are. If you’re new to Zen, this book is for you. If you’ve been practicing a long time, this book is also for you. It is filled with the wisdom of a lifetime.” —Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being and The Face

“No matter what you think you know about Zen, Ed Brown may know more. He certainly prepares his wisdom like a meal: pungent, saturated with taste, leaving very little to discard. He makes it look easy. I couldn’t put this book down. It made me feel like a beginner all over again . . . after 45 years.” —Hosho Peter Coyote, author and Zen priest

“Brilliant, humorous, and heartwarming.” —Vanja Palmers, Zen teacher, founder of Felsentor Meditation Center

From the Publisher