In queste storie Zen, raccolte e narrate dal maestro Taìsen Destrimani (alcune di esse risalgono a duemilaseicento anni fa), la straordinaria carica di umorismo e la potenza dello spirito fecondo dello Zen trovano una perfetta esemplificazione. Perché, senza dubbio, ciascuna di esse ci apre una porta e racconta un modo di vedere la realtà. La storia e la leggenda qui sfociano in una verità profonda e racchiudono un significato eterno. Dice un proverbio Zen che, quando ci viene indicata la luna, dobbiamo guardare quest'ultima e non il dito che ce la mostra: ecco un buon metodo da seguire anche nella lettura di questo libro.
At last: a book on the martial arts from a true Zen master. Taisen Deshimaru was born in Japan of an old samurai family, and he recieved from the Great Master Kodo Sawaki the Transmission of Mind to Mind when Sawaki died. In 1967, Deshimaru-Roshi went to France and taught as a missionary general of the Sato Zen School until his death in 1982. In Europe he learned how to make Oriental concepts understandable to the Western mind. One of the results of that experience was this book: a series of lessons, question-and-answer sessions, and koans (riddles or anecdotes that point out general principles) that provide practical wisdom for all students of the martial arts--kendo, aikido, iai-do, jodo, or archery--as well as for the general reader interested in Zen.
An enlightening account of a session held in France under the guidance of the renowned Japanese Zen Master, Taisen Deshimaru (1914-1982). This book answers pressing questions and provides vital instruction and inspiration for both beginner or long-time Zen practitioners and those using meditation as part of their spiritual path.
At last: a book on the martial arts from a true Zen master. Taisen Deshimaru was born in Japan of an old samurai family, and he recieved from the Great Master Kodo Sawaki the Transmission of Mind to Mind when Sawaki died. In 1967, Deshimaru-Roshi went to France and taught as a missionary general of the Sato Zen School until his death in 1982. In Europe he learned how to make Oriental concepts understandable to the Western mind. One of the results of that experience was this book: a series of lessons, question-and-answer sessions, and koans (riddles or anecdotes that point out general principles) that provide practical wisdom for all students of the martial arts--kendo, aikido, iai-do, jodo, or archery--as well as for the general reader interested in Zen.
"A story of bravery and false starts, The Autobiography of a Zen Monk candidly recounts the author’s development from a highly mischievous Japanese boy into a world-renowned Sensei (Teacher) of Zen. While countless memoirs exist written by Zen students and teachers, few are as engaging and as tantalizing as Taisen Deshimaru’s. Looking back at his early life, growing up in Japan, from the viewpoint of his status as a Zen teacher in Paris, the author reflects on his earliest misadventures―from defacing a valuable painting of Bodhidharma as a child, to turning the “Zen stick” on a young monk during a retreat. Adventures abound with stories about alcohol and women, during his student years, and his activities during World War II in working for the arms industry in Malaysia, where he was sympathetic to the underground freedom movement. This first English-language translation of Taisen Deshimaru’s autobiography will be prized for its clear and honest documentation of this great master’s life. Many people all over the world have been influenced by Deshimaru’s Zen teachings, especially his book on Zen and the martial arts. This memoir fills an important gap in our knowledge of his teacher, Kodo Sawaki’s influence on the world of Zen. The story of how Deshimaru met Sawaki as a boy, even slept in the same room with him, and later received monastic ordination is the story of a lifelong friendship of two extraordinary characters in the history of modern Zen. Deshimaru’s influence extends beyond Zen practitioners, though, especially in those interested in the martial arts, as he touches on his martial arts experience as a young man and offers a look into the master’s early training. Additional interest extends to historians who recount the supposed “scandals” of Zen masters’ participation in the war effort. Although Deshimaru’s viewpoint is decidedly subjective, he was intimately acquainted with priests and generals alike, and approaches the difficult subject with a refreshing lack of judgmental disdain which counterbalances many other more lopsided works
Das Hannya Shingyô oder Mahâ Prajñâ Pâramitâ Sûtra ist das zentrale Sûtra des Zen und auch aller anderen Schulen des Buddhismus.Dieser Text vermittelt das tiefere Wissen um Kû und Shiki, der Lehre von der ambivalenten Realität zwischen Leerheit und sichtbarer Form, einer der ganz wesentlichen Grundlagen östlicher Weisheit.Zen-Meister Taisen Deshimaru macht mit den ausführlichen Kommentaren seines Hauptwerks über das Sûtra der Höchsten Weisheit dieses Wissen dem westlichen Leser erstmals vollständig zugänglich – in einem Band, der den Originaltext, seine Übersetzung, Kommentare und zahlreiche vollendete Kalligrafien des chinesischen Urtextes von höchstem künstlerischen Wert harmonisch miteinander vereint.Das Hannya Shingyô – Bestandteil jeder Zazen-Übung – ist der Kern jeglicher Beschäftigung mit Zen.
Ce volume rassemble Za-zen, la pratique du Zen, enseignement authentique du maître Zen Taisen Deshimaru, et deux textes sacrés du Zen : le Hokyo Zan Mai et le San Do Kai commentés. Le Zen est une discipline de concentration et de méditation dont l'essence remonte, dit-on, à l'illumination du Bouddha. Le Za-zen, ou Zen assis, c'est la pratique de la posture d'éveil. Son enseignement, profondément ancré dans le concret, vise à une transformation psycho-physiologique de l'individu et se révèle, aujourd'hui, d'une singulière efficacité. Les deux textes sacrés du Zen, venant de la haute antiquité chinoise, sont considérés comme la base du Zen japonais actuel. Taisen Deshimaru en donne ici la première traduction française complète et des commentaires lumineux.
