Download The Zen Experience by Thomas Hoover PDF book

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This is a competent overview of the history and evolution of zen teaching and practice. And it's free, no catch. Rate this less than five stars, and you may want to ask yourself if you're just being a contrary snob.. You'll find that this is not a self-help book. This is ideally for people interested in zen and love history, but may not be well versed in zen itself. General knowledge of Buddhism is recommended which could be obtained in about 10 minutes.Most interesting history of the development of Ch'an Buddhism in China, its masters, and proponents, and its migration and transformation to Zen in Japan. I find much of its philosophy appealing and enjoyed the anecdotes.The truth of Zen has always resided in individual experience rather than in theoretical writings. To give the modern reader access to the understanding of this truth, THE ZEN EXPERIENCE illumines Zen as it was created and shaped by the personalities, perceptions, and actions of its masters over the centuries.Beginning with the twin roots of Zen in Indian Buddhism and Chinese Taoism, we follow it through its initial flowering in China under the First Patriarch Bodhidharma; its division into schools of âgradualâ and âsuddenâ enlightenment under Shen-hsui and Shen-hui; the ushering in of its golden age by Hui-Neng; the development of âshockâ enlightenment by Ma-tsu; its poetic greatness in the person of Han-shan; the perfection of the use of the koan by Ta-hui; the migration of Zen to Japan and its extraordinary growth there under a succession of towering Japanese spiritual leaders.Rich in historical background, vivid in revealing anecdote and memorable quotation, this long-needed work succeeds admirably in taking Zen from the library shelves and restoring its living, human form.Author: Thomas HoovePublication Date:1980the book was updated