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The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment
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The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment Paperback - 1989

by Roshi P. Kapleau

World-renowned Buddhist teacher Roshi Kapleau brings a new introduction to his twenty-five-year-old classic. Useful to both initiates and long-term disciples alike, the comprehensive guide is an overview of the profundities of Buddha. (Philosophy)


From the publisher

In this classic work of spiritual guidance, the founder of the Rochester Zen Center presents a comprehensive overview of Zen Buddhism. Exploring the three pillars of Zen--teaching, practice, and enlightenment--Roshi Philip Kapleau, the man who founded one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States, presents a personal account of his own experiences as a student and teacher, and in so doing gives readers invaluable advice on how to develop their own practices. Revised and updated, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs, as well as a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede, who succeeded Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center. A moving, eye-opening work, The Three Pillars of Zen is the definitive introduction to the history and discipline of Zen.

From the jacket flap

Through explorations of the three pillars of Zen--teaching, practice, and enlightenment--Roshi Philip Kapleau presents a comprehensive overview of the history and discipline of Zen Buddhism. An established classic, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs, as well as a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede, who has succeeded Philip Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center, one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States.

Details

  • Title The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment
  • Author Roshi P. Kapleau
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition 35 Rev Upd
  • Pages 480
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Anchor Books, New York, New York, U.S.A.
  • Date February 27, 1989
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Bibliography, Illustrated, Index
  • ISBN 9780385260930 / 0385260938
  • Weight 0.99 lbs (0.45 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.03 x 5.26 x 0.98 in (20.40 x 13.36 x 2.49 cm)
  • Themes
    • Religious Orientation: Buddhist
  • Library of Congress subjects Zen Buddhism
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2001272132
  • Dewey Decimal Code 294.392

Media reviews

"The Three Pillars of Zen is still, in my opinion, the best book in English that has been written on Zen Buddhism."--Huston Smith, author of The Worlds' Religions and Forgotten Truth

"The Three Pillars of Zen heralded the end of armchair Buddhism.  With this practical guide to Zen meditation, Roshi Kapleau ushered in the first wave of American zazen practitioners.  It was extraordinarily inspiring.  It still is."--Helen Tworkov, founding editor of Tricycle:  The Buddhist Review and author of Zen in America

"For over thirty years Roshi Kapleau's Three Pillars of Zen has been the wellspring of Zen teachings for practitioners in the West, remaining as vital and fresh today as it was when it was originally published.  It truly ranks among the timeless classics of Zen Buddhism."--Roshi John Daido Loori, Abbot, Zen Mountain Monastery

"For anyone seriously interested in Zen--this book will be invaluable."--Times Literary Supplement (London)
.

About the author

Roshi Philip Kapleau was the founder of the Rochester Zen Center and the author of numerous books, including Zen: Merging of East and West and The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment. Kapleau studied and taught Zen for more than 50 years, completing over sixteen years of study and practice in both Japan and America. He died in 2004.
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