ZEN AND ZEN CLASSICS. by BLYTH, R.H. [Reginald Horace]

[Tokyo 1970], Hokuseido. Vol. 3. Brown cloth, 185p, 20 b.w. illustrations, PRISTINE EXAMPLE LIKE NEW, UNUSED, index,with with PRISTINE dust jacket in mylar protector. A FINE COPY ! THE RAREST VOLUME OF 5 VOLUME SET ! RARE FIRST EDITION !


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R.H. BLYTH'S MASTERPIECE

This illusive title has been out of print for a long time, only a couple of the volumes were reprinted, the complete work consisting of 5 volumes is rare and seldom found complete regardless of edition.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORKS IN ENGLISH ON ZEN: This is a comprehensive set of writings on Zen, Zen arts, the Zen masters and historical background. A wonderful set of works, with English, Japanese characters & Romanized texts.

A very well written, readable set of books. The celebrated Zen master D.T. Suzuki described Blyth as "one of the most eminent exponents of Japanese culture."

OTHER RELATED WRITINGS BY BLYTH ON ZEN & HAIKU: ZEN AND HAIKU: Blyth's studies on Haiku, Japanese humor and Zen are "unique contributions towards East-West understanding." Blyth lived & worked in the east 40 years, until his death in 1964. The history of Zen is the history of moments. It cannot be, like the history of ideas, or even the history of the freedom of thought, an account of development, systematization, criticism, modification, replacement and so forth. Zen seems to become deeper sometimes, shallower, broader, narrower sometimes, but there is no progress of the ordinary kind. It is a history only in the sense of being a list of names of great men in the attainment of great and so forth. Zen seems to become deeper sometimes, shallower, broader, narrower sometimes, but there is no progress of the ordinary kind. It is a history only in the sense of being a list of names of great men in the attainment of great Buddha-hood.

BLYTH'S CONTRIBUTION: Blyth lived and worked in the East for forty years, until his death in 1964 at the age of sixty-six. From the time of his internment in Japan during World War II, Blyth wrote assiduously. In the 1950's, his "ZEN IN ENGLISH LITERATURE" and "ORIENTAL CLASSICS" and "HAIKU" reached enthusiastic readers in America and Europe. Aldous Huxley describes Blyth's work as "illuminating." As William J. Higginson writes in his "HAIKU HANDBOOK," thanks to Blyth "a new interest in Japanese Haiku began to grow among poets of the immediate post World War II generation."
.. Blyth's Contribution to cross-cultural understanding was manifold. In 1945, Blyth assumed a post as professor of English at Tokyo's Gakushuin University, the former Peers' School. For almost twenty years he tutored Crown Prince Akihito, the present Emperor. Blyth played a leading role in Emperor Hirohito's historical declaration of January 1, 1946, that he was a human being rather than a god. Blyth edited numerous writings from English and American literature, making them available to avid Japanese readers.

FIRST EDITIONS: Following is a list of the First Editions: Vol. 1: 1960; vol. 2: 1964; vol. 3: 1970; vol. 4: 1966; vol. 5: 1962; vol. 7: 1962. [vol. 5, 7 are same contents] see additional notes below. There was no volume six ever published nor issued.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT WHAT A COMPLETE SET IS: COMPLETE IN 5 VOLUMES. Blyth originally planned this work to be an 8 volume set, but due to his untimely death, it only went to 5 volumes [per dust jacket notes found on volume 2]. The back of the dust jacket on volume one [First Edition] shows the list planning on a total of 8 volumes in all.
The whole set now actually consists of 5 volumes only and is complete in that state. It contains the below list of volumes, the list is based on our primary observation of each volume in addition to the publisher's notice of the series found on the dust jackets of several volumes.

The set is complete with volumes 1-5, there can be an acceptable variant in the last volume which can either be numbered volume 5 or 7, contents remains the same, it was merely the publisher's error. The value the a set with either volume 5 or 7 remains the same in our eyes, both issued in 1962 as the First Edition.
THE COMPLETE SET OF 5 VOLUMES:
Vol. I: GENERAL INTRODUCTION, FROM THE UPANISHADS TO HUINENG also WHAT I ZEN ? THE HISTORY OF ZEN, THE BELIEVING MIND, SONG OF TRHE WAY [THE CHENGTAOKE], THE PLATFORM SUTRA.
Vol. II: HISTORY OF ZEN, 713-867 also THE FIVE SECTS, GOZU ZEN AND ROAN ZEN, ENO AND HIS DISCIPLES, SEKITO'S DISCIPLES, SEPPO, SEPPO'S DISCIPLES, HOGEN & DISCIPLES, YAKUSAN TO SEKISO, SENSU, KASSAN, SHOZAN, TOZAN, SOZAN & UNGO, UMMON I, II, III THE SANDOKAI, HOKYOZAMMAI, POEMS OF HANSHAN I, II, ZEN MYSTICISM, EXISTENTIALISM, WAYS AND THE WAY, NATURE, HUMAN NATURE, THE BUDDHA NATURE THE POETIC NATURE, DEFECTS OF ZEN.
Vol. III: HISTORY OF ZEN 867-1260 also THE DISCIPLES OF TOZAN, NANGAKU AND BASHO, JOSHU, HYAKUJO RINZAI AND OBAKU THEIR DISCIPLES.
Vol. IV: MUMONKAN, HISTORY OF KOREAN ZEN, WUMENKUAN &c.
Vol. V: TWENTY-FIVE ZEN ESSAYS: WUMENKAUAN.
! Note: vol. 5 and 7 are the same contents, simply a
numbering error on the part of the publisher.
Vol. VI: HISTORY OF JAPANESE ZEN, DOGEN HAKUIN, ETC. To our knowledge, this volume was never published. The contents were likely incorporated into other volumes with variant titles.
Vol. VII: ZEN ESSAYS, CHRISTIANITY, SEX, SOCIETY, ETC.
!! Note: vol. 5 and 7 have the same contents, simply a
numbering error on the part of the publisher.

NEVER ISSUED: Vol. VIII: BUDDHIST SERMONS ON CHRISTIAN TEXTS. The publisher never issued this title as part of this series, but issued it as a monograph in 1952, several years predating this series, then again in 1976 posthumously. Neither editions ever had any markings to indicate it to be a part of this series, we can only assume Blyth made a simple error when discussing this title as part of the current series.

PUBLISHER'S ERROR: Hokuseido press made an error in the numbering of this set. volumes 5 & 7 are identical. In fact, Blyth only published the first 5 of the planned set of 8 when he died in the fall of 1964, the last 3 volumes never published. To further complicate matters, in 1962 there was a 7th. volume set published but discontinued after Blyth's death, this was then reduced down to be numbered as volumes 1-5. The contents of old vol. 6 and 7 were combined to become new volume 5. This fact is clearly stated on verso of title page of new volume 5, "First published, as volume 7...1962 then reprinted as vol. 5, 1966." Suffice to say, when complete, the set is RARE in either of the 5 or 7 volume variants. The 8th volume was issued later as a monograph, and does NOT state volume 8.

The dust jacket on volume 1 clearly shows the plan to publish 8 volumes in the complete planned set of 8. The dust jacket of volume 5 of the 5 volume set clearly states a new and revised volume count to be now 5. Volume 5 in the new set contains: TWENTY-FIVE ZEN ESSAYS, [CHRISTIANITY], SEX SOCIETY &c. Introductions by D.T. Suzuki.

SIZE & BINDING: The set is uniformly bound in brown cloth, with black lettering, 11.5 x 18.5 cm. Each volume was issued with a uniform dust jacket, each in a different color. Later editions were issued in stiff wrappers, some with dust jackets again in the same size.

NOTE: Please inquire at our website for other titles by Blyth, Zen and Japanese poetry.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Zen in English Literature and Oriental Classics, The Hokuseido Press, 1942 · Haiku, 1949-1952, complete in four volumes: Vol.1: Eastern Culture. Vol.2: Spring. Vol.3: Summer-Autumn. Vol.4: Autumn-Winter. The Hokuseido Press
Japanese Satirical Verses, The Hokuseido Press, 1949
Japanese Humour, Japan Travel Bureau, 1957
Japanese Life and Character in Senryu, 1959.
Oriental Humor, 1959.
Edo Satirical Verse Anthologies, 1961. The Hokuseido Press.
A History of Haiku in two volumes: Vol.1: From the Beginnings up to Issa. Vol.2: From Issa up to the Present.1963.The Hokuseido Press.
Games Zen Masters Play: Writings of R. H. Blyth, 1976.
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