Hoofprint of the Ox: Principles of the Chan Buddhist Path As Taught by a Modern Chinese Master - Couverture rigide

Sheng-Yen

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0195136934 ISBN 13 : 9780195136937

Editeur : Oxford University Press Inc, 2001

Synopsis

This text offers a comprehensive introduction to the Chan Buddhist Path. The author, Chan Master Sheng-yen, is a revered figure in the Chinese Buddhist diaspora who divides his time between institutions in Taipei and New York. Although Zen Buddhism originated and evolved in China and is experiencing a revival there today, most Westerners are far more familiar with its Japenese manifestation as popularized by D.T. Suzuki. Master Sheng-yen hopes this book will rectify this situation. Most of the book is given over to normative instructions on the Buddhist path, intended for readers with a personal interest in Buddhist thought and practice. Sheng-yen offers readers a course that blends academic learning, study of Buddhist doctrine, and rigorous meditation practice. The title of the book refers to the "Ten Ox-Herding Pictures" - a set of diagrams used by Buddhists in East Asia since at least the 12th century to chart the stages of spiritual progress on the Chan Path. In the early stages of practice, the learner has to follow the "hoofprints of the ox", which represents the teachings offered by scripture and oral tradition.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

Revered by Buddhists in the United States and China, Master Sheng-yen shares his wisdom and teachings in this first comprehensive English primer of Chan, the Chinese tradition of Buddhism that inspired Japanese Zen. Often mistunderstood as a system of mind games, the Chan path leads to enlightenment through apparent contradiction. while demanding the mental and physical discipline of traditional Buddhist doctrine, it asserts that wisdom (Buddha-nature) is innate and immediate in all living beings, and thus not to be achieved through devotion to the strictures of religious practice. You arrive without departing. Master Sheng-yen provides an unprecedented understanding of Chan, its precepts, and its practice. Beginning with a basic overview of Buddhism and meditation, 'Hoofprint of the Ox' detials the progressive mental exercises traditionally followed by all Buddhists. Known as the Three Disciplines, these procedures develop moral purity, meditiative concentration, and enlightening insight through the 'stilling' of the mind. Master Sheng-yen then expounds Chan Buddhism, recounting its centuries-old history in China and illuminating its fundamental tenets. He contemplates the nature of Buddhahood, specifies the physical and mental prerequisites for beginning Chan practice, and humbly considers what it means to be an enlightened Chan master. Drawing its title from a famous series of pictures that symbolizes the Chan path as the search of an ox-herd for his wayward ox, 'Hoofprint of the Ox' is an inspirational guide to self-discovery through mental transformation. A profound contribution to Western understanding of Chan and Zen, this book is intended for practicing Buddhists as well as anyone interested in learning about the Buddhist path.

Biographie de l'auteur

Master Sheng-yen is an expatriate monk from mainland China who has been teaching in Taiwan and the United States for over two decades. He is the author of numerous popular and academic works and leads Dharma Drum Mountain, one of the three largest organizations in Taiwan.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Oxford University Press Inc
• Date d'édition: 2001
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0195136934
• ISBN 13: 9780195136937
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 256
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible