Zen wasn’t the first thing to get me into meditation, but it was the most impactful. I have been on and off for following the habits I should, and while getting back into meditation after a long break, I read (and reread) a bunch of introductory Zen books to get back in the swing of things. Some I had read before, others were completely new to me. Some were suggestions while others I stumbled on. I’m going to go in order of accessibility and quality.
1. Taking the Path of Zen – Robert Aitken
Taking the Path of Zen is my number one general choice for learning about Zen. This book is concise and effective in explaining what Zen is and how to practice it. If you can only afford one book or only want one book, this will be your best bet. This book actually reignited my passion and interest in Zen.
Taking the Path of Zen manages to get straight to the point with no fluff, but also without being obscure or cryptic. Robert Aitken also starts from the most basic concepts in Zen and branches out. Each introduced bit of information builds naturally.
Very few works manage to explain Zen so concisely and so naturally. This is by far the most efficient book to start learning about Zen for most people. It is a great addition to my library.
Get it here.
2. An Introduction to Zen Buddhism – D. T. Suzuki
An Introduction to Zen Buddhism is up there for me with Taking the Path of Zen, but the two works tell the same story very differently. D. T. Suzuki’s work hits more on the philosophy than the practice and gives it a more Western, philosophical context. This is not to say practice is omitted, just it is not quite the focus.
An Introduction to Zen Buddhism is a far more philosophical work than any of the others for better and for worse. The material can be a bit dense and hard to navigate if you aren’t used to this type of reading. Unlike some similar work, it isn’t hard to read because it’s pseudointellectual babble, but because it is able to put such complex points so concisely. This book is pretty much required reading at some point if you really want to know about the philosophical backing of Zen from a more academic viewpoint.
Though this book is much denser, it gave me the most bang for my buck for really contextualizing Zen. One can argue that intellectualizing Zen is contradictory, but this work made many things make sense in a more cerebral way without missing the point in practice. This book may be too academic for a first Zen read, but I feel it should be on almost any bookshelf.
Get it here.
3. Zen Starter Pack – Gregory F. George
Zen Starter Pack is a combination of two shorter works Meditation for Beginners and Buddhism for Beginners. I heard some great things about this book from multiple people, but I found it to be a great idea with a lacking implementation. I wanted to love this book the most out of any of the others on the list for the ground it really tried to cover.
The information and applicability of the information in this book is great. There are sections on meditation types, applications of Zen in life, and all of it is presented in a natural way. The elephant in the room is that it needs an editor, and badly.
There are typographical mistakes in the print copy, as well as obvious editing oversights. There are sentences and sections where a clause or more has been omitted. Grammatical mistakes and awkward word choice pepper the book as well. The author does not seem to be a native English speaker. A few areas need to be swapped around or reordered as well.
This would easily have been on the top of the list if not for these issues. After reading through, I see why this book was so widely recommended. With the price, I think it’s fine to have on the bookshelf, but I probably wouldn’t seek it out again either. The mix of great and horrible leaves behind a book which is at best okay.
Get it here.
4. Everyday Zen
This is another book which was suggested to me. I’ll give a disclaimer here, I didn’t finish it. The style of the writing just didn’t groove with me.
The book itself seems well written, and is very practical. Judging from what I made myself read, it’s consistent and pragmatic. The back of the copy I have calls it “Zen American-style by an American Zen Master” which is a very apt description. Practice is all I saw in the whole book.
I really did not get along with this book, but I can see why it would be suggested. If you want more of a practical work for Zen and need something more self-help than philosophical, this is probably what you want. I’d not personally suggest it, but I see why it is popular.
One note, many points are mixed with Judaeo-Christian elements.
Check it out here.
5. Zen Buddhism
I wasn’t planning to include this book originally. It really isn’t a beginner’s book in many ways. This book was suggested to me as a great book on Zen and I do agree.
This is a great resource on Koans, and other stories and parables from Zen. It’s a much older book, but it still holds up. It doesn’t try to make any interpretation or introduction to Zen, it just hands you a bunch of resources which are well translated.
This is a great resource to add to your library, and a really interesting read. Some of the items are from the 无门关 (wu2 men2 guan1 in Mandarin, Romanized as Mu-Mon Kwan or The Gateless Gate), others are from random other eclectic works. I really enjoyed the musings and they helped give me something to think about.
Nothing in this book is really revolutionary, but it was for the time seeing as the copy I have is from the 1959. It’s nothing you can’t get elsewhere, but the size, content order, and price make it very attractive. It was such a cool little book for the price I added it here since I wish I had known about it sooner.
Get it here.
Conclusion
If you want to get started but only want to pick one, go with Taking the Path of Zen or An Introduction to Zen Buddhism. I feel that Zen Starter Pack has too many flaws and imperfections to be a good first choice. Everyday Zen just didn’t connect with me at all, so I wouldn’t suggest it personally. If you need a good book after you feel a little more on your feet, consider looking at Zen Buddhism.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay