Zen Pathways

In Zen Pathways, Bret W. Davis pours several decades of personal experience, cultivated expertise, and diverse teaching skills that reflect his astute enthusiasm into a fascinating investigation of many different aspects of Zen theory and practice that are covered in two dozen concise chapters. The topics range from providing instructions and guidelines for concrete behavior to philosophical reflections on wide-ranging metaphysical and ethical issues informed by traditional sources and applied to contemporary situations in Japan and the West. Davis consistently enhances discussions with references to other spiritual traditions as well as various relevant cultural and intellectual resources. * Steven Heine, Professor of Asian Studies at Florida International University, author of From Chinese Chan to Japanese Zen and Dogen: Japan's Original Zen Teacher * This refreshing book brings together authentic insight, reliable scholarship, and much-needed clarity about the teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism. Based on the decades-long engagement of a practicing philosopher and authorized meditation teacher, this work not only elucidates classical themes like koans and the ten oxherding pictures; it also shows what Zen has to teach-and how it teaches-about matters of ethics and art, individuality and social responsibility, and our everyday living and learning to die. * John C. Maraldo, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at University of North Florida, author of The Saga of Zen History and the Power of Legend * This is a comprehensive introduction to Zen teachings and practice by someone who is both an academic scholar of Zen and a long-term Zen practitioner. It is a personable and engaging overview of the tradition, and I'm pleased to recommend it highly. * David Loy, , Professor of Buddhist and comparative philosophy, Zen teacher, and author of A New Buddhist Path and Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis * Bret W. Davis combines a rare expertise in both the theory and practice of Zen Buddhism. He brings together the skillful wisdom of the Kyoto school with the best spiritual insights of both eastern and western philosophy and religion. The book is keenly intercultural in its scope and reads like a river of deep thought. Pensive, passionate and persuasive, it invites us to change not only our minds but our lives. * Richard Kearney, Charles B. Seelig Chair in Philosophy at Boston College, author of Anatheism: Returning to God After God and Reimagining the Sacred * This remarkable book succeeds in making Zen practice, Zen teaching, and Zen's vast cultural heritage accessible to audiences of diverse backgrounds today. But that's not all. It is no exaggeration to say that Zen Pathways marks a turn in comparative philosophy. With the nuance of a scholar-practitioner and the warmth of a good friend, Bret W. Davis makes the last hundred years of cross-cultural philosophy inside and outside of Japan relevant to our personal lives, our meditation practices, our spiritual striving and our public discourse. * Leah Kalmanson, Associate Professor of Philosophy at University of North Texas, author of Cross-Cultural Existentialism * Bret W. Davis has crafted a rich and engaging introduction to Zen. Drawing from his scholarly expertise and many years of Zen practice, Davis strikes, as he puts it, a middle way between Orientalist fantasy and ruthless debunking. Students and practitioners have needed this book for a long time, and they will benefit from his skillful presentation of complex Zen teachings and his situating Zen within the larger Buddhist tradition and in conversation with Western philosophy. * Christopher Ives, Professor of Religious Studies at Stonehill College, author of Zen on the Trail and Imperial-Way Zen: Ichikawa Hakugen's Critique and Lingering Questions for Buddhist Ethics * Davis provides much more than a typical introductory work. Through a multifaceted treatment of theoretical and practical themes, he provides an overview of what a Zen life entails, drawing on the breadth of his historical understanding, depth of philosophical acumen, and rich personal experience. Davis brings to life the overall framework of Zen philosophy and a concrete sense of Buddhist practice in a manner that speaks to the engaged student in the West. He brings into relief what is invaluable yet often overlooked of Asian tradition, what can or needs to be adapted to the West, as well as innovations that continue to evolve the tradition. Highly recommended. * Mark Unno, University of Oregon, author of Shingon Refraction * Equally skilled as a teacher about Zen and a teacher of Zen, Bret W. Davis introduces readers to Zen and its Buddhist origins with artisanal thoroughness and disarming directness. Turning skillfully away from the admitted pleasures of spiritual tourism and academic archeology, Zen Pathways draws readers into sharing conversations of sincerely liberating intent, orchestrating topical encounters with Zen exemplars-often in the company of Western philosophers and religious traditions-that reward readers with much more than a glimpse of Zen. Like the best intercultural cuisine, Zen Pathways offers a taste of Zen that brings out enlivening depths of flavor in the ever-evolving ordinariness of sentient presence. * Peter Hershock, Director of the Asian Studies Development Program at the East-West Center, author of Public Zen, Personal Zen and Buddhism and Intelligent Technology * A rarity among those who write on Zen, Bret W. Davis is qualified to address reliably all three types of questions. His insights draw on his deep roots in both Zen practice and academic erudition, nourished by the rich soil of both the Japanese and Western heritage. Yet, he focuses steadily on our concerns in the here and now. Remarkably accessible and captivating, while remaining uncompromisingly accurate, Zen Pathways sets a 21st-century standard for what a serious introductory text on Zen should be. * Thomas P. Kasulis, Ohio State University, author of Zen Action/Zen Person and Engaging Japanese Philosophy *