“This is a wise and beautiful book of heart teachings by a great Soto Zen teacher, Jakusho Kwong-roshi, who shows the way to open infinite Dharma doors through Zen practice.”
Description
A collection of talks, photos, and calligraphy by Jakusho Kwong-roshi, exploring the profound beauty of Zen history and practice, nature, and the philosophy of the ancient Zen master Eihei Dogen.
“In Zen meditation, anything that comes in your mind will eventually leave, because nothing is permanent. A thought is like a cloud moving across the blue sky. Nothing can disturb that all-encompassing vastness. This is the Dharma".
In a collection of talks and anecdotes, Jakusho Kwong-roshi, a Dharma successor of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, presents his approach to Buddhist teaching. Containing photos of Kwong-roshi with his teachers, as well as a selection of his vibrant calligraphy, Mind Sky explores the profound beauty of Zen history and practice, nature, and the philosophy of the ancient Zen master Eihei Dogen.
With an elegant simplicity, Jakusho Kwong-roshi shows how Zen is experiential rather than intellectual. And with persistent practice, realization is already yours.
Reviews
“How wonderful that in these pages Jakusho Kwong-roshi shares the wisdom of a lifetime dedicated to Zen practice! This is a Dharma feast for us all to partake of. It seems that the essential Soto Zen practice is analogous to aspects of Mahamudra, pointing to the similarity in the Buddhist approach to understanding the mind. We welcome this clear instruction lighting the way to direct realization of the nature of the mind.”
“Mind Sky is Jakusho Kwong-roshi at his best! As ever, his teaching is direct and straightforward, full of compassion, wisdom, and gentle humor. He teaches that Zen practice encompasses samadhi and vipassana, but that Zen meditation goes beyond, to a state of ‘silent illumination’—shikantaza—just sitting. He emphasizes that realization can come through one’s own experience, not only on the meditation cushion but in normal day-to-day life. Kwong-roshi’s unique calligraphy in Mind Sky expresses a state of mind as vast and clear as the unclouded sky. Congratulations on this new book!”
“Jakusho Kwong’s new book is filled with deep insights, personal recollections, and classic Zen stories. Mind Sky will appeal to beginning students and old-timers in Zen alike.”