Cover of Dropping Ashes on the Buddha: The Teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn

Dropping Ashes on the Buddha: The Teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn

by Stephen Mitchell, Seung · 1976

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A Zen teacher poses a puzzle to his students: a visitor arrives at the meditation center, lights a cigarette, and smokes and sprinkles ash over the Buddha statue while the student stands nearby. What should be done? Seung Sahn often used challenges like this with his American pupils. This collection gathers the spontaneous exchanges between him and those students, including dialogues, anecdotes, formal interviews, talks on the dharma and letters. The tone is playful and irreverent, with plenty of humor. The book shows his method of instant dialogue, in which surprise and paradox are used to push students toward a direct grasp of ultimate reality.

Subject
philosophyphilosophyMore like thisLess of thisself-helpself-helpMore like thisLess of thispsychologypsychologyMore like thisLess of this
Themes
BuddhismBuddhismMore like thisLess of thisspiritualityspiritualityMore like thisLess of thisreligionreligionMore like thisLess of this
Mood
funnyfunnyMore like thisLess of this
Audience
adult
Length
medium · 256 pages

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