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Rating: 
Summary: What a wonderful book
Review: Ruben Habito is certainly not a household name for many of us, and yet he is a prominent figure in the Zen tradition. He is a native of the Philippines, and the current Zen master of the Maria Kannon Zen Center in Dallas since 1990. Obviously the first thing which hits one when glancing at the title of this book is Thich Nhat Hanh's similar title "Living Buddha, Living Christ." In a sense the goal is quite similar. Habito has always been vigorous in supporting inter-religious discussion between members of various faiths. As a teen, he explains how he was drawn to the Jesuit order and later was sent to Japan on missionary work. He marks this as a major turning point in his life. He was assigned to Kamakura, where he came to understand the language and culture. The priest who looked after him in Japan, Fr. Hand, was ironically studying at a Zen center there under Yamada Koun Roshi. Habito joined the sitting group, and found himself very much at home in Zen practice. He has since retained both of these traditions as his spiritual roots. In 1978, Ruben received Dharma transmission from Yamada Roshi. During the years between meeting Roshi and first coming to Japan, Habito had been there for almost 17 years. He'd experienced a lot of struggling being a member of two seemingly irreconcilable religious traditions. Christianity and Zen Buddhism. But through diligence and hard practice, he has been able to show people the path of a reconciliation between these two faiths. He remarks that it is his Zen practice that allowed him to come to clear and powerful understanding of Christian scripture. Led him to an EXPERIENCING of the gospels, not just mere intellectual understanding. This book is a must have for members of either faith looking for a way to open the table for dialogue, or to accentuate their faith with the best food of another tradition. This book was wonderful, enjoy it.
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