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Rating: 
Summary: Some facts about Zen
Review: First of all, I would like to say that I've always considered Buddhism as one of the few truly inspiring and intelligent teachings of all time. I've been reading a few books about Zen, Including Alan Watt's The Way of Zen whitch is a great read.
Anyway, there has been written a great deal about Zen practice and philosophy, but apparently only a few of us know about the darker side of Zen, for example, that the great Zen masters in Japan during World War II actually supported the japanese military and even trained them to become brutal warriors. If you know anything about World War II, the Sino-Japanese war and the pacific war, you have probably wondered where the incredibly japanese brutality came from. Well, it came partly from a very distorted version of japanese Zen, where they actually replaced Buddha in the teachings of Zen with the japanese imperial, meaning that being loyal to the nation and killing the enemy of buddha was the most important thing.
What kind of buddhism is this really? Isn't buddhism really about the exact opposite?
Well, the author of this book is actually one of these so called "Enlightened Zen Masters" who saw the enemies of Japan as "unruly heathens" who "needed to be tamed and conquered".
It really makes you wonder how the great philosophy of Zen can turn into something comparable with the Nazi Holocaust.
Every religion can be approached the wrong way and become completly perverted and maybe the lesson is that every religion also has it's own flaws, even Buddhism.
In my opinion everyone interested in Zen should read "Zen at War" by Brian Victoria, who was a Zen monk when he found out these mind-blowing facts, and writes about this in detail. If you're completely new to Zen you should definately read a basic introduction to Zen at first, like Alan Watts' "the Way of Zen" or perhaps this book (allthough I wouldn't recommend anything from such a two-faced author)...
You can also read an extremely interesting review and introduction to Zen at War at: http://www.darkzen.com/Articles/zenholy.htm
Rating: 
Summary: A Buddhist Scholar's Very Accesible Introduction to Zen
Review: I have read this book cover to cover twice when new to Zen, and now, years later, am reading it again. It is subtitled " A Synthesis of the Historical and Practical Aspects of Zen Buddhism," but don't let the academic sound throw you. It is written by a scholar of Buddhism, but with such brilliance of insight and profundity that the reader feels he or she is in the Zendo, not the classroom.
Right from the beginning you are asked the essential question: "What is meant by living by Zen? Are we not all living by Zen, in Zen, and with Zen? Can we ever escape it?" By the end of the book you are living with the answers to those questions.
Suzuki deals extensively in this work with the nature of "satori" and "koan" practice, and provides a very good, if brief, general history of the main characters and insights of Zen Buddhism. I read this book as an introduction when new to Zen. I can read it years later and still refresh my understanding. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A Buddhist Scholar's Very Accesible Introduction to Zen
Review: I have read this book cover to cover twice when new to Zen, and now, years later, am reading it again. It is subtitled " A Synthesis of the Historical and Practical Aspects of Zen Buddhism," but don't let the academic sound throw you. It is written by a scholar of Buddhism, but with such brilliance of insight and profundity that the reader feels he or she is in the Zendo, not the classroom.
Right from the beginning you are asked the essential question: "What is meant by living by Zen? Are we not all living by Zen, in Zen, and with Zen? Can we ever escape it?" By the end of the book you are living with the answers to those questions.
Suzuki deals extensively in this work with the nature of "satori" and "koan" practice, and provides a very good, if brief, general history of the main characters and insights of Zen Buddhism. I read this book as an introduction when new to Zen. I can read it years later and still refresh my understanding. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A delectable introduction
Review: This book is an excellent introductory overview of Zen precepts and practice over the ages. It gives a feel of what it is to live with satori (enlightenment) - very 'normal' they would say - of what is the core 'being' of Zen and what it takes to get 'there'. One of the main draws of this book is the extensive use of quotes and anecdotes from the lives of Zen masters in the discussion of concepts. These provide concrete examples of the workings of Zen, historical insights into the lives of Zen masters and serve to enliven the whole discourse. The introductory chapters are followed by a discussion on satori - the essence of Zen, followed by a chapter on the various approaches to it within the Zen tradition itself. The last chapter is devoted to a discussion of the Koan, one of the chief methods used by Zen masters in training their disciples. In the concluding sections, Dr. Suzuki also gives insights into what is demanded of the Zen student in his pursuit of satori. His writing is fluid, the language clear and simple, but never simplistic in the treatment of the subject matter. However, for a more elaborate and systematic treatment of the subject of this book, his other titles (eg. "Zen Buddhism : Selected Writings of D.T.Suzuki", "Essays in Zen Buddhism", etc.) may be referred to.
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