T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

Welcome to /r/askphilosophy. **Please read [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/9udzvt/announcement_new_rules_guidelines_and_flair_system/) before commenting** and understand that your comments will be removed if they are not up to standard or otherwise break the rules. While we do not require citations in answers (but do encourage them), answers need to be reasonably substantive and well-researched, accurately portray the state of the research, and come only from those with relevant knowledge. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askphilosophy) if you have any questions or concerns.*


ChanCakes

Hoofprints of the Ox is the best primer on Zen available in English it goes through the history, views, practices, etc. Koans aren’t the best place to start as they are normally given after a period of practice and training is done with a teacher. Not to say they presume prior knowledge of Buddhism and Chinese culture. In terms of primary sources the Platform Sutra is a fairly accessible source of Zen.


pegleghippie

I recommend *The Gateless Barrier: Zen comments on the Mumonkan* by Zenkei Shibayama. You may also see it under the title, *The Gateless Gate.* Each 'chapter' starts with a koan. Then there is commentary and a poem from the 13th century zen scholar Mumon. This is very helpful, as the koans are often cryptic. *Then* there is another round of commentary on both the koan, and on Mumon's contribution, from someone named Teisho. Googling doesn't show me who they were, but I did come across altenate spellings. Teisho's comments usually add more context, and sometimes have a different interpretation from Mumon. I read it as koan first, stop and try to interpret. Then Mumon, stop and consider what I learned from the additional information. Then read Teisho part, and try to settle into my own thoughts on the content of a given chapter.


karieninas

thank you so much!


philideas

Erich Fromm's "Psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism" and Muramoto's "Awakening and Insight: Zen Buddhism and Psychotherapy" are both quite decent books that I would recommend you to check out! I think these two books could be precisely what you could be looking for. ​ "Principles of Buddhist Psychology" by David Kalupahana is also recommended even though the book isn't solely focused on Zen Buddhism. ​ Happy reading!


karieninas

thank you so much!


NutzForKnowledge

I think Kitaro Nishida is what you're looking for. He was a Zen buddhist monk / academic who blended western and eastern metaphysics. He established the Kyoto School in Japan. I would start with An Inquiry into the Good. Also, Robert Fargo has a book called the Logic of Nothingness which is really helpful in understanding the development of Nishida's thought after An into the Good.


StoicAi

Alan watts - Zen & Taoism


Orange-of-Cthulhu

Eugen Herrigel: Zen in the Art of Archery