Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings

Zen Buddhism conveys its profound and powerful truths through epigram, parable and brief, enigmatic and often amusing stories of the masters. In addition to 101 ZEN STORIES, this volume contains THE GATELESS GATE, a collection of koans or puzzles that students use to attune their minds to enlightenment, and 10 BULLS, an illustrated account of a bull-hunt which symbolizes the ascending stages of awareness. In CENTREING, an ancient Sanskrit text at the roots of Zen, Shiva offers '112 ways to open the invisible door of consciousness'. Zen can never be summed up in a bible or definitive body of doctrine, but for anyone seeking the inspiration of illumination of Zen wisdom, these classic texts make the ideal place to start.