[Buddha-l] Teaching Zen Buddhist philosophy

[bclough]

Richard Hayes wrote:

>I thought I'd like to deal with material the main historical
context of which is contemporary Western society. The attempts of
Western Buddhists to make sense of both Buddhism and their own 
religious and cultural roots (with all their attendant biases) have 
always been exciting to me, and I think also to students.


This surely sounds like an interesting plan for a course, Richard. I 
wonder if you might also consider using a few works by Asian Zen 
masters endeavoring to present Zen to a Western audience. Shunryu 
Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind is almost surely the most 
influential of such attempts, but two other excellent ones that my 
students have been very stimulated by are:

1) Hoofprint of the Ox: Principles of the Chan Buddhist Path As 
Taught by a Modern Chinese Master, by Sheng Yen (Daniel Stevenson, 
translator). 

2) A Flower Does Not Talk; Zen Essays, by Zenkei Shibayama

I'm sure others would have other good suggestions in this vein.

Best Wishes,
Brad