TALKING BOOKS vox populi

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki-Roshi
Audio Cassette unabridged edition
Peter Coyote (Narrator)

Each chapter is just the right length for a cup of coffee. A perfect commuter companion. It's like having Suzuki Roshi sitting in the seat next to you telling you about your life.

aesmith6@home.com from Asheville, NC, USA , September 22, 1999 Transcripted from Suzuki's talks at Tassajara Transcripted and edited by Trudy Dixon and Richard Baker, Zen Mind is as near as you will get to the ideas of this remarkable man. "Crooked Cucumber" is a biography of Suzuki and a wonderful intro to Zen Mind.

mastermutt@aol.com from Bay Area, California , August 29, 1999 The Mind of Compassion "Simplify, simplify, simplify." Thoreau's message is aptly repeated in "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind." No need to study philosophical theories, no need to go and sit on some mountaintop, no need to engage in spiritual gymnastics: Shunryu Suzuki encourages his students to learn to express their true nature in their everyday activity. The book is actually a transcript of talks given at a Zen center. The only shortcoming of the book, then, is what is lost in the process of transcribing—the tone of voice, the emphasis on a particular word or phrase, the demeanor of the speaker. Nevertheless, Suzuki expresses himself with such clarity that the reader has no trouble understanding the many lessons that help the spiritual seeker find his way home.

A reader from PA...USA , June 11, 1999 WONDERFUL, PEACEFUL, WELL DONE A classic! A very well spoken audio cassette to present one of the great books on Zen in a classic way. This is a great treasure and to hear this is a reaffirmation of the author's tremendous knowledge of the subect. Easy enough to understand. !!!!!!!!!!!

Mike from Whitewater, WI , May 2, 1999 Impossible to Understand This book has to be one of the largest wastes of paper known to mankind. While I am sure this master knows what he is talking about, he sure as hell impart his knowledge to anyone else. Extremely confusing, and he rambles at times.

A reader from New York , March 23, 1999 A great book Sorry to disagree with the last review. This is really a great book, for anyone simply trying to catch a glimpse of Zen spirit.

filika@usa.net (name:ela) from IZMIR,TURKEY , June 22, 1999 mind opening ý have been reading on zen for years,but nýt tiil this book that l started to do zazen.

JDuncan183@AOL.com from New York City , March 21, 1999 A Wonderful Piece, All You'll Ever Need This book took me out of the maze of faith-based religion and for the first time I found a teacher and a philosophy with so much credibility I had the confidence to trust in the more esoteric aspects of a teaching that weren't initially obvious. Suzuki, and I assume Zen in general, has the wisdom and courage to acknowedge that there are things about our universe that we cannot comprehend and treat them as both beautiful and mysterious. This contrasts with faith-based religions which instruct us to accept notions of "gods" and elaborate tales for explanation and as such are a complete assault on and violation of the intellect. Zen outlook which does away with the largely western notions of right & wrong, past and future, and states of lack will put one squarely in the present tense from moment to moment. It is utterly refreshing and healthy to look at the universe through glasses which are not colored by human desire and ego. Read this book, gain an understanding of yourself, an appreciation for the universe as a whole and piece of mind. Namaste

A reader from The Great Wall of Manitou, New York , May 15, 1999 You either get it, or you don't As the other reviews indicate, with this book, you either get it, or you don't. Suzuki Roshi's teaching here is simple, and direct. The author's wisdom lives and breathes in every word. If you're looking for something cut and dried, you won't find it here. I've read this book many times over the years, and every time I read it, it's like learning about Buddhism for the first time all over again. If you want to meditate, you'll never need another book besides this one.

A reader from Detroit, MI , July 10, 1999 Not for the Beginner Excellent reading. It goes pretty deep however, and I can see how someone with little or no knowledge of Zen can become completely lost. I would not recommend it as an introduction to Zen, but for those already involved in Zen who are looking to return to a beginner's mind, go for it.

jond@hotbot.com from richmond, va , July 5, 1999 very good. I've looked back to it many times. this isn't some "how to" type deal. It's also not a history of zen. It IS zen.

A reader from San Diego, CA , June 22, 1999 Highest regards for this book. Having read over two dozen books on zen, it is my opinion that this one has no peer. I have loaned this book to many friends and enough of them loved it that I recently bought my fourth copy...

A reader from USA , September 7, 1998 What else is there? Practical. Real. It works. You can complicate your life with endless searching and paying for the truth. If you are doing this with Zen, you missed the point. The truth is simple and laid out so anybody can understand it in "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind". The method and key to the mystic door are here for anybody who wishes to pursue it. If you buy this book, you actually need no other Zen information. This is it. Nothing more.

ggayuski@aol.com from San Francisco , December 12, 1998 I've been reading this book for 25 years And I'm still reading it. It's like a different book every time I pick it up. Like most Buddhist teachings, you might notice more and more refined subtlety as you go along. Along side it, I've also been sitting every day. I recommend the book...(well, and sitting for that matter...) Not just to folks curious about Zen but to anybody who is curious at all.