The Three Pillars of Zen by Philip Kapleau Roshi

The Three Pillars of Zen

Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment

Philip Kapleau Roshi, Philip Kapleau

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group · Print & ebook · February 27, 1989

Exploring the three pillars of Zen—teaching, practice, and enlightenment—the founder of one of the most influential Zen centers in the U.S. gives readers invaluable advice on how to develop their own practices.

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Who it’s for
A compact Zen guide for when you want practice, not perfume.
Genres
Zen Buddhism, Zen, Buddhist Practice & Ritual
Published
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, February 27, 1989

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About this book

Exploring the three pillars of Zen—teaching, practice, and enlightenment—the founder of one of the most influential Zen centers in the U.S. gives readers invaluable advice on how to develop their own practices. "The Three Pillars of Zen has been the wellspring of Zen teachings for practitioners in the West, remaining as vital and fresh today as it was when it was originally published.

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It truly ranks among the timeless classics of Zen Buddhism." —Roshi John Daido Loori, Abbot, Zen Mountain Monastery Roshi Philip Kapleau, founder of the eminent Rochester Zen Center, offers a personal account of his own experiences as a student and teacher, and in so doing presents a comprehensive overview of Zen Buddhism that includes practical guidance, insights from Zen masters, integration of Eastern and Western perspectives, and inspiration for personal transformation. A moving and eye-opening work in eleven sections, including Yasunati-roshi's Introductory Lectures on Zen Training and Commentary on the Koan Mu, The Three Pillars of Zen is the definitive introduction to the history and discipline of Zen. Revised and updated, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs and a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede (who succeeded Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center), in addition to the following features: • Foreword by Huston Smith, Professor of Philosophy at MIT • Preface by Philip Kapleau • Notes on the Anniversary Edition by Kenneth Kraft • Notes on Zen Vocabulary and Buddhist Doctrine

Zen, Unfrilled

A compact Zen guide for when you want practice, not perfume.

Come here for

  • teaching/practice/enlightenment triad
  • serious, layered Zen reference

Expect

  • classroom-friendly clarity
  • dip-in reading with staying power

Where it sits

Zen Buddhism99%
Buddhist Practice & Ritual42%
Zen26%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Zen
  • Zen Buddhism
  • Personal Growth
Authors
Philip Kapleau Roshi, Philip Kapleau
Publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published
February 27, 1989
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Zen