Zen Flesh - Zen Bones - Zen Thoughts

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones is one of those books that might best be read for the first time as a child would listen to a parent reading her a fairy tale. Hearing each word as if for the first time and letting the words paint a narrative that is both amazing and without expectation. The child lets the words flow over her and transport her attention deeply into the moment.

Together Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki have collected dozens of stories that show both the wonderful humor and stark simplicity that are Zen.They have taken four distinct volumes and made them into one.

1.101 Zen stories is a compilation of short tales, many derived from original koans, all of them illuminating and humorous.

2.The book's second section, entitled The Gateless Gate, is a selection of 48 ageless koans.

3.the third section, the famous 10 Bulls is an exquisite collection of minimalist paintings and verse that describe the stages of spiritual unfoldment.

4.The fourth and final section, called Centering, contains aphorisms and meditations from an ancient Sanskrit manuscript.

One thing that stands out about the book is the emphasis on preconscious awareness, a concept I never really understood until I heard Pema Chodin speak in her Getting Unstuck talk of a concept called "Shenpa" and upon hearing it I was moved toward understanding.

The book is one of those you can carry around in your back pocket to pull out whenever you have a minute. I highly recommend it to everyone .Zen Flesh Zen Bones is a book that invites you to struggle with it, invites you to pound your head against the wall at each Koan wondering "what can it mean". Struggle with it if you want, though I think you will miss what's there if you do, but we all like to struggle in the beginning in hopes we can over power the obstacle and find victory or in this case some form of Zen Enlightenment.